If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name - Heather Lende

Click image to not go to Amazon

Category: News From Small-Town Alaska Acquired: borrowed from the Todd & Betsy library Read: September 2008 Briefly: a newspaper columnist's observations and personal musings about life in a Southeast Alaska town of about 2500 people, not including dogs, moose and bears. Not quite Cicely, Alaska, but you can see it from there.

Summary: two things I always look forward to when visiting Todd & Betsy: a) whatever new recipe they're showing off, and b) standing in front of their massive bookshelf and asking "what should I borrow next?". This book came with the comment that it was sort of like Garrison Keillor, which I took to mean the original Keillor, i.e. the funny, thoughtful storyteller from back in the 90's, not the tedious demagogue he's turned into. Based on that assumption, I was looking forward to reading it.

I wasn't disappointed. Lende has a keen eye and a great ability to create word pictures. You can almost see the Alaskan mountains rising out of the water, and feel the snow biting into your face as it blows sideways across the yard. The life she describes is isolated, yet full of intimacy for the local residents - a rare and vanishing commodity in the 21st century. I think I could live there (although I'd be pretty lonely without Brenda).

On the other hand, this is no Prairie Home Companion of Alaska. It doesn't need to be, of course, but it was hard not to compare the styles. Keillor was first and foremost a storyteller. His narratives had detail and continuity, and invited the reader to fill in the blanks from their own imaginations. How did this character feel about that? What made him/her react that way? How did Keillor know that I went through that same experience when I was growing up?

In contrast, Lende doesn't tell stories per se, but rather fills her chapters with anecdotes, loosely tied to a common theme. While the local residents of Haines, Alaska are the backdrop, the book is ultimately about Lende herself, and her transformation from a city-bred easterner to a woman of the wilderness. Being from Venus, she writes about feelings, and relationships, and emotions. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just be prepared to know this woman's mind pretty deeply by the time you've finished this book.

Be prepared for some political correctness as well - you know, the local Native Americans are all noble, and the white folks are all plunderers. There are no conservatives, only "arch-conservatives", and all forms of spiritual enlightenment are fine, except for those wacky evangelicals.

Lende actually writes quite a bit about her own spiritual journey. Being the obituary writer for the local paper, perhaps she has more opportunity than most folks to ponder such topics. She describes herself as a practicing Catholic, and there are many sections that portray her as a genuine seeker, looking for truths that bring meaning and relevance. (I told you that you'd get to know her mind pretty closely). But sadly, she approaches it like looking for a new pair of shoes - it's all about finding something that fits me, and looks good on me, and doesn't cause me too much chafing or binding. It just never seems to dawn on her that spirituality isn't about accessorizing your life, but rather about discovering something that is far bigger than you, and losing yourself totally in it. Tragic.

So, getting to the bottom line: Did I enjoy the book? Definitely. Did I learn anything? Absolutely. My recommendation? Read it instead of Keillor's execrable Homegrown Democrat.