Synopses & Reviews
A
captivating memoir of one woman’s attempt to finish the Iditarod, led
by her team of spunky huskies with whom she shares a fascinating and
inextricable bond
At age forty-seven, a mother of
two, Debbie Moderow was not your average musher in the Iditarod, but
that’s where she found herself when, less than 200 miles from the finish
line, her dogs decided they didn’t want to run anymore. After all her
preparation, after all the careful management of her team, and after
their running so well for over a week, the huskies balked. But the sting
of not completing the race after coming so far was nothing compared to
the disappointment Moderow felt in having lost touch with her dogs.
Fast into the Night
is the gripping story of Moderow’s journeys along the Iditarod trail
with her team of spunky huskies: Taiga and Su, Piney and Creek, Nacho
and Zeppy, Juliet and the headstrong leader, Kanga. The first failed
attempt crushed Moderow’s confidence, but after reconnecting with her
dogs she returned and ventured again to Nome, pushing through injuries,
hallucinations, epic storms, flipped sleds, and clashing personalities,
both human and canine. And she prevailed.
Part adventure, part love story, part inquiry into the mystery of the connection between humans and dogs, Fast into the Night
is an exquisitely written memoir of a woman, her dogs, and what can
happen when someone puts herself in that place between daring and
doubt — and soldiers on.
Review
"Moderow
heard the call of the wild. She writes about racing dogs through the
wilderness lyrically like Robert Service writes about seeking adventure
in far off places. She heard the challenge, learned the lessons with her
dogs, paid the costs, and won the enthralling and inspiring experience.
It's a book you can't put down." Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica and Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas
Review
"Personal, vivid, and authentic, Fast Into The Night lives
up to its title. Moderow’s ability to project emotion through her
graceful prose had me from the start, and never let go. Through moments
of failure and triumph, Moderow’s love for family, her dogs, and the
grand adventure of life shine forth." Nick Jans, author of A Wolf Called Romeo
Review
"Not only does Fast Into the Night detail
in spare and honest prose all the grit and excitement that is the
Iditarod, but its author aptly takes us along on her personal journey
with all its internal struggles, tribulations, and tumult. At the same
time she captures the remarkable bond that exists between a musher and
their dogs, and the interplay they must share in order to make their
goal of reaching Nome a reality. Bravo for turning out what may be the
quintessential Iditarod story, and for crafting what is simply a great
Alaskan adventure well told." Dave Atcheson, author of Dead Reckoning and Hidden Alaska
About the Author
DEBBIE
CLARKE MODEROW, originally from Connecticut, went to Alaska in 1979
for a mountain climbing expedition and met her husband, Mark. For the
Moderows, dog mushing has always been a family affair. Debbie ran the
Iditarod in 2003 and 2005, completing the latter in 13 days, 19 hours,
10 minutes, and 32 seconds. In 2013, Debbie graduated from Pacific
Lutheran University's Rainier Writing Workshop with an MFA in Creative
Writing.