A review by eringow
The Magnetic North: Notes From The Arctic Circle by Sara Wheeler

4.0

This is a terrifying book, and I am not referring to the gulag stories, but to the depiction of a shrinking Artic. The fact that most stuck with me when I closed the cover was that people living furthest from pollution (in the remote Artic) are most affected by it. The build up of toxins in animals, the change in fragile ecosystems due to climate change and pollution, and the erosion of native culture, show up unavoidably in every segment of the story throughout all the author's travels. It is difficult not to take away a pessimistic message from this insight, and yet the narration is not pessimistic and the author is not solely condemnatory. The blend of history, science, and travelogue makes for truly interesting reading.