"In the Shadow of Denali" by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

In the Shadow of Denali (Jan. 3, 2017) by Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse.*

Six years prior, John Ivanoff lost a man on a mountain. It is now 1923, and he continues his expert work as a wilderness and exploration guide. He works for the new and prestigious Curry Hotel where his daughter, Cassidy, works as Cook’s assistant. It is a busy time with the planned visit of the President and his elite entourage. They’re dedicating the new national park at Mount McKinley (“Denali, as it’s still called by the natives.”). This is an honor, and it will also put Curry, Alaska, on the map. During the hubbub leading up to the President’s arrival, Allan Brennan arrives at the Curry Hotel. He is apprenticed to John, though at first neither is aware of their connection – Allan’s dad, Henry, is the man who died on the mountain and whose body was never recovered. Allan bears much anger toward God and John, whom he’s been told is at fault for his dad’s death. But as Allan gets to know John, he sees a far different man from the version told to him by Frank Irving, his late father’s friend and business partner. He finds a good friend in Cassidy, and, in the shadow of Denali, they discover that Henry’s death wasn’t an accident.

            This novel is the first out of the gate in the dual authors’ “The Heart of Alaska” series. While Curry was an actual place in Alaska, it now belongs to a bygone era, but one that you can’t help but wish you could visit after reading this story. Filled with historical realism and a setting ripe with details, “In the Shadow of Denali” is smartly written. I found the story to move swiftly forward. The characters were distinct, including the supporting characters. I would love to stand in the middle of this Curry Hotel and bask in the bustle and busyness of it all at such an historic phase. But, since I can’t go back in time and do that, I will take this story and its successors any day!

Extra (maybe learn something new!):

• Ahtna-Athabaskan: Alaska Native of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group of Alaska’s Copper River a.k.a. Ahtna River. (Wikipedia)

• Denali = the High One (a.k.a. Mount McKinley); Sultana = the Wife (a.k.a. Mount Foraker). (p. 38)

• “I’m part Athabaskan. That’s one of the native peoples in this part of Alaska. There are many groups – tribes, if you would. Those normally thought of as Eskimo are actually Inuit, Inupiat, and Yuit.” (pgs. 122-123)

• tsistl’unni (sounds like chist-loo-nee): hill snowshoes. “What you will need to climb the glacier.” (p. 270)

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”