A Cautionary Tale for Any Culture

We've all heard these stories of how elders were left behind to fend for themselves (translation: die) when times were hard for Native American peoples back in the day. Are things really any different now? When oldsters can no longer gainfully contribute, they often get shuttled off to the "home". This book relates the traditional lore of such an abandonment in the harsh Yukon River Valley. When two old women are left behind at the cusp of winter, they have some serious choices to make. Do they surrender to the elements and die? Or do they fight and use the skills they honed as young women to change their fate? And what happened to the people who left them behind? There's a lot packed into this little book. It's a great, quick read, with layered lessons for all of us.