Cindy is writing an inspiring memoir about her childhood in Alaska and growing up off-grid in the wilderness.
Cindy tells the story of her childhood in Alaska, beginning with filing a homestead claim in 1959. She recounts the difficulties her family faced creating a home on the mountain and the joys of a life close to nature.
Her father struggled to balance his career with the Army Corps of Engineers while also clearing land, bulldozing roads, and building a house. Her mother fought to recreate the life she remembered from her childhood near Boston, but without electricity, running water, or plumbing.
The author includes excerpts from her mother’s journals, giving a first-hand account of the homesteading experience.
The family makes it through the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964 and the tumultuous years of the sixties as the children grow up.
Unprepared for the demands of homesteading and raising six children, her mother’s mental health deteriorated. The siblings manage to grow up in spite of her—finding inspiration from each other, books, and the land.
Cindy’s memoir is a hopeful book that celebrates resiliency and self-reliance while exploring how childhood experiences shape our lives.