Choosing a favorite Margaret Atwood novel is no small task, but Surfacing is really strange and special to me. It feels more distinctly Canadian than many of her others, especially because it largely takes place in very rural Quebec. Many of the recurring themes of Margaret Atwood novels (feminism, environmental concerns, sci-fi/fantasy elements) are present in Surfacing, and I found it to be one of her most overtly feminist novels, with the central character traveling further and further into the literal and metaphorical wilderness as the novel progresses. This summer I went on a very satisfying camping trip on which I managed to finish H is for Hawk while swinging in a hammock, and the thought struck me that if I had a copy of Surfacing as a follow-up, some kind of Platonic ideal of women in the wilderness would be achieved.

The Bookhive List is a weekly recommendation of my all-time favorite, must-read books.