Finding True North: First-Hand Stories of the Booms that Built Modern Alaska

Melting sea ice and rumbling volcanoes. Sled dogs racing through unnamed valleys. These were the images that came to mind when Molly Rettig moved to Fairbanks, Alaska to work as a reporter at the local newspaper. An avid environmentalist, she couldn’t wait to explore the vast, untamed spaces that had largely been paved over on the east coast. But when her 72-year-old neighbor, Clutch, invites her on a tour of his gold mine—an 800-foot tunnel blasted into the side of his house–she begins to question many of her ideas about Alaska, and about herself. In Finding True North, Rettig takes us on a gripping journey through Alaska's past that brings alive the state's magnificent country and its quirky, larger-than-life characters. She meets a trapper who harvests all she needs from the land, a bush pilot who taught himself how to fly, and an archaeologist who helped build an oil pipeline through pristine wilderness. While she learns how airplanes, mines, and oil fields have paved the way for newcomers like herself, she also stumbles upon a bigger question: what has this quest for Alaska’s natural resources actually cost, and how much more is at stake? This is a book about all the ways wild places teach us about ourselves. Rettig writes both playfully and honestly about how one place can be many things to many people—and how all of it can be true.

Melting sea ice and rumbling volcanoes. Sled dogs racing throughunnamed valleys.

These were the images that came to mind when Molly Rettig movedto Fairbanks, Alaska to work as a reporter at the local newspaper.An avid environmentalist, she couldn't wait to explore the vast,untamed spaces that had largely been paved over on the east coast.But when her 72-year-old neighbor, Clutch, invites her on a tour ofhis gold mine-an 800-foot tunnel blasted into the side of hishouse-she begins to question many of her ideas about Alaska, andabout herself.

In Finding True North, Rettig takes us on a gripping journeythrough Alaska's past that brings alive the state's magnificentcountry and its quirky, larger-than-life characters. She meets atrapper who harvests all she needs from the land, a bush pilot whotaught himself how to fly, and an archaeologist who helped build anoil pipeline through pristine wilderness. While she learns howairplanes, mines, and oil fields have paved the way for newcomerslike herself, she also stumbles upon a bigger question: what hasthis quest for Alaska's natural resources actually cost, and howmuch more is at stake?

This is a book about all the ways wild places teach us aboutourselves. Rettig writes both playfully and honestly about how oneplace can be many things to many people-and how all of it can betrue.

"Molly Rettig leads readers through pivotal moments in modern Alaska's history that have not only built the Alaska we see today, but also created moments of great contention such as gold and oil. She ties the stories of people who lived during these times to her own story of discovery and change. The book starts with her arrival to Alaska, naive and unaware, where readers will learn and evolve with her as she comes to new realizations"-- Provided by publisher