Coming September 9, 2025
Eila Jacobsen is adrift, reeling from her father’s recent death and still suffering from the loss of her best friend. When invited to join a research trip to a remote part of Alaska, she takes the chance to refocus her life and perhaps unravel the mystery behind the dwindling caribou population.
But as Eila buries herself in data, she stumbles across something remarkable. Concealed in the pages of her father’s journal is a discovery with life-changing possibilities. So why was it abandoned?
Unable to ignore its potential, Eila ventures deeper into the Alaskan tundra in search of healing and answers. But she’s not the only one in need of a new beginning, and she’s not the only one looking.
Pursued across the landscape and haunted by secrets, Eila presses on, unearthing the regrets of those closest to her, and revealing the joy and forgiveness that bind them together.
“Wildly imaginative and gorgeously moving.”
―Anne Valente, author of Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down
“Sustained and powerful, a clear-eyed grief leavened by a mad hope.”
―Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Ghost Variations
“Klagmann captures the beauty and largeness of nature and our tenuous place in the world.”
―David Nikki Crouse, author of The Man Back There
JESSICA BRYANT KLAGMANN studied writing in Fairbanks, Alaska. Every good idea she’s ever had came while running, so she tries to stay within sight of a mountain or canyon trail at all times. She and her family live in northern New Mexico, but they also spend time in Maine, where they’re restoring the trees of a hundred-acre forest.
Her work has been published in environmental journals like Whitefish Review, Terrain.org, and others. THIS IMPOSSIBLE BRIGHTNESS was published in 2024. Her second novel, NORTH OF THE SUNLIT RIVER will be out fall 2025.
Extended bio here.