TAKU Four Amazing Individuals-Four Incredible Life Stories and The Alaskan Wilderness Lodge That Brought Them Together

Karen Bell and Janet Shelfer, you have penned a beautiful book in TAKU. Your own personal story of taking a trip to Alaska and ending up writing a book about the history you found at Taku Lodge was in itself no small feat. I hope you are both enormously proud of your accomplishment.TAKU is a wonderful blend of world history, current events surrounding the early part of the 20th century in Alaska and the personal history of four immensely intriguing personalities. You brought Carlos/Harry, "Hack," Erie and Mary to life along with so many other supporting characters. I was aching to know them all.I was in awe of Harry, Hack and Mary's attraction to the Alaska wilderness and desire to shape meaningful lives for themselves there, lives that brought each of them such personal satisfaction and pleasure. They were all pioneers in their own right. Mary Joyce's dauntless spirit was reminiscent of that of Amelia Earhart and bush pilot Beryl Markham. Thankfully, Mary kept her journal. What a thrill it must have been for you to read it firsthand. I thought you interpreted it with just the right amount of adventure, intrigue and admiration.I can't wait to meet you both someday and hear more in depth how you created your little masterpiece. Lucky for me and, I hope, many, many more readers, that you made that trip to Alaska! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

I bought this book in the Taku Glacier Lodge in Alaska when I visited for the first time in July of 2015 prior to experiencing one fantastic week cruising the Alaskan Wilds with UnCruise Adventure Cruise... it was a great journey from Juneau to Sitka, when I was not out physically exploring or kayaking, I was inside the cruise, in the lounge, a glass of wine in my hand, some comfortable clothes, and this book in my hands so I could explore Alaska some more inside my mind. I met four amazing individuals and experienced four unforgettable journeys. Just like I'm captivated by Jack London's description of Alaska in White Fang and Call of the Wild, I was entranced by this more tangible and authentic portrayal of Alaska by Karen Bell and Janet Shelfer. I highly recommend a read of this book. It will be well worth your while.

An interesting account of the history of the lodge. A few historical discrepancies, but nothing that detracted from the compelling story of the fascinating individuals connected with the lodge. The chapters on Mary Joyce's 1,000 mile overland trek to Fairbanks were especially interesting and filled in a lot of blank spots on my history of the northern Alcan area. A fast-moving and very good read, whether you're looking for history, romance, or something entirely different. The b/w photos were a wonderful addition, kudos to the authors for including them!

I have to commend the authors, who are two women that were so impressed after visiting Taku Lodge that they decided to write a book about it. Their exhaustive research must have been a monumental task. Their writing itself is surprisingly good. However, I found it to be in dire need of focus, editing, and organization. The book begins with the ancestors of the central characters behind Taku Lodge, and details generations of relatives ad infinitum. After 60+ pages of genealogy and painful tedium, we get to the building of Taku Lodge, which encompasses less than a paragraph and lacks any meaningful description of the area. I give the authors credit for attempting to include so much history, but, like the state of Alasks itself, it is impossible to take it all in without several trips. So much of the information gets glossed over, leaving me wanting more depth and fleshing out of the story.

After a trip to Alaska this Fall, I must admit I left part of my heart, as do most who travel this wild, still somewhat untamed territory. The history is absolutely magnetizing. Taku is a wonderful book about the lives that came together to end in this wonderful lodge from the beginning until today. When I look around at society today I wonder if anyone would have the strength it took to actually step into such an unknown.

I can't even explain how much I loved this book , I felt like I was living it, my family and I will be there in June 10th and I can't wait!

Fantastic book ! Brings a whole new depth to knowledge of Alaska and the awesome people who wrote their life stories in its spectacular wilderness.