...evidently this is a very highly edited and perhaps even augmented version of her journal. In the editorial review from "500 Great Books by Women"--which does not appear on the Amazon page for this edition but is included on the page for for another, unavailable edition of the book (ISBN#0395493250)--it refers to the fact that some of the gaps have been filled in by the author's granddaughter, Betty John, who is the one who actually had the book published.

In the forward of the edition I read (which has a different ISBN from both this edition and the one mentioned above), Betty John notes that when she got the sketches and journal some of the pages were missing. She then says, "In Libby's book, therefore, I've had to fill in some gaps by conjuring up memories of the stories she told me and by doing research into her times. Her story, nonetheless, is the true tale of a very real woman... ."

In the epilogue, she adds "What was left of [Libby's] journal and sketches ... came to me after her death. Those pages have been the basis for the book."

In the book itself, there are maybe one or two small bracketed notes--not longer than a few words--where the editor fills in details.

So I am a little puzzled about how much of the book really is Libby's journal. The comments in the foreward and epilogue imply that more than just a few details are added, yet there isn't much notation in the text to show what has been added and what is original. I would rather the publishers had made it clear what parts of the text were added, edited, or paraphrased, and what were the real journal.

The way it reads, like a novel (almost like a romance novel at times) and the sometimes modern-sounding prose makes me suspect it may have been heavily edited and/or rewritten. Also the fact that she was commiting some very personal things--things she probably did not want her husband to read--to paper made me wonder a bit. (She talks about her husband's boss's attraction to her and hers to him. These are the parts that read like a romance novel--complete with the gruff, aloof-seeming hero who often seems to be mocking her, but actually is attracted to her--total romance-novel stereotype!)

That said, I found the book very enjoyable. Libby Beaman's family was very friendly with Abraham Lincoln and in the beginning she gives an interesting look at Lincoln's election and the circumstances under which he came into office--how he had to sneak into Washington because his life had been threatened by Southern sympathizers. Stuff I may have learned in school, but forgot. She was apparently an interesting woman, impatient with the restrictions that were put on her gender and class. (At the end of the book she recants a bit, though.) There are descriptions of the Alaskan wildlife and of the people and history, and just reading about how Libby and her husband coped with the culture shock and vastly different living conditions in Alaska was fascinating.

I just would have liked to be able to tell what was her authentic voice and what was added or changed in the editing.

Libby gives her account of her life before and during her time on the Pribilof Islands. Her letters and journals provide a look at what life was like for the middle class woman of her era with an honesty I have never come across in any other widely-available account of the post-Civil War years. I read the book while I was Alaska, and it was startling to see both similarities and differences between the lives people live in the far north now and in Libby's experience. Libby has the intensity of a well-written novel, and a depth of truth only a woman writing for her eyes alone could present. If you're interested in women of her era, life in the north, or simply an interesting story by an excellent writer, Libby is worth the purchase.

This book was a big let down. Megan must decide between a stuck up store worker and a friendly fisherman. During the whole book I was rooting for the same guy and it took her FOREVER to go to him. Nothing happened. This book was well written but it is not one of my favorites.

After reading the rest of the Sunfire books, I expected this one to be as good or better than the others. However, I was dissapointed by this book. It was set in 1867 Alaska. NOTHING HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK THAT WAS EXCITING! The author kept writing over and over again about Megan trying to decide who she loved. There was too much on that topic and not enough historical details. This book was a dissapointment. Even when Megan was kidnapped by fur traders (Which was about the only exciting thing that happened), she escaped too quickly and easily.

"The Northern Gold Fleet" is a detailed academic historical tome, surely the authority on the subject for years to come. For a monograph of this genre, it is well written. However, it desperately needs, and lacks any diagrams, line illustrations, etc. The only illustrations are a few fuzzy historical photos of dredges. Numerous terms such as "jitney winch" are undefined. Many terms such as "ground sluicing" and "drift mine" are used in ways which seem to be in variance with standard usage. Unfortunately, there is no glossary-which again is desperately needed. There is no summary of the book, nor of the chapters, nor a timeline-so the reader has to perform all summaries himself. If half the text were replaced with line drawings, tables, diagrams, a timeline and a glossary, this book would have been a hundred times more readable and useful.

Excellent book. Fairly accurate, does makes some mistakes in a few places, but overall very good. Excellent reading. Highly recommended

Although a little dry in places, Orthodox Alaska does a good job of illustrating the conflicts that arose between Russian Orthodox missionaries and the Russian corporations established to mine the wealth of Unalaska. It was especially interesting to see how involved the missionaries were in advocating for the native peoples of the colonies and how the considered such advocacy and important part of their faith.

Michael Oleksa has done a marvelous job of giving the reader a sense both of the committment of the Orthodox missionaries and the wondrously deep spirituality of Native Alaskans. We see the classical struggles of the Church against the "world" and the people for the Church in *Orthodox Alaska.* I highly recommend it to anyone seriously considering the missionary field, or even those looking for an example of missionaries and the people they serve getting Christianity right!

I found this book very interesting. I can speak with some amount of authority, as I was in this event, on the top floor of the Anchorage Westward Hotel.

In addition to the magnificant pictures I feel that the authors explaintions of the the cause and results of earthquake was very interesting and informative, being a Geologist my self, I thought these basic explainations would be very helpful for a keener understanding of this event.

I found the chapter concening the Birthday Party for Bob Reeves in the Petroleum Club of the Anchorage Westward of particular interest to me as that is where I was.

This book brought may memories of the earthquake that happened some 35 years ago, some bad and some good, and some I had completly forgotten.

The Authors coverage of the different locals that were included gave on a good impression of the magnitude and destructive force of Mother Nature. To me, it is absolutly amazing that there not more fatalities on that fateful day in 1964.

All in all a "Great Book" that I throughtly enjoyed but would recommend to all.

If you like adventures you'll love this book! I've read lots of books but this is one of my all time favorites.

Reviewed by Geoffrey Bleakley, Copper Center, Alaska, for Alaska History, Vol.15, No.1 (Spring 2000): 60-61. While thousands of prospectors scoured the Copper Basin in 1898 and 1899, relatively few recorded their experiences and even fewer ever published them. Only one first-hand account, Charles A. Margeson's Experiences of Gold Hunters in Alaska, was actually completed at the time. Three others were printed later: Addison Powell's in 1910, Luther W. Guiteau's in 1923, and Charles H. Remington's in 1939. Since then, the descendants of three additional stampeders, Basil Austin, Horace S. Conger, and Leroy S. Townsend, have added their accounts. Like the others, Pennsylvania physician Leroy Townsend was lured north by reports of the Klondike gold discovery. Leaving the head of the Valdez Arm in late March 1898, he crossed the Valdez Glacier and descended the Klutina River, reaching the newly established community of Copper Center in July. Although Townsend stayed in the region for nearly a year, he never roamed very far, spending much of his time around Amy's Landing, a temporary camp situated just below the outlet of Klutina Lake. A fairly typical stampeder, Townsend prospected but never actually did any mining and, needless to say, never struck it rich. His account, however, remains useful for several reasons. Composed of thirty letters and illustrated with dozens of his own photos, it provides intriguing new details about the function and operation of a typical miner's company, the founding of Valdez, the organization of the region's mail service, the availability and price of various commodities, contemporary hunting methods, and the nearly forgotten Quartz Creek gold rush. Townsend, unfortunately, ignores his own key role in combating the scurvy epidemic which swept the Copper Basin in early 1899. While other sources credit him with saving the lives of numerous stampeders, he himself is largely silent on the subject. Whether he was too busy to write or the letters were simply lost in transit remains a mystery. The editors do an excellent job of introducing the material and placing it within its historical context. Their footnotes are also very helpful, clarifying and supplementing the author's words. In all, they have produced an interesting and attractive book that makes a substantial contribution to the literature of the region.

I enjoyed this book and have looked for more books by the author only to find there are none. It is a great beginning for a new series with believable characters and interesting plot possibilities. Please write more.

Great book on numerous trips on both slow and fast water. This combination makes the book a worthwhile purchase. Living in AK for five years and doing a number of the trips makes this a great way for me to stir up a few memories. Put-ins and take outs are accurately marked. Overall excellent book.

This stirring book about adventures on the Alaskan high seas will keep your eyes glued to the page. We are all used to reading about the fisherman who encountered the brutal storms, but what about the family back at home waiting anxiously? Williams gives accurate accounts of adventure stories that will teach you how violent and lonely the sea can be. The stories are concise, giving the facts and not pointing blame. If you have been around long enough you are sure to have heard some of the boat names and stories. You may laugh, you may cry, but you will definitely enjoy this book! Written by an Alaskan for those of us who love Alaska.