Just In Time for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

March 4, 2013 - PRLog -- AN ECHO THROUGH THE SNOW By Andrea Thalasinos

“Thalasinos paints a vivid picture of stark Wisconsin and Alaskan winterscapes, and in doing so draws surprising parallels between the two. The poetry of the landscapes, the interwoven stories, and the rich emotional connection between Rosalie and her Huskies make the novel a historic, inspiring and uplifting race to the finish.” —Modern Dog Magazine

“«Thrown together by delicately woven chance, an aimless young woman and a neglected Siberian husky discover the bonds of human-canine connection and the power the past exerts on the present in this powerful debut…. stark, gorgeous prose and a timeless story of love realized, lessons learned, and paths taken.”  —Booklist (Starred Review)

“Alternating between the past and the present, Thalasinos’s work informs the reader on the techniques of dogsled racing and the ways of Siberian natives, but it is the human elements that drive her story. In addition to dog lovers, this book should appeal to readers who are interested in history’s darker corners and in tales of the human spirit dealing with love and loss.” —Library Journal

“Thalasinos’ evocations of Siberian and Wisconsin seascapes and landscapes are deft and richly embroidered…beautifully drawn and emotionally resonant.”

—Kirkus Reviews

In today's climate of hopelessness and despair, Madison College professor Andrea Thalasinos’s (AN ECHO THROUGH THE SNOW (A Forge Trade Paperback; On Sale: January 29, 2013) is a story of relationships between unlikely people that compel them to persevere with the belief that a better world is possible. Far eastern Siberia and the Red Cliff Indian Reservation on Lake Superior in Wisconsin become center stage when the forces of personal and cultural destruction entice the characters into surrender and desperation.

In 1919 when young Jeaantaa's betrothed dies in a hunt on the Bering Sea, she is pressured into an unwanted marriage to Tariem, his older brother. Ten years later as Stalin's Red Army advances to their village on the Bering seacoast, Jeaantaa is forced to make a decision about their dogs, called guardians. Her actions put her at odds with both her husband and the ancient ways of the Chukchi. Thwarting their family's plan to escape into reindeer country, she vanishes after a meeting with Robert Ramsay, a young man from Nome, Alaska. Her disappearance leaves Tariem haunted for a lifetime as to her fate and the whereabouts of dozens of their young dogs.

In 1992, eighteen-year-old Rosalie McKenzie is at odds with the world. Stuck in a destructive marriage along with a string of dead-end jobs, she breaks ranks to save Smokey, an abused husky, at great consequence to her own well-being. As Rosalie gains a passion for this elegant animal, she unwittingly ventures along a path of self-discovery. Hired as a dog handler by Jan and Dave, who own a local sled dog racing kennel, she finds herself center stage in the world of competitive dog sledding.

At a competition she meets Charlie Gokee, a veterinarian and retired Alaskan dog musher who sees in Rosalie all the spirit, strength and potential she fails to recognize in herself. Rosalie shines as she comes into her own. And it's through a series of mysterious events or remembrances that Rosalie embodies the spirit of Jeaantaa as a contemporary Keeper of the Guardians. Through Charlie, she meets legendary musher Robert Ramsay who opens doors to the many puzzling dreams and intuitions that served as the initial impetus for saving Smokey.

Readers of AN ECHO THROUGH THE SNOW are treated to vivid locations and highly charged emotional themes that reveal little known historical and political events spanning sixty years. As the narratives weave together they meet towards the end in a dramatic present time conclusion where an ancient breed of canines, huskies that have thrived in the homes and hearts of northern peoples, help to guide the way home.  

 ANDREA THALASINOS, Ph.D., is a professor of sociology at Madison College. Her respect for huskies grew while she was running her own sled team of six dogs. She helped found a dog rescue group in the upper Midwest for displaced northern breeds. Andrea lives and writes in Madison, Wisconsin. AN ECHO THROUGH THE SNOW is her first novel.

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