Pythagoras Eagle & the Music of the Spheres by Anne Carse Nolting
Contributed to Make A Scene Magazine by Teresa Ascone
May 20, 2009
Pythagoras Eagle, winner of Mayhaven’s Award for Children’s Fiction, is a novel for young adults beautifully crafted by Palmer author Anne Carse Nolting. She captures the flavor of Alaska in this tale of three youngsters, math whizzes all: Shawna Pestrekoff-Sautter, a native of Koniagmuit, Adin, a sandy-haired, slight youth with a secret crush on Shawna, and Tavia, their friend. The trio is competing for a math scholarship that will be theirs if they can solve a difficult math problem by the end of the summer; hence, the Pythagoras Club. Shawna’s adored Uncle Eagle, a solitary soul who lives on an island with Shawna’s grandmother, understands the mystique of numbers and can help them win the scholarship. A kind but eccentric man—he seems most comfortable in communion with nature—Eagle has a strong connection with his niece through their love of numbers. He also encourages Shawna to know and respect the ancient ways of her people.
When Shawna goes to visit her grandmother on her beloved Pestrekoff Island, the scholarship competition fades into the background as she realizes that all is not well—a dark family secret is casting its gloomy spell over her family.  Grandma Pestrekoff has become fragile and disoriented, and Uncle Eagle’s grip on reality is slipping as well.  Shawna’s concern for him grows as he speaks in riddles about numbers and how they are related to the “music of the spheres.” When he disappears from her life, she and her friends must try to solve the mystery of his whereabouts with clues he has left behind.
Author Nolting fascinates the reader with details of Alaska life: she portrays the flavor of its rural world with evocative descriptions of fishing boats, beach combing, and life on Pestrekoff Island. We are drawn into the world of Alaska’s biggest city as well, as Shawna encounters racism on the streets of Anchorage and learns to take pride in her rich and storied native heritage. The book is replete with fascinating details of Russian-Alaskan culture, story knife tradition, and family relationships.
The teamwork of Shawna, Tavia and Adin as they encounter and overcome obstacles warms the heart and serves as a worthy model of steadfast friendship. Pythagoras Eagle & The Music of the Spheres is a lovely coming-of-age story that addresses issues faced by young people everywhere.
Author quote: “To write is to create wormholes.  We must pass our experiences and dreams to the future, just as those before us have painted images that tell us who we are, where we have come from." ~ Anne Carse Nolting