Karana and Nia wash up on the beach of a foreign and uninhabited land. After spending years adrift at sea, the young couple look to rebuild the life they chaotically fled. Not long after exploring their new home, a dangerous and mysterious pack of wolves stalks them. As a seemingly blissful new environment grows increasingly hostile, their new enemy forces the couple to reflect upon the events that led them to abandon their home. Once Karana learns Nia is pregnant, his memories and fear conspire to bring about an existential crisis. His struggle to provide safety for their family while maintaining harmony with their world ultimately leads to his awakening.
Not to Touch the Earth is a unique story by Felix Little that details the experiences of Nia and Karana, a couple who found themselves cast ashore on an island when their boat ran aground after several years at sea. At first the couple seemed at peace with their new environment. They were already skilled at fishing, hunting, and gathering other edibles. They were also grateful to be far away from the tragedies they had experienced in their former home. As the story evolves, however, they face dangers that threaten their peaceful existence.
Throughout the book, Karana and Nia have flashbacks to their life within the tribe that they left behind. Karana struggles to try and understand his father’s motivations for going against the “Old Ways” of the tribe. Nia’s struggles include getting Karana to avoid repeating the same mistakes as his father. The personal challenges each character faced were integral to the story.
I thought this was an enjoyable book. The author was particularly skilled at describing the environment surrounding the characters. The settings were described in vivid detail. The story had a dreamy quality to it. The pace was unhurried, and the story unfolded little by little as Nia and Karana explored the island and settled into their life there. Similarly, the personal dramas of each character took some time to uncover. I liked that the author created a sense of mystery around the characters, and I felt this added depth to the story. There’s also a good message about living in harmony with the environment that is woven into the story. I appreciated that this message was subtle rather than heavy-handed. The characters were likable, and the author provided some good context for their choices and actions. Overall, Not to Touch the Earth is a story that will please readers who are willing to savor it.
I didn’t have any major criticisms of the book. However, there was one minor part I felt could have been improved. When the couple’s boat crashed onto the island, I was confused about why they weren’t afraid or upset. I thought the author could have clarified this point more directly to establish the situation at the beginning of the book.
Overall, the narrative was engaging, unique, and did a good job of providing a sense of the experience on the island. The book was also exceptionally well-edited. Given my positive regard for Not to Touch the Earth, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It’s an enjoyable and interesting read.
This book is for readers who can appreciate a narrative with a slow build rather than a fast-paced adventure. Those who dream of life on an island would especially appreciate this story.
Reviewed by Emma Megan for Readers' Favorite
Not to Touch the Earth by Felix Little is a gripping novel about the importance of living in harmony with nature. Nia and Karana hope they will manage to make a new home for themselves far away from their tribe. Nia has a special connection with nature and believes everything has life. She can communicate with the environment, but Karana is not as trusting of her ethereal methods. Even though all the tragedies seem long behind them, the past still haunts them and causes them pain. Karana carries with him the problems that troubled their tribe and also a dark secret. He still loves comfort, but can he attain it without altering the environment? Will he listen to Nia's advice not to damage their surroundings out of convenience, not even for their unborn child?
With intelligence and sensitivity, Felix Little has crafted an evocative and utterly beguiling story that impressed me deeply. Not to Touch the Earth is an honest depiction of what living in harmony with nature really means. It reminds us why we should respect nature and take only what it offers instead of the things we want. I can't express how much I admire the author and how grateful I am to him for creating this inspiring and absorbing novel. Not to Touch the Earth offers a deeper look at the things we do in the name of survival and how they affect the environment and us. I highly recommend it for its message about the importance of maintaining the balance between our environment and human needs.
