A seldom seen perspective of the impact of European diseases on Alaska’s Native population. is is the story of two young sisters who are the only survivors of a smallpox outbreak in their village, and their struggle to survive in the Alaskan wilderness in the dead of winter

When smallpox kills all but two young girls in a remote Alaskan village, Maura and Millie set out to reach the settlement often mentioned by their elders. As the bitter winter descends, the two girls struggle with challenge after challenge along their journey, from losing their canoe to hunting down food. Their native traditions and skills enable their basic survival but their dogged determination to keep on despite a seemingly abandoned world is the story's suspense and heart. This novel is succinct and compact, as no-nonsense as a winter blizzard. Lib notes: scenes with the girls killing animals for food; implied scene of attempted rape. ( )

Not as gripping as The Trap, Smelcer's previous novel, but still a fast-paced, engrossing survival story set in Alaska. ( )

This was a nice, short book about two girls who are the only survivors in their village. A disease has been brought to their village in Alaska by European settlers and it wipes out everybody they know. The girls decide to travel to the next village for help and the book documents their travels. It was interesting and easy to read and the girls were both very strong and likeable. I think it would have been better if the book followed them further than it did instead of just leaving it to our inmagination but that's really the only complaint I have with this book. It was a heartwarming story and told well. ( )

Beautifully told simple story of ttwo sisters struggle to survive the Great Death (or the smallpox plague that destroyed the native American population) in Alaska after the gold rush. Maura and Millie watch their parents and every one in their small fishing village succumb to the terrible disease. They decide to head to the next settlement as winter is fast approaching and, as they are only 13 and 10, they realise they need to reach adults to have any chance of survival. In a story reminiscent of Hatchet and Children of the Oregon Trail, the two set out on a perilous journey, accompanied only by two sled dogs Blue and Tundra, and armed with the knowledge their father and mother have passed on to them. The journey is beset with perils - bears, wolves, freezing rapids and ice, exploding trees, blizzards and the ever present danger of freezing to death. Engaging with its simple, straightforward language, this is a story that should have been told as often as the tales of the Black Death in England. Highly recommended. ( )