Bitter Thaw
This is a remarkable, eminently readable novel about a family of three who have lived under the burden of their secrets and conflicting memories for thirty years, between the Fifties and 1990. McCann develops three narrators and three protagonists: Evelyn, a mother; Frankie, her son; and April, Frankie’s daughter. The novel traces the challenged lives of these characters with intelligent and sympathetic candor. The plot is the classical journey of discovery. It follows the trio as they literally travel by car from their current home in Phoenix, Arizona, to Bitter Rapids, Minnesota. They are compelled to this journey by the discovery of unknown human remains in a place they once knew.
The book also follows Maakade, half-Black and half-Ojibwe, who survived harsh Indian school and wrongful imprisonment to literally save both Evelyn and Frank. Maak’s experiences in nature shine in lyrical terms. To top it off, the novel includes Scout, an intrepid dog, that contributes his own strength to both characters and plot!
Between chapters, McCann interweaves excerpts from non-fiction books, news stories, and various articles that reveal important aspects of the culture during this time period. These excerpts provide factual perspectives on such topics as women’s health, Native American education, and interracial marriage. The cumulative point of these excerpts is a pithy, ironic judgment on the America that the characters in this novel inhabit.
