{"product_id":"barkskins","title":"Barkskins","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLonglisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction 2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA New York Times Book of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom Annie Proulx, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of \u003cem\u003eThe Shipping News\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBrokeback Mountain\u003c\/em\u003e, comes her masterwork: an epic, dazzling, and magnificently dramatic novel about the decimation of the world’s forests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the late seventeenth century, two penniless young Frenchmen, René Sel and Charles Duquet, arrive in New France. Bound to a feudal lord, or \"seigneur,\" in exchange for land after three years of service, they are tasked with clearing vast tracts of forest. René Sel, enduring immense hardship and oppression, is coerced into marrying a Mi’kmaw woman. Their descendants find themselves perpetually caught between clashing cultures. In contrast, the cunning and ruthless Charles Duquet flees from his obligations, first becoming a fur trader and eventually founding a timber empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe narrative spans over three centuries and follows the extensive lineage of Sel and Duquet. Their stories crisscross North America, Europe, China, and New Zealand, navigating through gripping and often brutal conditions: from raucous rivalries and personal vendettas to accidents, diseases, and Indigenous attacks. Throughout, Proulx vividly illustrates the relentless pursuit and exploitation of seemingly boundless natural resources, culminating in a sobering confrontation with the spectre of ecological collapse in contemporary times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnnie Proulx’s unparalleled genius lies in her ability to create characters that leap off the page, their traits of greed, lust, revenge, compassion, and hope compelling readers to follow their sagas with unwavering intensity. \u003cem\u003eBarkskins\u003c\/em\u003e encapsulates her finest work—a brilliant conflation of historical fact and imaginative prowess that provides a profound meditation on humanity’s complex relationship with nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRecognised as one of the most formidable and compelling voices in American literature, Annie Proulx has crafted a monumental novel with \u003cem\u003eBarkskins\u003c\/em\u003e, delivering a powerful statement on the inevitable consequences of environmental exploitation and the resilience of both nature and humanity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45744935534828,"sku":"9780007232017","price":23.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780007232017.jpg?v=1726663901","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/products\/barkskins","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}