Midnight Sun Arctic Moon: Mapping the Wild Heart of Alaska - Softcover

Given her motto, "If at first you don't succeed, try something that's harder," it is not surprising that Albanese's journey from a farm in upstate New York to a new life in Alaska--spurred by a gut feeling and news of a teacher shortage there--was filled with great successes, disappointing failures, and heartrending losses. Spiked with wry humor, Albanese's candid narrative is most effective when she pivots between accounts of surmounting handicaps (e.g., unfamiliarity with the extreme climate; being a woman in a male-dominated field) to horrifying tales of colleagues disappearing in the wilds, being mauled by bears, and falling off mountains. She ends on a bittersweet note, reflecting on her reasons for leaving Alaska, a place that once held seemingly endless opportunities for her. --Publishers Weekly 02/27/12

"What makes this memoir fascinating is that it is an amusing, no-holds-barred, coming-of-age story of a kind seldom written by women." --from the Foreword, by Lael Morgan
"An engaging memoir of an adventurous life in Alaska tough, humorous, and inspiring." --Meg Gardiner, author of "The Nightmare Thief"

"Stunning, beautiful, funny, sad -- a memoir that will have you taking the chance to find "your "niche in the world!"--Amy Lignor, GoodReads

"This is the real deal, folks. "Midnight Sun, Arctic Moon: Mapping the Wild Heart of Alaska" ... captures a time when there was a special feeling you could find only in Alaska: one of hope and innocence and the sky's the limit."--New York Journal of Books

"An easy and enjoyable read, "Midnight Sun, Arctic Moon" will appeal to readers of adventure stories and memoir. It will also be appreciated by those looking for strong female characters."--Foreword magazine

"Mary Albanese delivers a tale that is alternatively spellbinding and terrifying, heart-wrenching and inspiring, but above all, an extraordinary story exceptionally well told."--New Book Journal

"If you're an armchair traveler, you'll appreciate the author's vivid portrayal of the rugged wilderness of Alaska. There's great humor and love, gritty defeats and painful tragedies, all wrapped up in this engaging coming-of-age story."--San Francisco Book Review

"Highly recommended!"--Portland Book Review