Wednesday, September 8, 2010

If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name

By: Heather Lende 4/5



Of course I liked this book. This a book to my heart, like most non-fiction books that I like. The books is great, like many authors that I have read that speak to small town America. The difference is that this is small town America in Alaska. Alaska on its own is a strange place and to speak to small town Alaska is even better.

Heather Lende speaks about her life in Haines, Alaska. She speaks in a clear easy read style that comes from her work in the newspaper world. Haines is Alaska through and through with crazy characters where tree huggers and gun slingers cohabitate together peaceably. Lende shows us through the obituaries she writes, lives of people who will never be forgotten and her daily life. The worst part was the last chapter where she talks about dealing with death. The theme of the book is about beginnings and endings.

I think you only “get” this books if you live in Alaska, but can be appreciated by others as well. Makes me want to visit Haines.