Julia Phillips’ sophomore effort, Bear, centers on two sisters in their 20’s living on the remote island of San Juan off the coast of Washington state, trapped under the weight of their limited opportunities and the overwhelming medical bills of their sick mother who is unable to work and requires constant care. The sisters, Sam and Elena, have settled into the slog of their dead end jobs when a seemingly divine intervention changes everything—they spot a giant grizzly bear outside of their home, a massive animal that is an anomaly in the area. Sam, our narrator, is immediately frightened by the creature, while her older sister Elena develops a fascination with the creature that descends into a dangerous obsession.
At the onset of the novel, Sam is exhausted by her unfulfilling work on the island’s ferry system and the daily indignities of working in the food service industry. She dreams daily of leaving the island with her sister once their mother eventually passes away so that they can sell their crumbling childhood home to pay off their debts and make a new start on the mainland. Sam’s desire to leave has prevented her from making any connections outside of her sister: she has no friends and consistently blows off a coworker who’s interested in a romantic relationship with her. She’s closed-off and deeply suspicious of the people around her due partially to her desire to leave and partially to the childhood abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother’s ex-boyfriend.
Sam’s only refuge from the endless slog is Elena, so when the bear intrudes upon their closeness it symbolizes a real threat to Sam’s well-being. When Sam brings this fear to her sister, she refutes it, claiming “[t]he bear was their one good thing, a specter, a spirit, an extraordinary beast…teaching them what it was to love living, helping them to make it through.” As Sam realizes the depth of her sister’s fascination with the bear, she begins to understand that the bear is standing between her and her escape plan. Despite Sam’s best effort to eliminate the bear that threatens her connection with Elena, her increasingly concerning outbursts and betrayals only drive a deeper wedge between herself and her sister.
The novel is a brutal and caustic portrayal of what it feels like to live barely above the poverty line, struggling with minimal prospects and saddled with endless responsibilities. Sam is a difficult narrator, her inability to connect with others and her bitter attitude do not always make for a pleasant reading experience—but the novel really shines when it leans into the the ineffable qualities of the natural world and the magic of the bear itself. Bear is an exploration of perspectives and the gulf between wonder and fear, which are the two most common associations we have with the natural world. Phillips isn’t quite able to reach the majesty of her debut Disappearing Earth, but Bear is well-crafted exploration of sisterhood, coming-of-age, and the mysteries of the natural world.