Kendlers: The Story of a Pioneer Alaska Juneau Dairy

by Mathilde Kendler

It was the 1920s when Mathilde Sauermann Kendler left Germany for America, and this is her story - the story of her life, her dairy and her love affair with Alaska. It's a story as rich and wonderful as the strawberry ice cream the Kendlers used to serve back in the thirties.

155 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inherited a signed copy of this book and let it sit on my shelf for too long. As a born and raised Juneauite who grew up long after the dairy farms disappeared, this was like reading a scifi novel of another world. It’s hard to imagine a dairy farm in the heart of the valley, a man trying to drive his truck across the Channel, or having to trek miles and miles to make a phone call.

Each chapter is its own short story, bookended by newspaper quotes about current events over the years. I learned so much about the history of my hometown from Mrs. Kendler. For English not being her first language, the book is written very readably. Definitely a novice writer, so the writing is not captivating, but the stories certainly are.

For someone wanting to read a personal account of a small piece of Juneau’s history, I would recommend this book. Sometimes, the story is more important than the words themselves.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter was entertaining and funny. I was often amazed at how different Juneau was during the dairy farming days. In some ways I found Mrs. Kendler frustrating, but only because she didn't help in the men's work much and I would have liked to hear more about it. Her memories of living in Juneau were very funny. I would recommend this book.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was on a clearance table, and I've always liked memoirs, so I bought it. It's now been twenty years or more since I read it, and I don't really remember enough to give it a fair rating, but I do know that I liked the story, which is why I kept the book.

[Tawny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite line: "Where the swallows nestle, there, blossoms good luck" (115).