Of Bears and Ballots, Heather Lende
Of Bears and Ballots, Heather Lende
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Of Bears and Ballots
An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics

Author: Heather Lende

Narrator: Karen White

Unabridged: 9 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/11/2020


Synopsis

The writer whom the Los Angeles Times calls “part Annie Dillard, part Anne Lamott,” now brings her quirky and compassionate take on holding local office. Following the 2016 election, writer Heather Lende was one of the thousands of women inspired to take a more active role in politics. Though her entire campaign for assembly member in Haines, Alaska, cost less than $1,000, she won!

But tiny, breathtakingly beautiful Haines—a place accessible from the nearest city, Juneau, only by boat or plane—isn’t the sleepy town that it appears to be: from a bitter debate about the expansion of the fishing boat harbor to the matter of how to stop bears from rifling through garbage on Main Street to the recall campaign that targeted three assembly members, including Lende, we witness the nitty-gritty of passing legislation, the lofty ideals of our republic, and how the polarizing national politics of our era play out in one small town.

With an entertaining cast of offbeat but relatable characters, Of Bears and Ballots is an inspirational tale about what living in a community really means, and what we owe one another.

About Heather Lende

Heather Lende has contributed essays and commentary to NPR, the New York Times, and National Geographic Traveler, among other newspapers and magazines, and is a former contributing editor at Woman's Day. A columnist for the Alaska Dispatch News, she is the obituary writer for the Chilkat Valley News in Haines and the recipient of the Suzan Nightingale McKay Best Columnist Award from the Alaska Press Club. She is the author of the bestselling books Find the Good, Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs, and If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name. Lende was voted Citizen of the Year, Haines Chamber of Commerce, in 2004.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nursebookie on July 01, 2020

Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics is an autobiography you are going to want to read. Heather Lende was so inspired to take on politics that she ran an entire campaign and won in less than $1,000 despite a stiff competition of 9 candidates for 3 open seats in Haines Bo......more

Goodreads review by Jim on February 27, 2024

Author Heather Lende seems like the kind of person who would make a wonderful neighbor, certainly a good person who contributes to her community. I enjoyed her very readable story of small-town life in Alaska and, in particular, her experience as an assembly member in her town. The town is Haines, a......more

Goodreads review by Therese on November 10, 2020

An insider’s view of small town, Alaskan politics.......more

Goodreads review by Sarah E. on May 15, 2020

I’m a huge Heather Lende fan! I was thrilled to get my hands on her most recent work. This book isn’t just about politics and Lende’s three year term on the local Borough Assembly. It’s about living in a small community and and the way Lende and all the residents in the remote Alaskan town are woven......more

Goodreads review by Kristi Lamont on August 22, 2020

How do I keep getting myself into memoir situations where I basically like the story but grow to increasingly dislike the author as a person? I have been a politics junkie since I was a teenager, and fascinated by small towns in Alaska since I first saw Northern Exposure some 25 years ago. So, the mo......more