Eye of the Wolf

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

This well-written science-fiction novel, which begins on June 12, 2205,
presents a Canada largely entombed by a new Ice Age, one caused by the
southern diversion of rivers that formerly flowed into the Arctic Ocean.
Additionally, following the Resource Wars, the world’s national
governments have all been replaced by Governing Corporations, which,
through trade, now control all resources such as food and fuel.

Chandra Singh, 15, lives in snow-buried Riverside, Ontario, close to
Toronto, with her mother, the District Supervisor of Food Distribution.
When Chandra’s mother disappears following the official visit of the
suave Diego Hernandez, a representative of the Northern Food Aid program
of the Southern Alliance, Chandra initially suspects a romantic liaison.
But after nine weeks of her mother’s absence, Chandra decides that
something more sinister has occurred and illegally makes her way to
Hernandez’s Florida estate. There she not only finds her kidnapped
mother but also accidentally uncovers Hernandez’s plot to annex Canada
for its resources. Believably, Chandra discovers the means by which
Hernandez will deliver his germ warfare, and saves Canada’s population
from destruction. The book ends optimistically with Chandra’s
mother’s return and heat-producing chemicals being used to reverse the
climate change.

To be successful, science fiction demands the reader’s willing
suspension of disbelief. Consequently, Harrison carefully constructs
both the landscape of her snow-covered world and its changed political
and social order. She also introduces new forms of communication,
transportation, and food to reinforce her futuristic setting.
Recommended.