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This unconventional narrative of the 1964 Good Friday quake and Anchorage reporter Genie Chance is an inspiring telling of a tremendously exciting story, with humor, drama, and larger-than-life characters. A surprisingly feel-good disaster story: things could have been so much worse, and people were so much better than you might expect. This is exactly the book we need right now to remind us of who we are and what we can do when we rise to meet an unprecedented challenge. – Ruth
Don’t let the axe murder on the first page scare you off of this superb historical fiction novel set in “Susitna Station” (but really Talkeetna, especially the roadhouse, and gold camps to the west). A beautifully-written portrait of Alaskan life in the 1940s and 1960s. – Ruth
This deep dive into the culinary lives of Alaskans is full of fascinating interviews, amazing photographs, and unique recipes. An absolute must read for anyone who is curious about the diverse food traditions of our great state. – Jessica
Mothers and daughters on Bristol Bay navigate the difficult legacies of 20th-century disruptions of Native life, against a vibrant backdrop of village and cannery. Another thoughtful addition to Alaskan literature from the excellent Boreal Books imprint. -Ruth
For a small town, Palmer sure has a lot of good literature. The newest we can claim is Eberhart’s keenly-observed memoir-in-essays, much of it centered on her 30 years living in and living with the unique history of an old Matanuska Colony house. Digging into the garden or uncovering hidden stairs become opportunities to examine bigger questions of nature, history, and how we make our home in the world. – Ruth
A tremendous work of art and journalism on the Dene Athabaskan people of the Northwest Territories and Yukon, told mostly in their own voices through interviews. Sacco’s illustrations show close observation and a lot of research, and he handles tough topics with respect while bringing out the beauty of the place and the humor of the people. Alaskans will recognize a lot of parallels to home in this part of Canada. – Ruth
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Lende’s latest dispatch on small-town living in Alaska covers her foray into the wild and woolly world of local government, in which she runs for city council and the unprecedented partisanship of the nation comes home to roost in Haines. -Ruth
This is either the best or worst year to revisit Rearden’s 2011 novel of a devastating bird flu wiping out Western Alaska. Be warned: it is brilliant and haunting. -Ruth