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In 1924, John Lars Nelson travels to the Shumagin Islands in the Gulf of Alaska. He tells people he is doing a botanical survey, but the real goal of his quest is a mysterious orchid described by a naturalist in 1741 and never again seen. During his journey, John Lars hitches a ride on a schooner whose bootlegger captain has a hidden past. John Lars also meets a young Aleut woman, Natasha Christiansen. She becomes his guide and leads him to question the validity of everything he thought he knew. Together, they reach Nagai Island where the search for the orchid comes to a violent conclusion.
"I learned more about life in the Aleutians 100 years ago from Tom McGuire's page turner Steller’s Orchid than I did from a decade living in Alaska. In the course of drawing us in to the quest of John Lars, a young orchid seeker, McGuire subtly reveals how we arrived at the Alaska of today.. This adventurous, unforgettably original and so human saga has more than a few moments of erudite ad poetic narrative. Steller’s Orchid teaches us how and why commoditized plants have been transported around the world to comprise the modern agricultural landscape. McGuire’s narrative culminates in an exciting climax set in one of the most remote spots on the planet, a fitting end to a book that is as much about the nature of life and love as orchid hunting and ambition." —Doug Fine, author Farewell, My Subaru and Too High to Fail
"Steller's Orchid most definitely deserves a spot among the best of contemporary Alaska fiction. It’s a perfect example of literature that can entertain while also teaching about place, history and the human heart." —Nancy Lord of Anchorage Daily News