Review: "Deep River" by Karl Marlantes

It’s been a little while since I have read a book as immersive as Karl Marlantes’ Deep River and at 716 pages, it better be. Thankfully, there is enough in this book to keep even the most disengaged reader busy and entertained, offering a story of late 19^th/early 20^th century Finnish immigrants who carve out their piece of the American Dream that has the epic feel of something akin to John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Although its core message is not nearly as left wing as that book’s (a little more on that later). Marlantes has put a lot into this book, having researched his own history as well as that of the region and it really shows. There is nothing about this book that does not feel inauthentic, from the culture and customs of the Koski’s homeland in Finland, to the tools used for logging and even the feelings of unrest as the world around three siblings changes dramatically, leaving some familiar faces behind. The book begins at the tail end of the 19^thcentury and finds the Koski family in the throes of grief as they watch helplessly as three of the six children die from cholera. It is this event that casts a long shadow over this close-knit family, as it takes something this terrible to set the three remaining children on a path to America, more specifically the Pacific Northwest, barely explored and totally untamed in that time period. The oldest, Ilmari, at the dawn of the 20^th century leaves home and travels to America to work as a logger. The two others, Aino, arguably the center of the book and Matti, her younger brother get caught up in the dangerous political climate in their home country. It is Aino, who is most active, becoming obsessed with the idea of a socialist revolution after a local teacher staying at their house gives her a copy of The Communist Manifesto. Matti, on the other hand, is passionate in other ways, quick to romance and even quicker to violence, evidenced by when he pulls a knife on a Russian officer who brutally kicks the family dog to death. A series of events take place, highlighted by a betrayal whose ramifications and poignancy echo rather deep into the book, that lead Aino and Matti to America, Aino bringing her left-wing ideas to obviously unwelcoming logging companies and Matti his desire to make something of himself. The Koski family can’t help getting caught up in the shifting waves of history, such as Aino’s relationship with socialist martyr Joe Hill and Matti’s involvement with bootlegging during prohibition, but the greatest influence over their lives is the personal realm, the quiet moments at home, the not so quiet moments at dancehalls and bars, the loss of life and the creation of it. It would sound corny in any other book, but here, it is totally earned. Another part of the book I found interesting and refreshing was its treatment of Aino’s revolutionary attitude. In any other book, especially now, she’d be regarded as a hero, but here, it begs the question as to whether or not her actions are noble and necessary or selfish and short-sighted. It’s just one of the many qualities that makes this book special

Rating: 5/5