West of North

Ken & Kim Hoover retired, bought a power cat from me in Tacoma, Washington, and promptly pointed their bows West of North to Wrangell, Alaska.  Then Ken wrote a novel – West of North (https://www.amazon.com/West-N).  I ran into Ken on the docks and he gave me a copy.  Right now, I am sitting in the cockpit of Awesome in Wrangell’s Heritage Harbor and have just finished reading.  I am supremely lucky to have been able to read his work in situ; while listening to the ravens and eagles as they clatter and call, harbor-watching the comings and goings of the tenders, trawlers & trollers, and treading the streets of Wrangell in his characters’ footsteps.

West of North has a staccato cadence – like a sharp rock tumbling down a steep hill, but it rounds to a beautiful portrait of a Southeast Alaskan community and it’s people.  The setting is the magnificent confluence of the mighty Stikine river and Alaska’s Southeast Coastal Range.  I had expected Wrangell to be a low-lying geography as is common to river deltas, but I was wrong.  Tidewaters of the delta rapidly give way to steep hillsides and soaring volcanic peaks like Devil’s Thumb.  The Stikine provides a cold water passage from Wrangell Island to the remote mainland that is the stomping ground of Silver Jack and his wolf-dog Blackie.  Ken is an educator and his protagonist, Josh Campbell, is likewise.  Josh, like many Alaskans, has been transplanted to this remote country seeking to escape a disasterous relationship in the lower 48.  He is introduced to Silver Jack, drawn from Ken’s father, in the worst possible way.  High adventures ensue.  Silver Jack is a tough-as-nails octogenarian prospector.  His wolf-dog Blackie is an almost mythical creature.  Together they form a trio that greets the majestic landscape and the rugged characters of Alaska on their own terms.  Love, lies, and life-lessons abound as the story unreels against a the spectacular backdrop that envelops Wrangell.

One of the things I like most about West of North is the sense of place it provides.  It really captures the spirit of Wrangell.  The locales are very well represented.  I’ve had the opportunity to tread the Petroglyph Beach in front of Mildred’s cabin, I’ve had a beer in the Marine Bar, I’ve eaten at Zak’s Cafe, and I’ve explored the murderous past and cultural present of Shake’s Island.  It is my pleasure to share some of the images of this setting with you.  I hope that you also get to set your course West of North and visit Wrangell aboard your own catamaran someday.  In the mean time, read the book!