'Sarah Canary' by Karen Joy Fowler is a mysterious and surreal novel set in the 1870s in the Pacific Northwest. The story follows a Chinese immigrant, Chin Ah Kin, who encounters a strange and mute woman named Sarah Canary. As they embark on a journey together, they come across various eccentric characters who are drawn to Sarah for different reasons. The book is filled with historical tidbits, real-life references, and quotes from Emily Dickinson that serve as clues to the storyline. The narrative is lyrical, engaging, and thought-provoking, exploring themes of otherness, perception, and the power of storytelling.

Characters:

The characters are richly developed, each representing various forms of societal outcasting, with Sarah as a focal point of their perceptions.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by lyrical prose and integration of historical elements, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that invites deep reflection.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative is centered around a mysterious woman whose identity remains ambiguous, prompting various interpretations from the characters around her.

Setting:

The setting is rich in historical context, rooted in the 19th-century Pacific Northwest, impacting the narrative and character dynamics.

Pacing:

The pacing can be slow and episodic, reflecting the wandering nature of the narrative and the characters' journeys.

The years after the American Civil War were characterized by excess, ornamented by cults and corruptions. Calamity Jane rode her horse through Indian country, standing on her head, her tangled hair lo...

Notes:

The book is set in the logging region of Washington Territory in 1873.

Sarah Canary, the main character, is a mute white woman found in a Chinese labor camp.

Various characters make assumptions about Sarah's identity throughout the story.

The narrative includes perspectives of marginalized individuals like Chinese immigrants and suffragists.

Emily Dickinson's poetry is quoted at the beginning of each chapter, relating to the chapter's themes.

The story explores themes of alienation and perception.

Sarah Canary has elements of several genres, including historical fiction, science fiction, and western.

The book comments on human nature, prejudice, and cultural differences.

Fowler's writing is described as lyrical and dreamlike, blending humor with serious themes.

The characters are all considered outcasts, each with unique perspectives.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include discussions of mental illness, societal rejection, and potentially distressing themes related to outcasts.

From The Publisher:

Two unlikely people form an unexpected bond in bestselling author Karen Joy Fowler's captivating historical novel-a New York Times Notable Book.

When black cloaked Sarah Canary wanders into a Chinese labor camp in the Washington territories in 1873, Chin Ah Kin is ordered by his uncle to escort "the ugliest woman he could imagine" away. Far away. But Chin soon becomes the follower.

In the first of many such instances, they are separated, both resurfacing some days later at an insane asylum. Chin has run afoul of the law and Sarah has been committed for observation. Their escape from the asylum in the company of another inmate sets into motion a series of adventures and misadventures that are at once hilarious, deeply moving, and downright terrifying.

"Powerfully imagined…Drop everything and follow Sarah Canary….Humor and horror, history and myth dance cheek to cheek in this Jack London meets L. Frank Baum world….Here is a work that manages to be at the same time (and often in the same sentence) dark and deep and fun."-The Washington Post Book World

Reader Stats (7):

Want To Read (5)
Not Interested (2)

What can you read after
Sarah Canary?

See the list (80 books)

About the Author:

Karen Joy Fowler, a PEN/Faulkner and California Book Award winner, is the author of six novels (two of them New York Times bestsellers) and four short story collections. She has been a Dublin IMPAC nominee, and was shortlisted for the…

Meet New Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products and services on amazon.com and its subsidiaries.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.

Sarah Canary

Karen Joy Fowler