Review: Those Who Run in the Sky, by Aviaq Johnston

Those Who Run in the Sky is a YA fantasy novel by Inuit author Aviaq Johnston. It came out in 2017 and already has a sequel, Those Who Dwell Below, but such is the chronic state of my reading pile that I only cracked it open this summer. My reading was well rewarded. The story of Pitu’s battle to get home from a world of magical and terrifying creatures is intertwined with his growth to become a leader of his small, nomadic hunting community. These are the elements of a classic fantasy yarn, deftly handled, but what makes the novel unique is how this plot is infused by the captivating Arctic setting that encompasses both culture and the natural world.

We expect fantasy novels to transport us to other worlds, and this goes double for Those Who Run in the Sky. Even before the main character Pitu is whisked away to the spirit world, the traditional Inuit community in which he lives will probably be unfamiliar to many readers. One example is the way Pitu’s family is structured by Inuit adoption customs; we quickly learn that the woman Pitu calls “Anaana”, or mother, is biologically his grandmother, and his siblings include two children adopted from other families, as well as an older-brother figure who is biologically his father. I love the author’s decision to set the story pre European contact. To me, it emphasizes the fact that this way of life, which is so perfectly adapted to its environment, has no need of being justified or compared to other cultures.

I got so much enjoyment from being immersed in the everyday relationships between Pitu’s family and neighbours, that the plot never dragged, even though the fantastic elements don’t really appear until nearly a third of the way through. Once a blizzard transports Pitu into the spirit world, he begins to encounter the strange figures of Inuit mythology, including qallupilluit, fanged women who snatch children through cracks in the ice, and Inukpak, the last, lonely giant. While these creatures out of myth certainly fire the imagination (and may linger in my nightmares), the glimpses of Inuit life go well below the surface by showing us characters who are motivated by the values of their culture. For example, Pitu, though young, has been singled out by members of the older generation to become the leader in his community. This is based not only on his hunting skills, but on the essential qualities of endurance, patience, and responsibility toward others. At the beginning of the novel, Pitu’s insecurities sometimes cause him to behave hurtfully. Through his dangerous ordeal in the spirit world, he must grow in self-confidence, and understanding and compassion for others, finally able to take his place as shaman for his community.

A part of these cultural values are roles for men and women that can seem constricting, though not always in the ways a non-Inuit reader would expect. Women are leaders in their community, and even shamans who bring guidance from the spirit world. The female task of sewing warm clothing is considered essential for the family’s survival, comparable to the male activity of hunting. But the limitations on expected behaviour are nevertheless visible in the sweet, complex love story in Those Who Run in the Sky. Things don’t end happily for Saima, the girl Pitu loves, and if there was one thing I would wish for more of, it would be her point of view. We don’t learn much about how Saima feels, or what her life will be like after the end of the novel, and this feels like a frustrating gap. Since Those Who Run in the Sky seems to be the beginning of a series, I hope that future installments will go more deeply into the perspectives of young women.

Those Who Run in the Sky is published by Inhabit Media, an Inuit owned and operated publishing house based in the town of Iqaluit, the capital of Canada’s Arctic territory, Nunavut. Their catalogue of books in both English and Inuktitut, ranging from children’s picture books and graphic novels, to collections of oral history and guides to edible plants, represents an absolute trove of knowledge about the natural and cultural world of the Arctic. They have provided Those Who Run in the Sky with lovely illustrations and a useful glossary of Inuktitut words (though most of these concepts were introduced so skilfully in the text of the story that the reader may not need it). Although a few pages in my copy had been bound in the wrong order, the confusion was easily resolved, and didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story.