Sweet Home Alaska
Times are tough for the Johnson family. It’s 1934, and the Great Depression has left them without jobs. They’re left with two options: Move in with Mrs. Johnson’s mother or apply for President Roosevelt’s New Deal colony. The latter offers them a fresh start but would mean moving the family from Wisconsin to Alaska! Mrs. Johnson agrees to give it a chance for one harvest season. Upon arrival, the residents are living in tents, the town is under construction, there aren’t enough hammers for the house-building demand, there’s no electricity, and everyone shares a community outhouse. The oldest Johnson child, Terpsichore (pronounced Terp-sick-oh-ree), remains undaunted. Drawing on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books as a guide, Terpsichore works to make life easier for her family and convince her mother that Alaska is the place their family was meant to be.
Of note, this book doesn’t include the native Alaskan societies. Early on, the family objects to their move, lamenting about living in igloos and eating whale blubber. While probably a typical 1930s stereotype, Dagg does not take time to debunk these attitudes. The author’s afterword explains why she didn’t include Native peoples. I respect her choice in this regard; however, on the same token, cultural stereotypes shouldn’t be included either.
All in all, this is a cute story with heartwarming moments. Terpsichore is a hard-working girl. She first collects books to start up a library. Then she attempts to grow a prize-winning pumpkin (these pumpkin-growing scenes are quite charming). Terpsichore’s projects uniquely highlight the hardships colonists faced either from their lack of resources, severe weather, or isolation from other cities.
Dagg creates spunky, well-developed characters. Terpsichore reads a little blandly at first, but eventually develops her voice. A well-researched, well-detailed, straightforward plotline which fans of “American Girl” books will enjoy.
