Correcting the Landscape by Majorie Kowalski Cole

Introduction: This, first winner of the Bellwether Prize (2004), was very disappointing! I’ve loved all the other winners so this was a surprise. From Publishers Weekly, “The publisher of a Fairbanks, Alaska, weekly newspaper finds himself tested by matters of love and money in Cole's resolute first novel. Gus Traynor has run the Mercury for 15 years, aided by his fiery sister, Noreen, but these days costs are up and ad sales are down. The paper's difficulties come at a bad time for Gus, a likable and sometimes reluctant gadfly who, after many years of bachelorhood, finds a new reason to fight for his paper's longevity: part-time journalist Gayle Kenneally, a single mother from the native village of Allakeket whose thoughtful, unhurried self-possession capture Gus's attention and ultimately his heart.”

Title & Author: Correcting the Landscape by Majorie Kowalski Cole
Genre: Socially responsible fiction
Time Period: early 2000s
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Main Characters: Gus Traynor, Gayle Kenneally, Noreen, Felix and Tad

Characters: not very interesting, development was slow and not deep at all.
Writing Style: journalistic style, lots of colloquialisms and informal language.
Opening: intriguing at first but quickly lost my interest
Plot/Story: under-developed, lots of pieces that could mean something important but they never get built up enough to matter.
Action: the story plods along slowly with some action elements but they are not compelling.
Dialogue: average.
Humor: it broaches several serious topics with some humor but overall this is not a humorous novel.
Believability: the story itself is believable and has probably happened somewhere in Alaska, it’s a conservative place to live.
Relatable: as an activist, and someone who cares about the environment and liberal causes, I found this story very relatable.
Originality: the subject matter is not very original; however, the storyline and the mechanism for teaching the reader about Alaskan issues were unique.
Enjoyable: NO – I dragged through this book.
Ending: Honestly I can’t even remember it – other than the issues raised (which were not even well developed) this novel was a disappointment.
Recommendation: * - don’t waste your time.