Homestead Kid

by Cherie Curtis

Filled with humer, action and traditional family fun, HOMESTEAD KID is the true heartwarming story of a young girl named Cherie. She grows up on a Homestead north of Fairbanks in the heart of Alaska's vast frontier. This book protrays the numerous pioneering hardship of survival in the midst of Alaskan extremes. Her family learns to adapt to "bush" surroundings in spite of coming from the city. Her stories will move you back in time as she freshly describes the accounts of Homestead life during the Tran-Alaska Pipeline days! From "Cheechako" to "Sourdough," the Carlson family from Minnesota learns to build log structures; clean outhouses; nurture gardens; and fight the cold, fires, mosquitoes, and wild animals! Through it all, the Carlson family grows in number from seven children to nine (of which five are adopted) and learns to love their home(stead) and Alaska.

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Freesiab BookishReview · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book! If you love pioneering stories this might be for you. It’s a memoir of a family that moves to Alaska in the 70s and homesteads. I doubly enjoyed it because my family moved to Alaska in the 70s as well. It captured many memories I have and some incredible ones I wished I had. I think the book could have been a bit broader, but her detail was wonderful.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is AMAZING!!! I read it close to 10 years ago, then wanted to reread it but couldn't remember the title. 5 minutes with some very helpful Maine librarians and I had the title, author, and had placed an order via Thriftbooks.com! When my book arrived I opened it and to my delight it was signed by the author's mother and father!!! WAHOO!!!
This is the account of a families move from military to the lower 48, and then the following of their dreams to Alaska! Soooo much happens, not only on the way, but also after they arrive. They eventually find land, build a cabin by hand, and begin the greatest adventure of their lives! Their family grows and each addition is tucked away into the whole.
There is so much to learn, both from their joys and their sorrows, that you feel as if you are traveling right alongside them all. :-) A delightful read from start to finish!

[Joanne Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to the last Alaska adventure story I read (Arctic Daughter), this one was a comedic romp. A couple of thirty-something hippies head off to Alaska in a refitted school bus with a passel of kids (7?) and they keep having babies as they attempt homesteading in the wilderness. All sorts of fun ensues with outhouses, chimney fires, diapers and other laundry, homeschooling and more. A good read for a 12-year-old.

[Lanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't realize this was probably written as a children's book. The big font should have given it away! Way too many grammar errors that irritated me.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 1970's, Cherie Curtis' parents decided to move to Alaska with their seven children. This book details Cherie's memories of that adventurous time. Until her dad got a job on the Alaska Pipeline, they lived on a shoestring. Food came from their garden and the chicken & goats that they raised. Pipeline truck drivers on the Elliott Highway heard about "that family with all the kids" living near Milepost 49 1/2 and would leave extra food for them at the top of their driveway. I'm pretty sure it's self-published as there are numerous punctuation and grammatical errors (as well as lots of photos and drawings of her Alaskan home and her family) but Cherie tells her story with humor and honesty.