Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Island Between is a story from another time. One day, a giant who had one foot in Siberia and one in Alaska threw a handful of rock and dirt into the water, and it remained there as an island between two great continents. In this first-ever paperback edition, Margaret Murie weaves a tale of Eskimo life on Sevuokuk, known today as St. Lawrence Island. Through the life of Toozak, a young man embarking on his first year as a hunter, the narrative traces the experience of the people of Sevuokuk through the yearly cycle that defined their lives. The story is a lively tale of love, jealousy, struggles to overcome the difficulties of daily life, a retelling of ancient teaching stories and of first contact with strange, white-skinned people.
About the Author
Margaret "Mardy" Murie spent her childhood in the pioneer town of Fairbanks, Alaska, and was the first woman to graduate from the University of Alaska in 1924. She spent her honeymoon with husband Olaus Murie on a 550-mile dog sled expedition. Her long life was studded with pioneering milestones. She and Olaus Murie played key roles in setting the course of American conservation. Speaking, traveling, publishing, and testifying, she was a governing council member of the Wilderness Society, founder of the Teton Science School, and was instrumental in the passage of the Alaska Lands Act.