Allan Brennan travels to the Curry Hotel to be an apprentice of a seasoned Alaska mountain guide. Ever since his father's death climbing Mt. McKinley, he's worked to earn enough money to make the trek to the Alaska territory himself. His father's partner blames their guide for the death of his father, but Allan wants to find the truth for himself. He finds an unlikely ally in Cassidy, and as the two begin to look into the mystery, they suddenly find that things are much less clear, and much more dangerous, than either could ever imagine. Reviewer: Beverly Wallin In the Shadow of Denali - The Heart of Alaska Book I, by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse was obviously well-researched and very true to life. Allan changed the most as a character during the novel. His anger against God, Cassidy’s father, John, and even his own father was resolved as he grew to know Cassidy and John. Their love and relationship with God drew him in. The love between Allan and Cassidy is evident as it slowly grows. It is also a little too evident that Frank, Allan’s father’s partner was the responsible party for the demise of Allan’s father. However, this novel is filled with adventure, romance, mystery and a love of the northern wilderness. The title is great, the Indian word for Mt. McKinley. Reviewer: Jane Daly The story follows the lives of Allen, who travels to Alaska, searching for answers to his father's death while hiking down from Denali; and Cassidy, the daughter of the man who Allan believes killed his father. Cassidy is a native-born Alaskan. The story is rich with Alaskan history, during the time before Alaska became a state. There were plenty of twists and turns, with mounting tension in every chapter. Cassidy is the type of young woman you would want as a best friend. The story has a happy and satisfying ending. This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Reviewer: Becky Hrivnak In the Shadow of Denali, book 1 of the Heart of Alaska series, was written by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse. I've read a lot of Peterson books, but not any Woodhouse so this is a first with this team for me. I found the setting appealing as I love Alaska and have loved previous Peterson books set in Alaska. The characters in this book were interesting but didn't seem to keep my attention as much as I wished. I'm not sure about how I would classify this book except historical Christian. It wasn't romantic throughout the book, but had a touch. It wasn't suspenseful but had some slight mystery moments. I would recommend this read for teens up as it's a clean read. I enjoyed it enough to say I would definitely try another book with this team. This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Reviewer: Carol A. Brown Set in Curry, Alaska (which no longer exists) in the early 1900’s, In the Shadow of the Denali presents an accurate picture of Alaska at the time Mt. McKinley is declared a national park. The book does not gloss over the unforgiving nature of the environment; the hardships involved in living there, neither does it hold back on the beauty and majesty of the land. The depiction of the dangers of summiting the mountain, and the extensive details involved were excellent. Denali, to the native population, but Mt. McKinley to most people in the “lower 48,” is a silent but central figure of the story. The mountain brings out the best and the worst in people—reveals their character. A mountain climber must either submit to the rules of the climb or the mountain will break him for his rebellion. You love the land, or you hate it and can’t wait to board the train to get out of town! The Plot: ...is a study in greed and where the love of money will lead a person. The problem is that Frank, the villain, has to figure out how to bump off his business partner while summiting Mt. McKinley, in order to inherit his partner’s share of their co-owned mountaineering business. Allen, son of the dead partner, inherits ¼ of the business, so now Frank obsessed with murdering the son! Allen becomes angry with God over his father’s death, understandably. So In the Shadow of the Denali is also a study in forgiveness, the healing power of love, and restoration of relationship with God. But wait! This is a romance novel! Cassidy, ½ Irish and ½ native is our main character. She is the assistant chef in the Hotel Curry kitchen and everyone loves her—sunny, positive, kind and holding a vibrant faith. She loves Alaska. Then there is Allen, the grieving son who falls for Cassidy who won’t allow for the relationship because of his anger at God. It is all worked out on the back of The Denali, The High One. But you will have to read to find out how that happens. Pace: The twists and turns leave you not knowing just how things are going to resolve. I did not encounter slow spots, which is why I read it straight through! I couldn’t leave them there in a howling storm while I slept! This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Reviewer: Rebecca Maney Cassidy Ivanoff has lived in Alaska her entire life, her father John, an highly esteemed guide among the vast mountainous regions, having led expeditions up the infamous Mount McKinley, affectionately known to native Alaskans as Denali. After the tragic loss of one of his hikers, John and Cassidy have accepted employment at the prestigious Curry Hotel, strategically nestled along the emerging Alaska Railroad. When Henry Brennan's son, Allan, arrives in Curry to seek answers about his father's unfortunate demise, the dark shadows surrounding that fateful day struggle to meet the light of truth. Allan Brennan cannot help but be impressed with the patient, highly skilled Curry Hotel exploration guide, John Brennan. His lovely daughter Cassidy also makes a good first impression, even cautiously agreeing to forge a friendship with Allan in spite of his surly attitude towards her father. As the three tiptoe towards mutual forgiveness, Allan receives news about his father's former business partner that is quite disturbing, leading him to wonder what really happened on the peaks of Denali. Comfortably paced and resplendent with American history, "In the Shadow of Denali" is a good story with deep inspirational impact, reminding how past regrets and unspoken dreams can be intertwined and then set free. This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Reviewer: Kelly Miller "In the Shadow of Denali" was a light but enjoyable read, with the main characters, John and his daughter, Cassidy, having a positive outlook on life that we all could learn from. With strong and bold faiths they seek to see the best in people and offer forgiveness and servanthood in the way that Jesus does, without hesitation. The authors were very compelling in their descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness and it's dangers, I can tell you that, for me, this book did not instill a desire to go to Alaska. I am quite content to leave the poisonous plant life, attacking animals and potentially fatal snow storms to other adventurers. The story is somewhat predictable in the romance and friendship department, however, Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse have added a sinister plot line that does keep you wondering how justice will prevail. The book has a few areas of confusion which made it feel as if the story had been edited and shortened, taking out plot lines. Even Allan and Cassidy's love story feels rushed. The first area is in the story surrounding the character of the Head Housekeeper, Mrs. McGovern and an incident involving injury to several housekeepers when a pipe breaks and burns them with steam. Before the pipe bursts, the main character, Cassidy, makes reference to the Head Housekeeper, Mrs. McGovern, as having 'a pinched tone again' (although I didn't see where she had a pinched tone in the first place never mind 'again') leaving the impression that there was, or would be, a situation regarding the housekeeper. After she and a few of the maids get injured by the burst pipe, I was left wondering if the comment about Mrs. McGovern was leading to something untoward that she may have done to cause the pipe to burst, however, the incident is never mentioned again. We know that Mrs. McGovern, at least, survived as she is referred to further on in the book but 2 other maids were injured, one to the point of unconsciousness, and that is all we are told. We are left with Mr. Bradley asking "Do we know how badly the women were hurt?" And John's response "Not yet." Apparently we will never know. What Mrs. McGovern's' 'pinched tone' had to do with anything is unclear. The point of this incident seemed to be to show John's selflessness when rescuing these women, however, it feels more like a forgotten and unfinished part of the story. The second area is much more subtle and involves Allan, the man who falls in love with Cassidy. In one area of the story we are told that hotel staff can't avoid each other, and he, Allan, couldn't avoid Cassidy but that was o.k. since he wasn't sure he wanted to avoid her 'anymore'. It is the 'anymore' that made me stop and re-read. There is nowhere in the story that it is even implied that Allan was attempting to avoid, or had avoided, Cassidy. It is a small detail, that almost seems insignificant, but did cause me to stop and wonder if I had missed something in the story line. Although this book does not contain a lot of spiritual depth, it successfully spells out a simple truth, we all need God. Through the character of Thomas we are reminded that there comes a time that we all have to determine what kind of man (woman) we want to be and once we have determined that, we should boldly work towards that goal. We all have the ability to grow from klutzy floor huggers to people of honour. This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Reviewer: Kelly Potts “Gumballs and rainbows”; that is what I felt when I completed reading In the Shadow of Denali a collaboration between Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse. At one point in the novel the main character Cassidy is told she is all “gumball and rainbows” and called “Miss Sunshine” because she is always happy and nothing gets her down. At the end of the novel I half expected to read that the ghosts of Cassidy’s mother and Allan’s father would be waving at them from the mountain top, holding hands and singing praises. The book felt not real, not possible, and too perfect. Sunshine, gumballs and rainbows aside, I found I quickly became fond of the characters of Allan Brennan and Cassidy’s father, John Ivanoff. Both men were suffering with grief and both allowed God to carry their burdens. I especially like the story of John Ivanoff carrying sacks of rocks to finish a walkway and the scars found on his back the next day. His wife said “you bore a burden no one asked you to bear, John Ivanoff, and now yer sufferin’ for it.” it is a truly beautiful analogy of letting God carry your afflictions. The novel was well written. I especially enjoyed learning about the Athabaskan heritage, the wonderful scenery and the history that made Alaska what it is today. It makes me want to go see the Fireweed, find Deadhorse Hill to see the views and to stand in the shadow of Mt McKinley. This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Leave a Reply. |
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3/3/2017
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