In the Wake of the Frontier: a True Account of Living in Alaskan Isolation

Isolation. The Alaskan Territory. In the 1950s Alaska was not yet a state when a young woman, the author Ruth Vincent, accompanied her biologist husband to remote Afognak Island. The two were alone with short-wave radio and bush pilots as their only connection with the outside world. Months at a time would elapse without Ruth even seeing another woman. Foxes became pets, mail was delivered by bush pilots, snowshoes were essential, and puffin eggs enhanced meals. In the Wake of the Frontier vividly portrays this three-year adventure. Life on Afognak Island included coping without electricity or running water, facing Kodiak brown bears, and dealing with life-threatening situations. At the same time, the stunning Alaskan scenery and idyllic peacefulness were breathtaking. Through the author's eyes, dealing with emergencies, aloneness, and inconveniences all come alive in this engaging historical memoir.