Nom de Plume

Janna lives on a planet that was once colonized by Earth and then left on its own. But when the “offworlders” return, the developing civilization is thrown off kilter. Everyone in her settlement is killed when she is fourteen and she and her boyfriend (later husband) set across the icy plains to find other settlements. Janna loses her child, then her husband, and finally arrives at a refugee camp where she is mistaken for a boy because of her clothing. Because it seems safer to appear as a boy, she continues the charade until the distinction between male and female become blurred in her own mind. She travels through the countries on her planet, which mirror those of Earth, seeking a home and family. It is only when she starts helping medical offworlders that she realizes her whole planet has a name–and it is then that she finds her own identity.

This was an interesting novel and McHugh has such a vivid and original imagination that it almost makes up for the mediocre writing. McHugh’s short, choppy sentences reflect Janna’s character, but they don’t capture it. I felt very distanced from her motivations. For instance, I never really understood the male/female issue, her relationships with others, or why she always picks up and leaves. There are so many different themes that it’s impossible to explore each as it deserves.