Donna Morang's memoir of Alaska begins in 1968 as she travels the Alcan Highway from Montana to Fairbanks, Alaska. However, this is only the beginning of her lifelong dream of hunting and fishing in the Last Frontier of Alaska. She will take you to the Brooks Range, north of the arctic circle, where she and her mate hunt for dall sheep, come face-to-face with a grizzly bear that wants to eat them, and an angry moose trying to trample her hunting partner. Return to the Brooks Range to live with Donna, her mate, and one-year-old daughter in a cabin deep in the wilderness while mining for the elusive gold. Live an authentic life in the Bush of Alaska (The Bush is a term Alaskans use to describe regions of the state not connected to civilization) where she bakes her own bread, has no electricity, no running water, and wolves try to eat her baby. Fish along side her in the famous Katmai and Resurrection Bay, or do some crazy dip-net fishing for salmon at Chitna, Alaska. Catch a few grayling, salmon, or norhtern pike, and float the Delta river where she almost lost her life. Fly in small airplanes over the Brooks Range to view forest fires waiting to trap them in the wilderness, or hold on tight as they cruise over the majestic Prince William Sound to land on Hitchenbrook Island, and hunt for Alaskan brown bear. Return to the new life-style in the wild and wooly north after the discovery of oil, and the not-so-civilized changes to the Last Great Frontier of Alaska. As author David VanDyke says, "The Wild Side of Alaska will pull you in and keep you laughing, crying and gasping at the amazing true story of one of the last real American frontier women. You won't want to miss this down-to-earth tale of woman versus wilderness.
About the Author: In 2000, Donna closed her art gallery, sold her house and all earthly possessions. With only a backpack, she left the United States to become a certified ESL (English as a second language) teacher. From that day on she has been teaching, traveling, or writing. Previous to her departure from the U.S. she had been married for over thirty years. She is the proud mother of two lovely daughters and two grandchildren. Her occupations have covered everything from a hair-stylist, farmer, house-painter, artist, home-manager of the super rich, and a few other bizarre jobs. With all that and more, but nothing has been as fulfilling as teaching in foreign countries, and writing about her life. With the writing of Big Backpack--Little World under my author's belt I looked back at the amazing life I had led in Alaska and wanted to record it for my grandchildren. This is what led to the writing of The Wild Side of Alaska. I hope that the old-timers of Alaska feel I have depicted like back then as a true Alaskan, and for the new-comers or hopeful travelers to enjoy this small adventure back in time when Alaska was truly the Last Great Frontier.