In To the White Sea Dickey illuminates one man's metamorphosis into pure animal, operating on a survival level, killing instinctively, constantly searching for what he can use and discarding what he cannot. At the same time, this metamorphosis is marked by startling memories of color, speed, and cold; an elemental oneness with nature; and lyrical descriptions of the man's thoughts and actions as he makes his desperate journey. The novel operates on a primal level, bringing to life a character who pursues an essential quest, delivered in prose as tough and powerful as the man himself.

Muldrow, an American tail-gunner in World War II, is shot down during a bombing raid over Tokyo. Knowing he will be beheaded if captured, he decides to make his way north through Japan to the island of Hokkaido, where he hopes to find the cold and isolation reminiscent of his...