My One Square Inch of Alaska: A Novel

My One Square Inch of Alaska, which I got from the Early Reviewers program, was not really what I expected. The book description said it is about a teenage girl who takes her sick young brother on a road trip to Alaska. This is true. The year is 1953 and Donna Lane is a seventeen year old who lives

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with her alcoholic father and younger brother, whom she has practically raised. She works two jobs after school, saving her money to escape their Ohio town when she graduates high school. Her brother, Will, is a ten year old obsessed with the TV show Sergeant Striker and the Alaskan Wild. As the book begins, Will is earnestly saving cereal boxtops because of a joint promotion between the cereal company & TV show that guarantees him the deed to one square inch of Alaska if he mails in ten boxtops. He finally gets his land and dreams of seeing it one day. When Donna learns that Will is seriously ill, she takes her savings and the two of them run off to make sure Will gets his dream. The problem is, the book is more than 3/4 over before they even get started. The plot is very straightforward and the language simple, giving the impression that this is a novel written for young adults rather than adult fiction. The plot is fairly engaging, however, and moves along quickly. The best part of the book is when they actually get to Alaska. Their experiences and relationship there are interesting and moving.

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Spoilers in this Review - please skip if you don't want any plot points revealed.

I don't think I would have signed up to be an Early Reader for this book if I had read the synopsis more carefully. As a mother of young children - I steer clear of books that are about sick kids, dying kids, kids

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killed in accidents etc.

I enjoyed this book despite the fact that one of the major plot points involves a child who has terminal leukimia.

I enjoyed the time period the book was set in (the '50s) and I thought the author did a nice job of creating atmosphere that felt true to the period. The events in the plot seemed pretty fresh and offered some complications that elevated this novel a notch.

It wasn't a cheerful read - but it was engaging.

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Beautifully written albeit bittersweet story of the love and devotion between a teenage girl and her adolescent brother. In the small town of Groverton, Ohio in September of 1953, Donna and Will Lane live their ordinary lives around an alcoholic father and a domineering grandmother. Will is

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captivated by the television debut of "Sergeant Striker and the Alaskan Wild" and the cereal promotion to obtain a deed to one square inch of Alaska. Donna is desperate to run away from her mundane existence and head to New York to persue her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. As life happens, Will becomes ill and the siblings leave town along with an abused dog to travel to Alaska. The story embarks upon an emotional and physical journey to fulfill a child's dream. A lovely story infused with grace.

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love a book that grabs you from the first page to the end and that is what My Own Square Inch of Alaska did. The book is full of colorful characters that seem so real . It is a touching coming of age book that that deals with love and struggles, death and dying,dreams, false hopes and a good dog.It

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will make you cry and warm your heart. Thank you Ms Short for a good read in deed.I

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This wasn't what I expected. I was expecting--as the book promises on the back--a moving tale of exploration and love-human and canine--that dares to believe the impossible.

I felt the dog wasn't really in it often enough to warrant that. What I got was a moving tale of exploration and love between

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a brother and sister, a story that moved me to tears, even though the dog was in it very little.

It's the 1950s and Donna has raised her younger brother Will. She's been forced to be a mother way too soon. She lives in a small town, a judgmental type of place, where nobody minds their business and the slightest thing out of the norm is scandalous and this gets her in trouble.

There's a grandmother who doesn't love her and is just so evil I wanted to jump in the book and murder her. There's an alcoholic father, a spineless boyfriend, an interesting art teacher, a kind lady who just happens to be on the wrong side of the tracks...and it's interesting to see just WHO ends up helping Donna and Will. This book is a good example of how it don't matter where you come from.

There's so much going on within these pages, I can't write a proper summary. Needless to say, Donna has had to take on way more responsibility than she should and it's hard to remember at times, she's just a high school kid. She doesn't make the smartest choices, but she grants her brother's wish. Stupid? Yep. Irresponsible? Yep. But I found myself rooting for her all the same.

And the stealer of the show...is a little boy, wise beyond his years, smart. He knows how to appreciate the simpler things in life. We could all learn from him. As I read the last chapter, I actually cried. It's not that often I read a book that can evoke so much emotion in me. And I think Donna is just so brave, a strong heroine, a woman who even though it's "silly" she does what she has to do for her brother. She gives him what he needs. And that's brave.

Beautiful story. Five stars. I received an ARC of this via LibraryThing.

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Although this is a very readable book with a story to tell I found myself thinking that it was a little like building with blocks and up and up goes the tower but the base is fairly weak. The author is great with descriptions and the plot moves right along, event by event---except that it gets

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somewhat far-fetched which is fine -- it's only a novel.

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I simply enjoyed this read. I have a young adult girl that I give all these type of books to and she said she sat and read it in one day. A tale of brother and sister, and you can't forget the dog. Perfect set up for a perfect book.

I was expecting a 1950’s coming of age story and I got that but I also got so much more with this great story. Donna a high school senior and her little brother Will live in Ohio their mother is dead and their father has taken up drinking and isolates himself from his children and the world.

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Donna takes care of everything around the house including cooking and taking care of Will plus going to school, working at her grandmothers diner and doing alterations at a dress shop where she dreams of getting out of Ohio and becoming a seamstress or a designer. Will is trying to win a cereal/TV Show contest eating as much cereal as he can to send in his box tops to win his very own one square inch of Alaska, but Donna starts noticing that Will’s health is deteriorating and so begins their amazing journey.

This book was so much more than I expected it to be, it is about grief and friendship, family, dreams and first loves and this all comes together to become a great story. It is hard to review this book because there is so much going on in Donna’s life and I don’t want to give anything away to harm your enjoyment of how the story unfolds. You will fall in love with Will, with his kind heart and naiveté and his outlook on life even through the difficulties. My other favorite character is MayJune who brings this light and calm to both Donna & Will. There is also the story of Will and the junkyard dog he rescues which is a great story on its own. Least favorite characters would have to be their simpering father, the never happy grandmother and Hank (who I wish we could have found out finally got his in the end!).

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in 2 days it will grab at your heart and make you feel for the characters. This book has a similar feel to books like Saving CeeCee Honeycutt or The Homecoming of Samuel Lake it is very well written and I will be looking for other books this author has written.

I would highly recommend this book to young adult and adults alike and could also see it becoming a bookclub book because it will have some interesting discussions with a myriad of topics this book evokes.

4 ½ Stars

Full Disclosure I received this book from the Librarything Early Reviewer Program and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

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A heartwarming story about the bond between a brother and sister. A simple tale about the usual dysfunctional family saga but in this case the 17 year old sister who cares for her 10 year old brother have a solid, loving and supportive relationship that is to be admired. The story is told in the

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first person of the sister who is determined that her little brother, who has become terminally ill, will achieve the one life long thing he has always wanted: owning one square inch of Alaska. How Donna accomplishes this quest through various family squabbles and hurdles is both endearing and heartwarming. It is a fast read - a small book with a powerful message of family.

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Heartwarming and engaging novel set in small town America in the 1950s. Well executed plot, nicely developed characters. The tone of the book is simple and spare. A great story of a young woman who wants to break free but knows that family love and responsibility is much more important.

I'm not quite sure where I read a review of this book but it intrigued me enough to want to read it. I wasn't blown over by it but I did enjoy the story. I also liked the time setting, the early 1950s, because I wasn't born until 1953 and don't have any memories of that time.

Donna Lane, a high

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school senior, has been looking after her little brother Will almost as long as she can remember. Their mother died when Will was just a baby and their father fell to pieces. He drinks a lot and hardly seems to realize he has children. Donna found her mother's dresses in suitcases in the basement and has been making them over for herself. She's a very talented seamstress and her plan is to finish high school and go to New York to work. Will is a fan of a radio and TV series set in Alaska. When a cereal company promised a deed to a square inch of Alaska if kids sent in 10 box tops, Will set his heart on getting that deed. Will also wants to go to Alaska when he gets his deed and he wants to take Trusty, a guard dog in a junkyard who is being abused.

How Will and Donna get to Alaska is only part of the story. It's also about first love and determination and making choices. I thought the love story between Donna and the paper mill owner's son was a little heavy handed. It's a little hard to believe that dating a boy could make such a difference in how people treated Donna. However, maybe things were more clear cut in the 1950s.

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Wonderful,well-told story about Donna and her young brother, Will, and their journey to find their "One Square Inch of Alaska.". Great characters, great small town setting, and interesting peripheral characters make this story an easy and compelling read. I finished it it a day as I could not stop

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reading.

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With shoe-horned sweetness and Americana, My One Square Inch of Alaska is hindered by unfocused plotting.