A Klondike Christmas: Celebrating the Season in a Northern Frontier

Beverly Rasporich is an associate professor in the Faculty of General
Studies at the University of Calgary and the author of Dance of the
Sexes: Art and Gender in the Fiction of Alice Munro.

This pleasant collection of poems, stories, letters, and newspaper
articles recalling Christmas celebrations in the Klondike includes such
classic northern pieces as Jack London’s “Klondike Christmas” and
Robert Service’s “The Cremation of Sam McGee.” Among the
collection’s themes are the brotherhood of man, the generosity of the
poor, and the beauty of the North. . The importance of food in a frozen
landscape is accented by wonderful descriptions of unique Christmas
dinners and northern recipes (e.g., for beaver tails and beans, or
stuffed moose heart) are scattered throughout the text. The gold rush is
chronicled through some incredible stories of hope and survival.

Those who have experienced northern climates, together with armchair
adventurers, will cherish this beautifully illustrated book.