Author: Joe Haldeman:

 ISBN:  0441009778

The following review was contributed by:  Paul Lappen & CLICK TO VIEW Paul Lappen's Reviews

Written as a memoir, much of this book takes place in 19th Century America. Rosa
Coleman was a part of high society in Philadelphia. After witnessing her husband
sodomizing Daniel, their young son, she picked him up and fled across uncharted
America by train and steamboat. Pinkerton detectives working for her husband
were never far behind.

Months later, they found themselves in San Francisco, heading to Alaska to look
for gold. Alaska was also as far way from Philadelphia as Rosa and Daniel could
go. They were in the company of Doc and Charles, an older man and his son, also
looking to strike it rich. Rosa and Doc hit it off, by 19th Century standards,
pretty quickly. The only strange thing about Rosa and Daniel's journey was that
every so often a raven would come down out of the sky, land in front of them,
and squawk the words "No gold" before leaving.

Rosa decided to stay in the town of Sitka, rather than join the men in the
Alaskan wilderness. She got a job as a schoolteacher, and met Gordon, part
Russian priest and part shaman. They are both there to teach, and hopefully
convert, the local Tlingit (native) children. The raven is considered a
trickster in many cultures, including Tlingit.

After several months, Rosa received a letter from Charles saying that Doc and
Charles were shot and killed in a streetcorner dispute. In a fit of despair,
Rosa took out a pistol that she kept for protection, and was prepared to use it
on herself. At that moment, a talking raven, part Gordon and part trickster,
flew into her cabin and took her on a journey. She visited a planet of
man-sized, mobile, intelligent plants. She visited a planet whose sun was
stationary in the sky. She visited a devastated Times Square, far in her future.
She was turned into a golden eagle, and into a carnivorous dinosaur. Rosa was
taught all about alternate universes, and was returned to one where Doc and
Daniel were still alive, because they hadn't yet made the trip into the Alaskan
wilderness.

This is an excellent novel, but a pretty "quiet" novel. The science fiction
doesn't start until about the last quarter of the story. By the end, it gets
nice and weird, and will give the reader plenty to consider. Two thumbs up.