Cold Earth

By Sarah Moss and Associate Professor of Philosophy Sarah Moss

A team of six archaeologists from the United States, England, and Scotland assembles at the beginning of the Arctic summer to unearth traces of the lost Viking settlements in Greenland. But as they sink into uneasy domesticity, there is news of an epidemic back home, and their communications with the outside world fall away. Facing a Greenland winter for which they are hopelessly ill-equipped, Nina, Ruth, Catriona, Jim, Ben, and Yianni, knowing that their missives may never reach their loved ones, write final letters home. These letters make up the narrative of Cold Earth, with each section of the book composed of one character's first-person perspective in letter form.

In this exceptional and haunting debut novel, Moss weaves a rich tapestry of personal narrative, history, love, grief, and naked survival. Cold Earth is both a heart-pounding thriller and a highly sophisticated novel of ideas.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582435790
• ISBN13: 9781582435794
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Counterpoint LLC
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

I found this book very interesting but ultimately disappointing

This book kept me reading, and along the way I learned about archeology and Greenland, but there were some loose ends, as if the author couldn't quite figure out how to resolve them. The ending seemed abrupt and sketchy to me, and a topic that appeared throughout the story (I don't know how to present it without being a spoiler)was suddenly dismissed near the end. Despite my reservations, I am glad I read it, and plan to pass it on to friends.