A lyrical tale of life in the Arctic, traditional ways, and cultural encounters, this absorbing novel follows the fate of a young Canadian explorer stranded among the Chukchi people on the edge of the Bering Sea. Rytkheu, the author of many novels and short stories, was born in Uelen and his stories introduce the reader to the landscape, traditions and people of the Russian Far East.  (SIB44, $14.00)