As a literature major in college, I overdosed on fiction. On summer vacations and for years after I graduated, nonfiction was the only form of literature I could stand. It seemed simpler, somehow. Now that I’m over that period of life, I realize that real life is far less simple than fiction, and both are reasonable stories. That said, when I can find a book which blends both story and biography well, I devour it delightedly.
Tisha is the true story of a young school teacher’s first year in the Alaskan wilderness. The Alaska of the early 1920’s isn’t all that different from the Alaska of today, so something about this young woman’s story rang true to my heart when I first read it. I was a college student, the same age as Anne Hobbs, the protagonist, and I was teaching Bible school in rural Alaskan villages, both Native American and white settlements. Anne’s compassion is irresistible, and her battle against prejudice fueled my own determination to do the best I could. Copies of this book are hard to come by, and when I found one in a used bookstore in Farmington, New Mexico, I had to buy it. The story was just as delightful the second time around (a hard feat to accomplish), and if you can get your hands on it, I recommend you read it at once. My copy is on its way to a friend.
1 comment:
we have this book on our bookshelf at home--i read it a long time ago. i have some weird uncomfortable feelings surrounding it. no memory of the plot really (except the end of the book), just a feeling. i should reread it and see what i think of it now.
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