John Smelcer

- Smelcer, John. Edge of Nowhere. London, Andersen Press Limited. 2010. 193 pp. Intermediate.

Sixteen-year-old Seth Evanoff and his dog, Tucker, fall into Prince William Sound from his dad, Jack’s, fishing boat during a storm. For over four months, they survive on their own from one island to the next. This gripping tales of survival and isolation follows Seth in third-person as he grieves over the previous loss of his mom, his dad’s love, and his Native Alaskan heritage. Additionally, Jack is also followed and shares his emotional search for his mysteriously missing son. Jack and Seth are reunited at the end and the time has brought them closer.

Alaska Context: John Smelcer was raised in Alaska and grew up as a part of Ahtna culture (Athabascan). The story has many bits of Alutiiq language for the chapter numbers and during the times where Seth is considering his paternal grandmother’s encouragement for staying with their culture. “More coastline than the rest of America combined” on page 8 would be something I would quickly mention in class if I read it to them. Alaska does have more than the United States but not ‘America’ (which could imply North America and South America). It’s a small bit of phrasing that is common but perpetuates an idea that the United States as the true America. P. 87 refers to how outside people mistakenly view Alaska as cold, barren and with people living in igloos. I’d be curious to see if the little passages at the beginning of chapters are retellings of an actual myth, or something that simply shares a characteristic of folklore.

Activity: I would love to read this book to a class. It has quite a few parts that would be good to discuss with a class, especially considering Alaskana literature. For instance, the beginning chapters with mentioning the tenuous relationship between father and son – I would like the class to make predictions or share how they feel.

Keywords: Alaska, Chapter book, survival, Native culture, Alutiiq, Prince William Sound, fishing, salmon… (más)

When smallpox kills all but two young girls in a remote Alaskan village, Maura and Millie set out to reach the settlement often mentioned by their elders. As the bitter winter descends, the two girls struggle with challenge after challenge along their journey, from losing their canoe to hunting down food. Their native traditions and skills enable their basic survival but their dogged determination to keep on despite a seemingly abandoned world is the story's suspense and heart. This novel is succinct and compact, as no-nonsense as a winter blizzard. Lib notes: scenes with the girls killing animals for food; implied scene of attempted rape.… (más)