Synopses & Reviews
Stubborn Gal is the true story of a sixty-mile sled dog race and a young woman determined, if not exactly qualified, to run it. and#160;A grandfather tells his granddaughter about the tenacious Sarah and her adventure with sled dogs. The older Sarah, bored and alone one winter long ago, decides to enter her first sled dog race. After a few hilariously disastrous training runs, and discouraging advice from some local mushers, the big day comes. At the end of the race, Stubborn Sarah surprises everyone, including herself.
It is an inspiring story that shows that a lot of determinationandmdash;and a little luckandmdash;can go a long way.
Review
andquot;Dan Oandrsquo;Neillandrsquo;s Stubborn Gal is a terrific, true story that will surely delight both children and the adults who read it with them. The lively text delivers life lessons about independence, persistence, and grace with a light hand and good humor, and the illustrations by Klara Maisch are both beautiful and true to Alaska. Highly recommended.andquot;
Review
andquot;The dogs must be in top condition . . . and the musher has to be TOUGH minded and COOL under pressure to just FINISH.and#160; But to WIN, well, thatandrsquo;s the great story of and#39;Stubborn Gal.and#39;andrdquo;
Review
andquot;Stubborn Gal is a charming rugged tough Alaskan girl story, complete with determination, inspiration and spirited artwork.andquot;
Synopsis
In the winter of 1925, Nome, Alaska, was hit by an unexpected and deadly outbreak of diphtheria. Officials immediately quarantined the town, but the only cure for the community of more than 1,400 people was antitoxin serum and the nearest supply was in Anchorage-hundreds of miles of snowbound wilderness away. The only way to get it to Nome was by dogsled.
Twenty teams braved subzero temperatures and blizzard conditions to run over 600 miles in six days in a desperate relay race that saved the people of Nome. Several of the dogs, including Togo and Balto, became national heroes. Today their efforts, and those of the courageous mushers, are commemorated every March by the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Jon Van Zyle's stunning oil paintings capture the brutal conditions, pristine wilderness, and sheer guts and determination demonstrated by the heroic mushers and dogs.
About the Author
Dan Oandrsquo;Neill is the author of A Land Gone Lonesome: An Inland Voyage along the Yukon River; The Last Giant of Beringia: The Mystery of the Bering Land Bridge; and The Firecracker Boys. He lives in Fairbanks, Alaska.Klara Maisch is a Fairbanks-born artist who learned to mush dogs at a young age.