The Lone Husky by Hannah Gold. Illus. by Levi Pinfold

UK author Hannah Gold continues to provide middle grade readers with fascinating stories involving adventure, danger, the effects of climate change and most importantly, the connectedness between humans and animals. I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing The Last Bear, The Lost Whale, Finding Bear and Turtle Moon, with this latest release, The Lone Husky, being another highly engaging and empathetic narrative that reconnects April and Bear but also introduces Blaze, a Siberian husky.

April, her father Edmund and his girlfriend Maria are now living in Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard, a group of islands close to the North Pole. It is mid-November and the residents will soon be living through darkness in the polar season for the coming months. During this time polar bears roam the Arctic searching for food and for April, this is a time when she will be unable to connect with her beloved Bear.

After travelling out of Longyearbyen and seeing Bear for last time until the polar season is over, April returns to Hedda’s property and it is there she discovers that Hedda has a new husky that has experienced trauma in the past. Over time, April forms a strong bond with the husky whom she names Blaze, and they intuitively support each other during a dangerous and challenging sled race: The Polar Race.

Over the course of five days this race, which is not for the faint-hearted or underprepared, tests April in many ways but she finds her true self. She has trained hard for this but as the musher she has to singlehandedly race and care for her team of huskies over long hours and make decisions that will keep them all safe. In the final stages the race takes a sudden perilous turn but with April’s bravery and Bear’s unexpected assistance, her team and others make it home safely.

In the beginning pages of the book there is an explanation of the role of each team member with further relatable information in the final pages. Throughout the story the black and white illustrations by Levi Pinfold add valuable visual images for the reader to further connect with the characters and the environment.  

Hannah Gold’s website Award Winning Author is worth visiting and the link to Hannah’s Husky Expedition would make a fabulous introduction to the story.

Themes: Arctic, Huskies, Sled racing, Danger, Family, Friendship, Adventure, Environmental damage.

Kathryn Beilby