The Fortunate Child by Archana Mishra

It is difficult to look at one's self for the first time in High Definition.  You see every imperfection, every line, every discoloration.  I can only postulate that reading the first draft of this compelling story was like that for new Alaskan Archana Mischra.  In their first book an author will write what they know, and Mischra has an interesting perspective that colors her worldview.

Set in the busy otherworld of modern India, we follow an idealistic child as she grows into a pragmatic woman, then is forced to re-evaluate her the belief structure of her youth and determine if it is, in fact, a more appropriate reflection of the person she should choose to be.

Plot twists abound, and I wish there was another chapter.  The loaded topic of sexual abuse was broached, but the line of causation - which could heavily influence multi-generational character development - never was explored.  Such activities are learned, and we are left wondering how and from whom.

The importance of education and the opportunity that it brings is the obvious theme, but to me, of far more interest, was how a strong woman was formed.  Her life journey is distinctive but understandable, exotic yet very close to home.  The importance of family and how family is defined resignates in a land like Alaska where such boundaries are often blurred.

This isn't the India of Kipling and the Travel Channel.  It's a more meaningful journey.  To purchase this novel, click here.

Anchorage Place Names by Rae Arno

This delightful collection of the stories behind familiar place names in the Anchorage area easily fits in the glovebox and is perfect for perusing while waiting for summer road construction lines to get moving.

The Who and Why of Streets, Parks, and Places takes us from the early homesteaders of the Anchorage bowl, through a hundred years of political high rollers, through locomotive engineers, music teachers, bankers and bootleggers.

The history of the little towns that Anchorage grew over like Muldoon and Spenard, dog sled trails that turned into major byways, and helicopter pilots from Vietnam are illustrated with interesting historical photographs.

A fun read: meaningful, adventurous, and sure to offer a better appreciation as to the importance of the place names that we take for granted.

To purchase this book, click on this link.

A Cybercop's Guide to Internet Child Safety by Glen Klinkhart

Finding Bethany

Finding Bethany, a memoir by Glen Klinkhart, is an unexpected tale. 

The usual elements of a true crime story written by the investigating detective are there - the facts of the case, the twists and turns to solving it, a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in an Alaskan homicide investigation.

Those are the least interesting pages of this book.  Far more fascinating is Klinkhart’s search for forgiveness, and the love of community that he finds. 

It is through the hundreds of volunteers who help in the search, the faith of Bethany Correira’s Talkeetna homesteader parents, and the fragile moment when a broken man decides to do the right thing, that we find the shiny bits of humanity.

Bethany had only lived in Anchorage a few days when she went missing.  “Someone is Getting Away with Murder” captioned a photo her smiling face on a large poster downtown that hung for a year.  Her story will be a cautionary tale for generations.