Song of the Yukon: a Novel

Alaska was calling! LaVerne's dream was to follow the poet Robert Service's footsteps to the wilds of Alaska. At sixteen she was already writing her own music and believed that her talent could only flourish on the back trails of the Yukon. In 1921, at seventeen, she leaves her home in Tumwater, Washington in the middle of the night and alone. Impersonating a boy, she hires aboard a freighter, out of Seattle, and works her way to the north. From boat rides on the Yukon, encounters with a native tribe, fighting off male suitors to filing homestead papers, falling in love, and working the land, LaVerne uses newfound frontier wisdom as a basis for expanding both her music and her perceptions. Black-eyed Joe, a native of Alaska told her, "No man owns what Mother Spirit does not freely give". "What a charming folk tale, LaVerne thought. I could use the story in one of my songs." It was in Alaska she learns the realities of frontier life that will shape her future, help her create music, and lead her in directions no woman has explored alone before. This compelling historical fiction book is based on the true-life story of the author's Aunt LaVerne. Perfect for anyone who enjoys adventure, the outdoors, tales of survival and triumph against the odds.