Like Paty Jager, I am also an eclectic reader. It’s not unusual for me to read a mainstream romance, a young adult novel, and an old classic in the same month. So picking which books to recommend in this post was hard for me! Here are a few Alaska books from different genres so everyone can find something she’d like.
Chapter Book: Both middle grade readers and older ones will enjoy Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg. Dagg's extensive research is evident, but it doesn't overwhelm the engaging characters. The setting (1930s Alaska) gives you an interesting look at history, but the heartwarming story will carry you through the book.
Biography: Wealth Woman by Deb Vanasse is about Kate Carmack (or Shaaw Tláa, her Tagich name), best known as the Native wife of George Carmack, the supposed discoverer of the great Klondike gold strike. Vanasse paints a vivid picture of the woman and her times. This book is a compelling biography, but also more, an analysis of the cultures and personalities in the years before, during, and after the Klondike gold rush.
Young Adult Historical Romance: My own novel Gold Nuggets is on sale right now, so I’ll give you part of a review by Victoria Pitts Caine: “Charlotte, who loves her Alaskan home, isn’t sure where her future will take her, but wants to become a writer and to accomplish that she must either find a job in Fairbanks or go to college in the East. While the family is preparing for Charlotte’s sister’s wedding, they have an unexpected visitor, Henry, who passes through their small town.
He has heard about the land at the foot of Denali and he wants to visit. He is enthralled by what he sees and has aspirations to become part of the political movement to save the land and its wildlife by with the creation of McKinley National Park.”
Whatever you like to read, hope you find a good book in Romancing the Genres this month! :-)
Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. Her young adult/new adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great time for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com.
