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Sweet Home Alaska
This exciting pioneering story, based on actual events, introduces readers to a fascinating chapter in American history, when FDR set up a New Deal colony in Alaska to give loans and land to families struggling during the Great Depression.
Terpsichore can’t wait to follow in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s footsteps . . . now she just has to convince her mom. It’s 1934, and times are tough for their family. To make a fresh start, Terpsichore’s father signs up for President Roosevelt’s Palmer Colony project, uprooting them from Wisconsin to become pioneers in Alaska. Their new home is a bit of a shock—it’s a town still under construction in the middle of the wilderness, where the residents live in tents and share a community outhouse. But Terpsichore’s not about to let first impressions get in the way of this grand adventure. Tackling its many unique challenges with her can-do attitude, she starts making things happen to make Alaska seem more like home. Soon, she and her family are able to start settling in and enjoying their new surroundings—everyone except her mother, that is. So, in order to stay, Terpsichore hatches a plan to convince her that it’s a wonderful—and civilized—place to live . . . a plan that’s going to take all the love, energy, and Farmer Boy expertise Terpsichore can muster.
Terpsichore can’t wait to follow in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s footsteps . . . now she just has to convince her mom. It’s 1934, and times are tough for their family. To make a fresh start, Terpsichore’s father signs up for President Roosevelt’s Palmer Colony project, uprooting them from Wisconsin to become pioneers in Alaska. Their new home is a bit of a shock—it’s a town still under construction in the middle of the wilderness, where the residents live in tents and share a community outhouse. But Terpsichore’s not about to let first impressions get in the way of this grand adventure. Tackling its many unique challenges with her can-do attitude, she starts making things happen to make Alaska seem more like home. Soon, she and her family are able to start settling in and enjoying their new surroundings—everyone except her mother, that is. So, in order to stay, Terpsichore hatches a plan to convince her that it’s a wonderful—and civilized—place to live . . . a plan that’s going to take all the love, energy, and Farmer Boy expertise Terpsichore can muster.
298 pages, Hardcover
First published February 2, 2016
128 people are currently reading
3451 people want to read
About the author
Carole Estby Dagg
2 books99 followersAfter careers as a children's librarian, certified public accountant, and assistant library director, I retired early to do what I had always wanted to do: write. My first book, The Year We Were Famous, was based on the true story of my great-aunt's 4,000-mile walk with her mother across the country in 1896.
My second book, Sweet Home Alaska, was inspired when my son bought a 1930's house across from a potato field in Palmer, Alaska. Following my curiosity about the early days of Palmer, I eventually had a banker's box full of notes, enough for a book.
My second book, Sweet Home Alaska, was inspired when my son bought a 1930's house across from a potato field in Palmer, Alaska. Following my curiosity about the early days of Palmer, I eventually had a banker's box full of notes, enough for a book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 441 reviews
April 16, 2016
Anytime I see "pioneering" used to describe stories like this, I wonder about the people whose lands were being made available to those "pioneers."
In her author's note, Dagg writes (p. 290):
I'm curious about the "part-Native family." Are the people she's referring to as "part-Native" citizens of their tribal nation? Generally used, "part Native" means that someone in your ancestry was, or is, a Native person from a specific tribal nation. Quite often, though, people who use "part-Native" aren't aware that stating a Native identity goes hand-in-hand with being a citizen of that nation. This citizenship is not about being "part" Native. If you're a tribal citizen, you're a tribal citizen, period.
I'm uneasy with the phrase "the original colonists of Alaska." Alaska Natives were not "original colonists." They are the first peoples of that land. Their homelands were colonized--in this case--by the families who were part of this federal project. I anticipate some people will think that I'm being hypercritical in pointing to "original colonists" as problematic, but it is important that we pay attention to words and what they convey. If we were to accept Dagg's description of Aleut, Athabaskan, and other Indian tribes as "original colonists" we start down a slope that says it wasn't their homeland from the start. That it belonged to... nobody, and therefore, any rights they have to that land can be dismissed.
And, Dagg's suggestion that readers visit the Anchorage Museum... It makes me wonder if she had Native readers in mind. She was probably thinking of white kids.
An appropriate aside: Not long ago I read a spot-on comic by Ricardo Caté of Kewa (Santo Domingo) Pueblo. He has been doing Without Reservations for several years. The one I'm thinking of is of a Native kid in a museum asking something like "what kind of a field trip is this?! We have all this stuff at home." Biting, and brilliant, too.
Back to Dagg's book...
Who were the "pioneers" involved with the Palmer Project? People who were living in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in 1934. The Palmer Museum has this info:
Dagg's character, Trip (short for Terpsichore), and her family are one of those families. When Dagg and her sisters learn about the plan to move there, here's what they say (p. 5):
They are, in short, putting forth information they hold about Alaska Native homes and foods, and, they're rejecting it. That passage tells us that, although Dabb chose not to create Native people for her characters to interact with, she didn't leave Native peoples out altogether. She introduced stereotypes, but left them intact. That was an opportunity for her to push back on them, but she didn't. Indeed, if she'd had Native peoples in mind as she developed this book, she could have created Native characters who could, in fact, push back on the information that Cally and Polly have in their heads. What she did do, is have Trip's dad say that they're not going to the Arctic Circle, and that the Matanuska Valley is much like northern Wisconsin. This, I assume, is sufficient to tell the girls that they won't be living in an igloo or eating whale blubber, but it leaves exotic ideas about Alaska Natives intact.
Actually getting to Alaska means getting there by ship. As they're boarding, someone sings a song Trip recognizes, but they change the lyrics (p. 44):
Curious about the song, I looked it up and so far didn't find those lyrics. The first line is easy to find but the rest, I think, is Dabb's own writing. Reading the words "we have come to stay" may seem jovial and innocuous to some, but to me, they're pretty aggressive. Music is a big part of Sweet Home Alaska. The family has a tough go of it once they're there, but at the end, they sing "Home Sweet Home." They're there to stay. Again, this may seem innocuous, but ending with that song tells readers that, indeed, they were there "TO STAY."
Though a lot of people are going to love Dabb's book and its echoes of Little House, I think it is worse than Little House because it was written in the last few years. Dabb's editor is Nancy Paulsen. The creation, publication, and marketing of Sweet Home Alaska tells us that writers like Dabb, and editors like Nancy Paulsen, have a long way to go.
Review is from my website: http://americanindiansinchildrenslite...
In her author's note, Dagg writes (p. 290):
A notable omission in accounts I read of the Palmer Colony was reference to the people who were in Alaska for thousands of years before the colonists: the various Eskimo, Aleut, Athabaskan, and other Indian tribes. Since I married into a part-Native family, I was concerned about this omission, but finally decided not to create contacts with Native peoples if the colonists themselves did not mention them. However, I hope as many readers as possible will visit the Anchorage Museum to learn more about the original colonists of Alaska.
I'm curious about the "part-Native family." Are the people she's referring to as "part-Native" citizens of their tribal nation? Generally used, "part Native" means that someone in your ancestry was, or is, a Native person from a specific tribal nation. Quite often, though, people who use "part-Native" aren't aware that stating a Native identity goes hand-in-hand with being a citizen of that nation. This citizenship is not about being "part" Native. If you're a tribal citizen, you're a tribal citizen, period.
I'm uneasy with the phrase "the original colonists of Alaska." Alaska Natives were not "original colonists." They are the first peoples of that land. Their homelands were colonized--in this case--by the families who were part of this federal project. I anticipate some people will think that I'm being hypercritical in pointing to "original colonists" as problematic, but it is important that we pay attention to words and what they convey. If we were to accept Dagg's description of Aleut, Athabaskan, and other Indian tribes as "original colonists" we start down a slope that says it wasn't their homeland from the start. That it belonged to... nobody, and therefore, any rights they have to that land can be dismissed.
And, Dagg's suggestion that readers visit the Anchorage Museum... It makes me wonder if she had Native readers in mind. She was probably thinking of white kids.
An appropriate aside: Not long ago I read a spot-on comic by Ricardo Caté of Kewa (Santo Domingo) Pueblo. He has been doing Without Reservations for several years. The one I'm thinking of is of a Native kid in a museum asking something like "what kind of a field trip is this?! We have all this stuff at home." Biting, and brilliant, too.
Back to Dagg's book...
Who were the "pioneers" involved with the Palmer Project? People who were living in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in 1934. The Palmer Museum has this info:
To be chosen from the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, only "honest-to-God" farmers, couples between the ages of 25 and 40 with Scandinavian backgrounds would be considered. In exchange for a $3,000, 30-year loan, each family would be given a 40-acre tract of land, a house, a barn, a well, and an out-building. Those families that chose tracts with poor soil conditions and hilly landscape were given 80 acres. In all 203 families were chosen for the colony.
Dagg's character, Trip (short for Terpsichore), and her family are one of those families. When Dagg and her sisters learn about the plan to move there, here's what they say (p. 5):
“I'm not living in an igloo!" That was Cally, shaking her head in horror, which made her ringlets bob. “I’m not eating whale blubber!” That was Polly. Her ringlets bobbed too.
They are, in short, putting forth information they hold about Alaska Native homes and foods, and, they're rejecting it. That passage tells us that, although Dabb chose not to create Native people for her characters to interact with, she didn't leave Native peoples out altogether. She introduced stereotypes, but left them intact. That was an opportunity for her to push back on them, but she didn't. Indeed, if she'd had Native peoples in mind as she developed this book, she could have created Native characters who could, in fact, push back on the information that Cally and Polly have in their heads. What she did do, is have Trip's dad say that they're not going to the Arctic Circle, and that the Matanuska Valley is much like northern Wisconsin. This, I assume, is sufficient to tell the girls that they won't be living in an igloo or eating whale blubber, but it leaves exotic ideas about Alaska Natives intact.
Actually getting to Alaska means getting there by ship. As they're boarding, someone sings a song Trip recognizes, but they change the lyrics (p. 44):
Terpsichore recognized the tune. It was Gene Autry’s version of “Springtime in the Rockies,” but they had changed the words. Terpsichore laughed along with the crowd at the new words: “When it’s springtime in Alaska and it’s ninety-nine below . . . Where the berries grow like pumpkins and a cabbage fills a truck . . . We want to make a new start somewhere without delay. So, here we are, Alaska, AND WE HAVE COME TO STAY!”
Curious about the song, I looked it up and so far didn't find those lyrics. The first line is easy to find but the rest, I think, is Dabb's own writing. Reading the words "we have come to stay" may seem jovial and innocuous to some, but to me, they're pretty aggressive. Music is a big part of Sweet Home Alaska. The family has a tough go of it once they're there, but at the end, they sing "Home Sweet Home." They're there to stay. Again, this may seem innocuous, but ending with that song tells readers that, indeed, they were there "TO STAY."
Though a lot of people are going to love Dabb's book and its echoes of Little House, I think it is worse than Little House because it was written in the last few years. Dabb's editor is Nancy Paulsen. The creation, publication, and marketing of Sweet Home Alaska tells us that writers like Dabb, and editors like Nancy Paulsen, have a long way to go.
Review is from my website: http://americanindiansinchildrenslite...
April 19, 2025
Great middle grade historical fiction!
May 28, 2023
I absolutely loved this book! The story and characters were wonderful! And I love all the historical pieces. What a wonderful childrens historical fiction.
All the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 1, 2022
My last book for Middle Grade March 2022 and such a heart-warming book to end with. This was such a fun story about a family who joins the New Deal colony in Palmer, Alaska, during the Great Depression. Terpsichore is the main character, and she loves so many of the things I love: cooking, gardening, and books! (She is a big Laura Ingalls Wilder fan.) She is a sympathetic and spunky main character. I love her enthusiasm to have a library in Palmer and later to grow her own Giant Pumpkin like Almanzo and her hard work towards buying her mother a piano. It’s also so fun to read about how she makes friends and how the community itself grows and changes over the 16 months of the story.
I definitely picked up on some Emily’s Runaway Imagination and Charlotte’s Web vibes, which I loved. I thought Terpsichore was also a bit Ramona-like at points in the story. She has such a good heart, and I love that she gets to be in a place that uses her creativity and helps her thrive.
I definitely picked up on some Emily’s Runaway Imagination and Charlotte’s Web vibes, which I loved. I thought Terpsichore was also a bit Ramona-like at points in the story. She has such a good heart, and I love that she gets to be in a place that uses her creativity and helps her thrive.
July 29, 2022
30 second book review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CgC2xFElEub/
January 6, 2016
Fans of pioneer historical fiction like Caddie Woodlawn and the Little House on the Prairie series will get a kick out of this story about the Alaskan pioneering community of Palmer. When the mill her father is the bookkeeper for closes down, Terpsichore Johnson and her family decide to participate in President Roosevelt's homesteading program in Alaska. Terpsichore, or Trip, as she's sometimes called, is excited to follow in the footsteps of her favorite author, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Terpsichore puts her heart and soul into the experiment, organizing a lending library, and using her gardening know-how to raise an over 200-pound pumpkin. Dagg's research and inclusion of details about the Palmer experiment gives the narrative authenticity.
*Digital ARC from NetGalley
*Digital ARC from NetGalley
January 12, 2021
Recommended by a friend to replace “A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt” (read last year) during our study of the Great Depression era. So glad we chose to do so. We LOVED this book! The story of Terpsichore & her family’s move to Alaska during FDR’s Palmer Colony Project spoke of the challenges they faced but also how they persevered to create their new life. A sweet story that we truly enjoyed.
Also highly recommend the audio - it was done wonderfully.
Also highly recommend the audio - it was done wonderfully.
August 14, 2023
Loretta's rating
June 16, 2022
I loved this book!! It held my attention from the first page to the last. The fact that it is based on true events made it extremely interesting. On top of that, the three most adorable children in Alaska just happen to be our grandchildren. Next time we go visit them, we have to go to Palmer.
October 3, 2017
Strong characters. Interesting story for readers who enjoy historical fiction. The narrative, however, assumes a knowledge of the Great Depression; young readers would have benefited if more background and explanations had been woven into the story. The book would also have been richer if it included more details on Alaska; the stereotypes and assumptions the family makes about Alaska in the first chapter are never put to rest. More depth on Alaska as setting (so much more than mosquitoes and snow) would have made this a stronger book.
Gotta love that the main character (and obviously the author) loves Laura Ingalls Wilder's books as much as myself! Lots of references to great books throughout.
Gotta love that the main character (and obviously the author) loves Laura Ingalls Wilder's books as much as myself! Lots of references to great books throughout.
March 22, 2019
A perfectly timed audiobook with my 11 year old since we just covered The Great Depression and FDR’s New Deal in our history lessons. We both love, love, loved it! You can’t help but fall in love with Terpsichore (Terp-sick-oree, for those who don’t listen to the audio — but listen if you can, as Susan Denaker is an outstanding narrator) and her can-do, make-it-happen, pioneer spirit. Maybe best described as Little House meets The Penderwicks set in 1930’s Alaska, this story of simple family life with fun adventure has wormed its way into our hearts and left the two of us with the very best kind of book hangover.
January 8, 2020
3.5 Stars This is a mixture of Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie, but in Alaska in the 1930's. Cute story, but not quite as endearing as the stories that inspired it.
Popsugar Challenge 2020 - A book you picked because the title caught your attention
Popsugar Challenge 2020 - A book you picked because the title caught your attention
February 23, 2022
Funny, sweet, great family read aloud!
February 26, 2022
SUPER cute middle-grade historical novel. Not only does this introduce young readers to Alaska and pioneer life and the time period, it’s really entertaining and well done.
I love Tirp’s entrepreneurial spirit. It was neat to see her problem-solve and succeed. Very inspiring for other driven kids.
Another thing that is rarer than rare: this book features an intact, healthy family. I know! Unheard of!
This could easily have been a downer of a story all about the hardships and privations of pioneering, but it was NOT at all. Words I’d use to describe this book: Spunky, funny, heartwarming.
I loved the short chapters, and the plot moved along nicely. There was a sense of escalation as the Johnson family got closer and closer to the year mark.
I must say that the ending was the cutest. Kind of like how a 90s sitcom ends with a big group hug. I really miss those days.
I love Tirp’s entrepreneurial spirit. It was neat to see her problem-solve and succeed. Very inspiring for other driven kids.
Another thing that is rarer than rare: this book features an intact, healthy family. I know! Unheard of!
This could easily have been a downer of a story all about the hardships and privations of pioneering, but it was NOT at all. Words I’d use to describe this book: Spunky, funny, heartwarming.
I loved the short chapters, and the plot moved along nicely. There was a sense of escalation as the Johnson family got closer and closer to the year mark.
I must say that the ending was the cutest. Kind of like how a 90s sitcom ends with a big group hug. I really miss those days.
Read
August 31, 2019"It was magic; Alaska magic."
Growing huge pumpkins, kids starting libraries, taking a family to the Alaska frontier, and more adventures that take place during the Great Depression.
Fans of The Little House on the Prairie books will enjoy this sweet story as well. –Megan G.
Growing huge pumpkins, kids starting libraries, taking a family to the Alaska frontier, and more adventures that take place during the Great Depression.
Fans of The Little House on the Prairie books will enjoy this sweet story as well. –Megan G.
March 12, 2022
This was such a sweet and cozy book! Based on historical events - as a part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, two hundred families were sent to Alaska to start a colony and farm the land. The main character is an 11 year old girl who loves books, cooking, and gardening.
She comes up against several challenges but faces them head on with creativity and perseverance.
She comes up against several challenges but faces them head on with creativity and perseverance.
August 7, 2021
I read this by myself in the last day to see if it was age appropriate for the kids. I loved it and I’m excited to read it to them sometime soon. Very sweet.
December 30, 2023
YA middle grade fiction but some parts are definitely historically accurate. Delightful book!
May 7, 2024
Listened with the kids. A sweet middle grade novel about Roosevelt's New Deal colony in Palmer Alaska. Spunky main character, with some definite Laura Ingalls vibes and connections. We all really enjoyed this one.
October 28, 2021
4.5 ⭐️ Quite delightful!
February 10, 2020
My children all loved this fun pioneer story. I highly recommend this book to elementary school kids, especially if you enjoyed books like Little House on the Prairie or Caddie Woodlawn.
August 9, 2016
Terpsichore (Terp-sick-oh-ree) Johnson is devastated to learn her best friend's family is going to settle in Matanuska Colony Alaska- part of a New Deal plan where families will learn to become self-reliant farmers. Terpsichore vows to do anything she can to make sure her family goes too. When her plans go awry, she finds herself stuck in the middle of nowhere living in a tent with her parents, precocious twin sisters and baby brother. The only kid she knows is an annoying boy with a cat-scaring dog and an obsession with bugs. She thought it would be a fun adventure like Little House in the Big Woods and Farmer Boy, her two favorite books. The first day of school brings torment but also a new friend and a plan to get herself recognized for a special talent. As she falls in love with Alaska, she fears her mother will vote to return to Madison, Wisconsin and civilization (and a strict grandmother). Terpsichore plans a special surprise that will be sure to win over her mother. As the only unmusical Johnson, she has to find a way to use her gifts and make a new home for herself and become known as a kid who did something special.
This story is a cute homage to Laura Ingalls Wilder's novels. I think Terpsicore will really appreciate The Long Winter once it's published! Living in the Alaskan wilderness and learning to manage the land is very similar to what the Ingalls family experienced living on the prairie in South Dakota. However, the Johnsons and fellow colonists do have some resources the Ingalls family didn't have but that only makes the story more exciting, not less. I had a hard time putting down the book. I couldn't wait to find out what Terpsichore would do next and of course if they would stay. The story is chock full of period details including how to use a wood stove, how to cook strange foods in tasty ways, how to wash diapers (no disposable diapers yet in 1934-35), pop culture (the school puts on a Wizard of Oz musical play several years before the Judy Garland classic) and of course, farming. I expected the farming details to be boring but I liked what Terpsichore figured out how to do. Her special project was very sweet and I found it fascinating. I think the real life Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder would be proud.
Terpsichore is a great character. She's a normal kid who believes in her ability to do anything she puts her mind to and works at. She feels overshadowed by her precocious and talented twin sisters (eight year old Shirley Temple wannabes) and feels under valued by most adults. I like how she comes up with practical solutions and how she learned the value of true friendship. Her struggles her very real and what happens isn't too much of a fantasy. It felt plausible but maybe not all for one kid. I also liked her friends Gloria, the girly girl drama queen and Mendel, the nerdy scientist. Gloria reminded me a lot of Ruthie (Read All about It: A Kit Classic Volume 1 and Really Truly Ruthie).
I found Terpsichore's sisters a little annoying. Their double Shirley Temple twin act was way over the top cutesy. I did like their character development though and how the sisters came to rely on one another and help each other out. The only character I didn't really like was Mrs. Johnson. At first her calling her husband Mr. Johnson creeped me out, thinking she would be a subservient housewife but that turned out not to be the case. She actually plays a large role in the family and has the final say in whether they stay or go. She comes across as really snobby at first, looking at the fellow colonists as backwoods bumpkins and even dismissing her husband's farming background as primitive and uncivilized. Like Ma Ingalls, she feels a church and a school make for a civilized town. I felt like her husband should say to her "Would you rather starve to death in civilization or have food and fresh air for your family here in the wilderness?" Her character development is a bit abrupt and I felt needed a little more slow growth.
I really enjoyed this novel and I think readers old enough to read without pictures on up to adult will enjoy this book. It would make a good read aloud for younger kids as well. The only thing sensitive readers might have a problem with is the brief mention of the deaths of two children. Other than that, there's no violence (except for mentions of hunting), no bad language, no bratty children- just good fun.
This story is a cute homage to Laura Ingalls Wilder's novels. I think Terpsicore will really appreciate The Long Winter once it's published! Living in the Alaskan wilderness and learning to manage the land is very similar to what the Ingalls family experienced living on the prairie in South Dakota. However, the Johnsons and fellow colonists do have some resources the Ingalls family didn't have but that only makes the story more exciting, not less. I had a hard time putting down the book. I couldn't wait to find out what Terpsichore would do next and of course if they would stay. The story is chock full of period details including how to use a wood stove, how to cook strange foods in tasty ways, how to wash diapers (no disposable diapers yet in 1934-35), pop culture (the school puts on a Wizard of Oz musical play several years before the Judy Garland classic) and of course, farming. I expected the farming details to be boring but I liked what Terpsichore figured out how to do. Her special project was very sweet and I found it fascinating. I think the real life Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder would be proud.
Terpsichore is a great character. She's a normal kid who believes in her ability to do anything she puts her mind to and works at. She feels overshadowed by her precocious and talented twin sisters (eight year old Shirley Temple wannabes) and feels under valued by most adults. I like how she comes up with practical solutions and how she learned the value of true friendship. Her struggles her very real and what happens isn't too much of a fantasy. It felt plausible but maybe not all for one kid. I also liked her friends Gloria, the girly girl drama queen and Mendel, the nerdy scientist. Gloria reminded me a lot of Ruthie (Read All about It: A Kit Classic Volume 1 and Really Truly Ruthie).
I found Terpsichore's sisters a little annoying. Their double Shirley Temple twin act was way over the top cutesy. I did like their character development though and how the sisters came to rely on one another and help each other out. The only character I didn't really like was Mrs. Johnson. At first her calling her husband Mr. Johnson creeped me out, thinking she would be a subservient housewife but that turned out not to be the case. She actually plays a large role in the family and has the final say in whether they stay or go. She comes across as really snobby at first, looking at the fellow colonists as backwoods bumpkins and even dismissing her husband's farming background as primitive and uncivilized. Like Ma Ingalls, she feels a church and a school make for a civilized town. I felt like her husband should say to her "Would you rather starve to death in civilization or have food and fresh air for your family here in the wilderness?" Her character development is a bit abrupt and I felt needed a little more slow growth.
I really enjoyed this novel and I think readers old enough to read without pictures on up to adult will enjoy this book. It would make a good read aloud for younger kids as well. The only thing sensitive readers might have a problem with is the brief mention of the deaths of two children. Other than that, there's no violence (except for mentions of hunting), no bad language, no bratty children- just good fun.
July 19, 2017
If you've ever reread Laura Ingalls Wilder's books as an adult and wondered about outhouses, washing diapers, the practicalities of cooking and whether it was really as nice as it sounds, this charming story of a young girl trying to make a success of the pioneer life in Alaska will do the trick.
I started it in the evening, and stayed up late to finish!
I started it in the evening, and stayed up late to finish!
February 24, 2024
I loved the characters and their spunk! And I loved learning the history of the Palmer settlement, something I never knew about.
May 14, 2024
2024 update: the little girls didn't really remember having this read aloud last time we studied the Great Depression, but it was a total delight. My 11 year old gave it ten stars. Having moved my family to a new state twice since our last read-through, I got teary several times as our feisty heroine and her friends and family settled into making home and community in a new place. Finally bought it for the family --it's so good that it needs to belong in our family library!
2019 Update: read aloud to the kids this spring, and they all adored it. Excellent as a read aloud, and I was delighted by the family just as much the second time around.
2017 Original review:
Well, this was a surprising delight! My 8 year old picked it up at the library, and we both loved it. We loved Terpischore's can-do spirit (especially raising her Laura and Almanzo pumpkins!), the family dynamics, the pioneer spirit of the settlers, and the friendships with Mendel and Gloria. While including plenty of details of how challenging it was, the book made me want to move out to the wilderness like the Johnsons. I also appreciated the realistic view of the CCC's ineptitude. The book felt well-researched, but the story was charming enough that my daughter didn't even realize she was learning history while she read.=)
2019 Update: read aloud to the kids this spring, and they all adored it. Excellent as a read aloud, and I was delighted by the family just as much the second time around.
2017 Original review:
Well, this was a surprising delight! My 8 year old picked it up at the library, and we both loved it. We loved Terpischore's can-do spirit (especially raising her Laura and Almanzo pumpkins!), the family dynamics, the pioneer spirit of the settlers, and the friendships with Mendel and Gloria. While including plenty of details of how challenging it was, the book made me want to move out to the wilderness like the Johnsons. I also appreciated the realistic view of the CCC's ineptitude. The book felt well-researched, but the story was charming enough that my daughter didn't even realize she was learning history while she read.=)
January 7, 2022
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this story even if the main character is only eleven. Set during the Great Depression, Terpsichore and her family are part of the group going up to Alaska to settle a new town named Palmer. The life and struggles of living in a tent city because the houses aren’t built, of waking up to find your tent roof weighted down with snow, to mosquitos, and everything else sounds much like one of Terpsichore’s favorite books “Little House.” I liked how people learned to work together, to endure what couldn’t be helped, and to change what could. And I had to smile over the pumpkin growing.
My only complaint is that the Johnson family wasn’t eligible to go to Palmer because they were not on relief and the father didn’t want to go on relief. The daughter filled out the forms and turned them in without him knowing. After it happened and they were leaving, it was never mentioned again and the parents never knew why they'd be chosen. It felt like the daughter’s actions were good and there was nothing wrong with doing things behind your parents’ back.
I enjoyed this story even if the main character is only eleven. Set during the Great Depression, Terpsichore and her family are part of the group going up to Alaska to settle a new town named Palmer. The life and struggles of living in a tent city because the houses aren’t built, of waking up to find your tent roof weighted down with snow, to mosquitos, and everything else sounds much like one of Terpsichore’s favorite books “Little House.” I liked how people learned to work together, to endure what couldn’t be helped, and to change what could. And I had to smile over the pumpkin growing.
My only complaint is that the Johnson family wasn’t eligible to go to Palmer because they were not on relief and the father didn’t want to go on relief. The daughter filled out the forms and turned them in without him knowing. After it happened and they were leaving, it was never mentioned again and the parents never knew why they'd be chosen. It felt like the daughter’s actions were good and there was nothing wrong with doing things behind your parents’ back.
November 23, 2016
Terpsichore and her family move from Wisconsin to a new planned homesteading community in Alaska during the Great Depression, where they have to build their house, grow food, and learn to can salmon. Based on the real Palmer, Alaska, a homesteading community that was started by FDR's administration in the 1930's, this has the daily details that made Wilder's "Little House" series so fascinating. The third person historical fiction tale is memorable and light-hearted, and perfect for 4th through 8th graders learning about America's past. The author's note at the end explains that none of the first person accounts or research material mentions any interaction between the newcomers and the indigenous people, so the author did not include any. An entertaining read from those moving up from the Wilder books.
March 11, 2016
Just as she did in her first historical novel for young people, THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS, author Carole Estby Dagg combines authentic historical detail with strong, engaging characters, adventurous situations, and touches of humor in all the right places. Readers of SWEET HOME ALASKA will fall in love with smart, gutsy heroine Terpsichore as she and her family experience the rigors of life in an untamed wilderness.
August 27, 2016
This is a really charming book -- great for Little House on the Prairie fans (there are lots of references to the books and characters). But also great for fans of straightforward, plot-driven fiction. The main character is well written, and the little world she inhabits is easy to fall into.
June 1, 2023
Adorable! This book is the definition of cosy (though I would recommend to read it in winter and not at the beginning of summer like yours truly did here).
I could not recommend this book enough, especially if you have children!
I could not recommend this book enough, especially if you have children!
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