Customer Reviews

Frontier Spirit: The Brave Women of the Klondike

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This is a well researched book that presents in fascinating detail the lives of women who have lived in the Klondike, mostly during the days of the gold rush. The writer starts with the present time, providing a grounding and frame of reference by describing her own experiences while visiting the Klondike. She also concludes the book in the present wrapping the book up neatly with a chapter about a few of the well-known women living in the Klondike today. She takes care to include First Nations women throughout.

But the min body of the book deals with eight of the best known female characters of the Klondike gold rush, the role each of them played and the hardships they endured. It makes compelling reading; the writer has an eye for detail and she has given a voice to these and to all the other women who faced the hardships of the north with as much strength and courage as the men.

As long as she is dealing with fact, the writer presents her material clearly and vividly. The problems arise when she drifts off into some fictional world that borders occasionally on the poetic and is inappropriate in this context. Another distraction for the reader is her 21st century interpretations of mostly 19th century theme. The worst distraction is that she seems to have been seduced into copying the flowery Victorian style of writing she encountered in her research. Why else would she write of a couple sharing "frolicksome laughter"? This reader practically gagged on that one.

But if you skip the overwrought fiction this is a well researched and very interesting read. Many of us are inspired by reading the lives of strong women and this is an important contribution to that literature.

This is a well researched book that presents in fascinating detail the lives of women who have lived in the Klondike, mostly during the days of the gold rush. The writer starts with the present time, providing a grounding and frame of reference by describing her own experiences while visiting the Klondike. She also concludes the book in the present wrapping the book up neatly with a chapter about a few of the well-known women living in the Klondike today. She takes care to include First Nations women throughout.

But the min body of the book deals with eight of the best known female characters of the Klondike gold rush, the role each of them played and the hardships they endured. It makes compelling reading; the writer has an eye for detail and she has given a voice to these and to all the other women who faced the hardships of the north with as much strength and courage as the men.

As long as she is dealing with fact, the writer presents her material clearly and vividly. The problems arise when she drifts off into some fictional world that borders occasionally on the poetic and is inappropriate in this context. Another distraction for the reader is her 21st century interpretations of mostly 19th century theme. The worst distraction is that she seems to have been seduced into copying the flowery Victorian style of writing she encountered in her research. Why else would she write of a couple sharing "frolicksome laughter"? This reader practically gagged on that one.

But if you skip the overwrought fiction this is a well researched and very interesting read. Many of us are inspired by reading the lives of strong women and this is an important contribution to that literature.