Nearly a century’s worth of Alaskan history serves as the backdrop for this latest Kate Shugak novel, as witnessed by the long life of “Old Sam,” her uncle. When he dies at the age of nearly 90, he leaves Kate as his only legatee, with instructions for gifts to a few, and a letter telling her to “find my father,” setting her on a dangerous wild goose chase seeking a long lost native icon, a map which might disclose some information pertaining to the mystery of its disappearance and whereabouts, among other objectives.
It seems Sam’s father was a ne’er-do-well who stole the icon along with a lot of other items during the flu epidemic following World War I, when few were physically able to defend themselves or their possessions, and sold them to an antique dealer in Seattle. Sam attempted to find the icon to return it to his tribe (his mother was the daughter of a tribal chief).
The novel follows Kate’s attempts to unravel the various “clues” Old Sam leaves for her, facing dangerous competition from others seeking the valuables he left behind. It is an exciting journey, and the novel is well worth reading, and is recommended.
