And She Was by Cindy Dyson

Fine Print: I read the Advance Reading Copy of this book in 2006. It is now in paperback and several people have asked me about it so it was time for an entry.

What I’m reading now: The Accidental by Ali Smith

I picked up And She Was casually and flipped to a random chapter which transported me to the Aleutians where women killed a man with an ulu knife. Soon, I restarted at the beginning and the book was invading my dreams.

At the heart of the intriguing first novel by Cindy Dyson is a flawed young blonde, who like so many before and after her, follows a lover up to Alaska. Her fisherman boyfriend is almost as flawed as she is, however, and her stay in the damp islands will be wrought with problems, including mysteries that surround some her coworkers and the customers at the bar where she slings drinks and avoids rough hands.

Brandy’s story mingles with tales of Aleutian women taking justice into their own hands. The chapters with the women of different generations and circumstances are especially powerful and stayed with me long after I set down the book.

The ending and final chapters don’t quite live up to the rest of the book, and one scene could have been eliminated, but don’t let that scare you from meeting some unique Alaskan characters.

A great vacation read if you can handle a little murder with your margarita.

Hardback: William Morrow (HarperCollins). $24.95. 304 pages.

Paperback: Harper Paperback. $13.95. 304 pages.