A lone ship journeys south, heading for the furthest reaches of Antarctica. It belongs to Sky, the billionaire behind a groundbreaking project to salvage the region. On board is disgraced environmental activist Ivy Cunningham, lending her expertise in the hope that it might rescue her reputation – and perhaps even mend her broken relationship with her son.
And yet, as the ship moves ever deeper into the breathtaking but eerie landscape, Ivy grows increasingly suspicious of her fellow passengers, and starts to question the project’s motives.
If she could leave, she would – but she knows there’s no way home.
Exhilarating, terrifying and thought-provoking at once, The Edge of Solitude is a story of climate emergency and human fallibility, of the clash of ambition and principle, and of the choices we make when we know that time is running out.
I thoroughly enjoyed Katie Hale’s debut novel, My Name is Monster, and jumped at the chance to receive a copy of her latest offering, The Edge of Solitude.
The novel is set in a near future where climate change has continued unchecked despite the efforts of environmental activists. But what if there was a plan B? Tech billionaire, Sky, claims to have the technology to reverse the melting of the ice in Antarctica, and while it’s in a test phase, if successful, it could be used to reverse the damage caused by humans around the world. It’s a bold claim but fantastic if true, and he invites disgraced activist, Ivy Cunningham – something of a thorn in his side after she focussed uncomfortably on Sky in a series of articles – to bear witness to his project and to help promote it if she is agreeable.
Told from Ivy’s perspective, the novel begins as they set sail from the southernmost tip of South America to Antarctica. We follow that journey, as well as learning more about Ivy’s past and how she got to where she is. Ivy is a fascinating character, one who I found to be deeply flawed and quite egotistical yet someone who felt very realistic. I felt that she’d had to develop something of a persona in her life as an activist, a front to put on when facing up to corporate giants. Now in her seventies and somewhat removed from activism, it’s as though she’s so used to wearing that persona that she’s now unable to cast it aside and be herself – she always strives to show herself as a powerful individual.
We discover how she shot to fame in environmental circles after a photo of her halting the progress of ship breaking through Antarctic ice went viral. It launched her as an activist and eventually led to her winning a Pulitzer. It raises the question of what caused her downfall – we know that she is a disgraced activist, and there’s mention of the Helsinki affair, although exactly what happened isn’t revealed until the end of the novel. There’s a sense of hubris about Ivy, even now, and it’s not so difficult to imagine that she was the cause of her own fall from grace.
We gain insight into Ivy’s family life – her deceased wife, Bree, and their son, Ross. Bree was Ross’s biological mother, and while he was loved by both, they seem to have adopted traditional gender roles, with Bree being the main carer while Ivy was often away due to her work, prioritising her career. The reader soon understands that she and Ross are now estranged, although it doesn’t stop Ivy trying to contact him, with no response. She’s clearly sacrificed her family in the pursuit of her goals and being a part of the next big cause, and while her work is admirable, there’s a palpable sense of regret as she now finds herself quite alone in the world. I can’t say I sympathised with her, if I’m honest – I didn’t dislike her, but I felt that she’d made her choices, and was now living with the consequences.
The Edge of Solitude is, primarily, speculative fiction. While the technology to refreeze the Antarctic hints at science fiction, how it works isn’t explored in any detail which suited me just fine. There is also a hint of mystery in the narrative, as it seems that there’s something else going on when Ivy finds an encrypted data chip which is removed from her cabin before she’s finished reviewing the contents. I found this element of the narrative very intriguing and couldn’t wait to see how it might play out.
The Edge of Solitude was published by Canongate on 4 July 2024 and is a great work of climate fiction that offers the reader something a little different. Recommended.
Disclaimer – I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has in no way influenced my review.
Book 18 of 20 Books of Summer.
