Newspaper Article

Two women and their mysteries Fantasy, forests, fog and a dream in female guise

Reviewed by Michael Dorris, author, with Louise Erdrich, of "The Crown of Columbus."

1991

Overview

Imagine reading a whole novel and never quite knowing what it's \"about.\" And not minding a bit, because the writing is so rich, so spellbinding in its intricate weave. Experiencing \"Sarah Canary\" is the literary equivalent of gazing at a twirling crystal: your eyes register the brilliance of the spectrum but the impact is ultimately subliminal. No, you're not getting sleepy. Rather you're accelerating to a higher plane where the issues of plot and logic and character seem embarrassing to raise because they betray your inability to dream. Wandering through this enchanted landscape are a disparate band of men and women: Chin, a Chinese laborer fearful of the racism surrounding him but at the same time an astute observer of all he encounters; B.J. an escapee from a mental institution, sweet and innocent; Adelaide Dixon, a free-thinker who travels the lecture circuit; and Sarah Canary herself, part feral creature, part precipitating enigma, voiceless and mesmerizing. The puzzle of her identity, of her very species, inhabits the speculation of every character. Sarah Canary next turns up as a side-show attraction, \"The Alaskan Wild Woman,\" and is this time spirited away by Adelaide Dixon, herself a fugitive and a threat in this mostly male frontier because she publicly advocates female sexuality. Adelaide, Chin and B.J., with Sarah in tow, flee on foot and by boat, eventually arriving in San Francisco. They meet a tiger, Chin returns to China and Sarah disappears, only to haunt and dominate the memory of each person who has encountered her.

• Publisher: Tribune Publishing Company, LLC