Terpsichore can’t wait to follow in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s footsteps . . . now she just has to convince her mom.
It’s 1934, and times are tough for their family. To make a fresh start, Terpsichore’s father signs up for President Roosevelt’s Palmer Colony project, uprooting them from Wisconsin to become pioneers in Alaska. Their new home is a bit of a shock. It’s a town still under construction in the middle of the wilderness, where the residents live in tents and share a community outhouse. But Terpsichore’s not about to let first impressions get in the way of this grand adventure. Tackling its many unique challenges with her can-do attitude, she starts making things happen to make Alaska seem more like home. Soon, she and her family are able to start settling in and enjoying their new surroundings, everyone except her mother, that is. So, in order to stay, Terpsichore hatches a plan to convince her that it’s a beautiful—and civilized—place to live. A plan that will take all the love, energy, and Farmer Boy expertise Terpsichore can muster.
Ready for an Alaskan adventure?
I had already gotten a taste of the Alaskan setting from Lauren Tarshis’s book I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964, so I was excited to read more about what life was like there. I was surprised by how interested I was in the Great Depression-era setting. The short chapters helped move the story along.
I probably learned about President Theodore Roosevelt’s New Deal colony plan in history class or from other Depression-themed books, but I don’t remember anything about it. I’m not going to explain it all, but one thing I can say is that it didn’t get off to a great start. The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) was behind schedule on building houses, so families had to stay in tents. Not all the tents were set up, so families had to share. Land plot numbers were assigned haphazardly across the map. But when you think about it, of course everything was disorderly and behind schedule. It was organized by the government. What do you expect?
Terpsichore, pronounced Terp-sick-oh-ree, is a hard-working, innovative girl who embodies the can-do pioneer spirit. I love how Terpsichore was worried that there might not be a library in Alaska. She had her priorities straight.
Between Terpsichore’s cooking skills and all the talk of storing food for the winter, this story made me hungry. Even the detailed description of how to clean salmon had me craving fish.
One thing I found bizarre was how Terpsichore’s mother called her husband ‘Mister Johnson.’ Was this really a thing back then?
Be sure to read the Author’s Note to learn which occurrences from the story were based on actual events.
At the end of the book, you will also find the lyrics for the song “When It’s Springtime in Alaska,” a parody of “When It’s Springtime in the Rockies,” and Terpsichore’s recipes for Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies and Jellied Moose Nose. The preparation of the moose nose is both humorous and disturbing.