The Call of the Wild
Two in the Far North

Early Warming

In Shishmaref, Alaska, new seawalls are constructed while residents navigate the many practical and bureaucratic obstacles to moving their entire island village to higher ground. Farther south, inland hunters and fishermen set out to grow more of their own food–and to support the reintroduction of wood bison, an ancient species well suited to expected habitat changes. First Nations people in Canada team with conservationists to protect land for both local use and environmental resilience.

In Early Warming, Alaskan Writer Laureate, Nancy Lord, takes a cutting-edge look at how communities in the North–where global warming is amplified and climate-change effects are most immediate–are responding with desperation and creativity. This beautifully written and measured narrative takes us deep into regions where the indigenous people who face life-threatening change also demonstrate impressive conservation ethics and adaptive capacities. Underpinned by a long acquaintance with the North and backed with scientific and political sophistication, Lord’s vivid account brings the challenges ahead for us all into ice-water clarity.

More Adult, Non-Juvenile Books

  • Kate Shugak will go to the ends of the earth to solve one Alaskan family's epic mystery in this breathtaking novel from New York Times bestselling author Dana Stabenow.
  • To Free the Captives by Tracy K Smith
    In To Free the Captives, Tracy K. Smith offers a poignant manifesto that explores memory, family, and history while navigating the complexities of Black life in America. Through a deeply personal lens, she reflects on her family's past and the enduring strength of her ancestors, urging readers to confront the nation's oldest wounds and consider their collective responsibilities. Smith's lyrical narrative serves as a hopeful call for understanding and connection in a divided world.
  • A Northern classic and beloved favorite, Two in the Far North chronicles the incredible story of Margaret "Mardy" Murie, called the Grandmother of the Conservation Movement, and how she became one of the first women to embrace and champion wilderness conservation in America.
  • Velma Wallis’s award-winning, bestselling tale about two elderly Native American women who must fend for themselves during a harsh Alaskan winter