Haines, Alaska

I can't believe I never posted any of my pictures of Haines, a quiet port which doesn't have as much cruise traffic and therefore feels much less commercial.

We took the cheap bus loop around town.  When we went, it was only a dollar per person for an all-day pass, and the "pass" was simply the bus driver remembering you and letting you back on later in the day.  We walked around, shopped in a few local shops, checked out the library (yes, I do library tourism), wandered around Fort Seward, and watched a man working on a Totem pole in the Alaska Indian Arts Center.  Then I took an easy hike out to Battery Point, through the outskirts of town, then woods, then beach, where I found what looked very much like live giant trilobites in the tide pools.  A very nice day.

Fort Seward in Haines

Just a short distance from the cruise ship dock in Haines

From the hike to Battery Point, just out of Haines

Fun boardwalks on the trail to Battery Point

 

If you want to know more about how to see Alaska for yourself, 

check out my books on Amazon:
Cruising Alaska on a Budget
Hiking Alaska from Cruise Ports

Yearly Anthologies

If you like short stories, check out my post on Writers on the Move about yearly anthologies.
For writers, it's a good way to study the market and the craft.
For readers, it's just a good reading.

https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/01/using-anthologies-to-study-market.html

Overpass Art in Quebec City

Quebec City really knows how to paint their overpass support pillars!

These really livened up the walk between the bus/train station and our hostel.

Poutine in Quebec City

Delicious poutine at Chez Ashton in Quebec City.  I admit, I thought the combination of French fries, cheese curd, and brown gravy sounded funny, but it was really good.  Good job, people of Quebec. 

Chez Ashton's French fries were so good, however, that I might rather just have them alone...since the gravy undid some of fantastic crispiness of the fries. 

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Heart-breaking premise—even worse for being true.  I'd never heard of Georgia Tann and her kidnapping adoption agency before, and I just can't believe it went on for so long with so many people approving or turning a blind eye.  Sick. 

So this horrible history makes for an equally heartbreaking novel.

The writing was very good and emotive, the characters interesting.  It absolutely held my interest, though some of the political stuff did go on a little long, as did some other sections in the modern narrative.  The historical narrative was engrossing. 

I'm not an expert on the dialects the author portrayed, but they seemed spot on without being distracting.  That's not an easy feat

I appreciated that the ending wasn't completely happy, yet managed to bring some closure. 

I wished the obligatory romance had been skipped here, since I firmly believe some books are stronger without forcing a romantic love story into them.  This is one of those books.  It's about familial love.  Why can't it just be that?  However, this is my very subjective opinion.

I would recommend this book, though fair warning:  it's not a happy read.

I'm interested to explore more of Lisa Wingate's novels.