Deneena Yazzie, Denny to most, is a 16 year old native
Alaskan. Don’t call her an Eskimo, she’s
an Indian. Her closest friend is her
grandfather, who has been teaching her their native language, seldom spoken by
anyone other than the dwindling elders. She
spends most of her time, other than school where she doesn’t fit in, mushing. Eight dogs pull the wooden sled her grandfather hand-built
years ago, while he follows nearby on his snowmobile. Her grandfather encourages Denny to compete
in her first dogsled competition where she takes third place, qualifying her
for the longest, toughest dog sled competition known to man. Unfortunately, Denny will have to travel the 1,100 mile trip
across the Alaskan wilderness without the support of her community. There’s so much more about the storyline I
want to add but won’t to keep you all in suspense.
Denny is a unique and inspiring character; a great role
model for young girls. Not
only because she perseveres while her whole village refuses to support her, but
also that she wants to learn her heritage and preserve her culture. The author tells Denny’s story in such a way that
makes you crave to learn more about Alaskan history and culture. The best kind of book.
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