In 1954, the New York Times ran an article called “Couple Finds Life in Alaska Varied.” In it they wrote, “As in the country of which it is a territory, ‘living in Alaska is what you make it,’ according to one young couple here.” That sentiment is still true today and seen so clearly in the wonderful books that have brought us many different and exciting stories of The Last Frontier. A stunning and versatile backdrop, Alaska can be a place to fall in love, challenge your mind and body, discover a new world, or risk your life.
The mountains can be harrowing or healing. The snow can be beautiful or blinding.
The history can give you hope or break your heart. And in the case of my upcoming novel, Big & Lily, Alaska is a place to get lost and
to find yourself again.
Big & Lily is the story of two sisters who accidentally sign up for an Alaskan survival trek and are forced to confront the elements, their tangled past, and the realization that the only way forward is together.
Below I’ve shared more Alaskan-themed books that are as varied as the vast, beautiful and often mysterious state itself. You will find romance, historical fiction, thrillers, non-fiction, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and an epic classic. I hope you find a few you’ll enjoy!
Big & Lily by Lisa Roe
Bridget Ackerman would love just one day of her sister Lily’s life — a woman blessed with beauty, a magnetic personality, and an effortless existence — while big sis Bridget struggles to hold everything together — her kids, her husband and her demanding mother, all in dizzying orbit around her.
But when Lily discovers her husband’s been cheating, her “perfect” life implodes. Devastated, she decides to run as far away as possible: to Alaska to lose herself on a hardcore wildlife adventure — and she’s dragged her reluctant sister Big along.
Immediately out of their depth and in over their heads, the sisters realize they must navigate freezing rivers, pissed-off moose, more than one near-death experience and their own sibling rivalry and resentments if they are going to survive in the wilderness.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
In Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, a down-on-his-luck Vietnam vet moves his wife and young daughter to the remote Alaskan wilderness in an attempt to find peace and start a new life. But the unforgiving land, the rough weather and the wildlife are only a piece of what challenges them. A love story, a coming-of-age story and a mother-daughter story, The Great Alone is a tale of grit and determination in the hardest of times
The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
When the time comes to reconnect with her estranged father, Calla Fletcher returns to the Alaskan wilderness she and her mother fled decades ago. But for this city girl, the challenges don’t stop at reuniting with a father she barely knows. Alaska itself, with its rough environment, wildlife, and outdoor plumbing, tempts her to jump on the next flight back to Toronto. And then there is Jonah, the bush pilot who works for her father, who may just make her give up her dress shoes for a pair of snowshoes.
Thin Ice by Paige Shelton
Beth Rivers, a bestselling thriller author, escapes her kidnapper and hides out in a remote town in Alaska, only to discover that this tiny village has recently suffered a murder. Beth can’t help herself but to research and investigate despite her injuries and memory loss from her abduction. But the further she delves into the mystery, the more memories come back, ones she would rather not see resurfaced.
Alaska: A Novel by James A. Michener
James A. Michener writes an epic story about the fierce history of the Alaskan wilderness and the people who tried to tame it. Struggling for survival and facing brutal terrain, Michener’s characters take us on a fascinating and eye-opening journey through this massive and beautiful territory from its origin to the American arrival to the gold rush to its role in World War II and more.
Deep in the Alaskan Woods by Karen Harper
First in the Alaska Wild series from the New York Times – bestselling romantic suspense author. A trip to a bed and breakfast in Falls Lake, Alaska, turns deadly when, after Alexandra Collister finds deep claw marks outside her bedroom window, a body turns up with the same savage marks. Now she must turn to the rugged, handsome wilderness guide, Quinn, to help if she is going to survive the evil that is lurking in the woods. Alex and Quinn find themselves searching for a killer before perceptual winter darkness falls on the Alaskan town.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Alaska, 1920: a struggling couple in a brutal environment use a moment of joy to build a snow child after the first snowfall of the season. The next morning the snow child is gone, but the husband and wife see a wild, young girl running through the woods. In this magical story, the child, miraculously surviving in the Alaskan woods on her own, becomes a surrogate daughter. But as in any fairy tale, there is a mysterious and possibly dangerous side to this story as Faina, the snow child, changes their lives forever.
Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
In 1992, Christopher McCandess left behind everything he had and headed into the Alaskan wild to start a new life. Just over one hundred days later he was dead. Jon Krakauer reconstructs McCandless’s life, journey and untimely death as he tells the story of a young man whose tragic adventure grabbed the world’s attention.
