by Tom Kizzia
First published 1991
Tom Kizzia ventures into Alaska's remote wilderness coast on a quest to find North America's remaining aboriginal landscapes. He encounters indigenous communities caught between ancient ways and modern pressures. Tribal elders work alongside a struggling younger generation to preserve centuries-old customs while adapting to Native capitalism and contemporary culture. Kizzia witnesses Indian boys traveling downriver for a softball game and joins a midnight whale hunt in the Bering Sea. These experiences reveal Alaska through fresh eyes. Like Eskimo hunters tracking unseen prey by watching for wakes on the water, Kizzia observes visible changes in bush life while discovering the invisible spiritual power of people connected to nature's core. His journey becomes a portrait of those fighting to sustain their traditional way of life.
Genres: nature, adventure, non-fiction, biography-memoir, cultural-studies, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Alaska, Bering Sea
Period: Contemporary
277 pages · Hardcover · Henry Holt & Co