Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs: Family, Friendship, and Faith in Small-Town Alaska

by Heather Lende

The Alaskan landscape—so vast, dramatic, and unbelievable—may be the reason the people in Haines, Alaska (population 2,400), so often discuss the meaning of life. Heather Lende thinks it helps make life mean more. Since her bestselling first book, If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name , a near-fatal bicycle accident has given Lende a few more reasons to consider matters both spiritual and temporal. Her idea of spirituality is rooted in community, and here she explores faith and forgiveness, loss and devotion—as well as raising totem poles, canning salmon, and other distinctly Alaskan adventures. Lende’s irrepressible spirit, her wry humor, and her commitment to living a life on the edge of the world resonate on every page. Like her own mother’s last wish— take good care of the garden and dogs —Lende’s writing, so honest and unadorned, deepens our understanding of what links all humanity.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Essays, Biography Memoir, Biography, Travel, Spirituality

287 pages, Hardcover

First published May 18, 2010

About the author

Heather Lende and her husband Chip have five adult children and nine grandchildren. Heather is a hospice, library and radio station volunteer and served on the Haines Borough Assembly. She is the 2021-2023 Alaska State Writer Laureate, a former contributing editor at Woman's Day and a former columnist for the Anchorage Daily News. Her essays and commentary have been widely distributed. She has written over 400 obituaries for the Chilkat Valley News in Haines, AK and is the author of Of Ballots and Bears (2020) Find the Good (2015), Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs (2010), and NY Times bestseller, If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name (2005), all from Algonquin Books. She is happy to Zoom with book clubs. Heather is also the recipient of a Middlebury College alumni award and the Alaska Governor's Award for the Arts & Humanities. She has an MFA from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Everything else you'd ever want to know about her is in her books or on her website.

Reviews

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to my March Women's History Month reviews. Last year I made a point to only read women authors in March, and I intend to this year as well. I have a diverse lineup planned and after a depressing February I am excited to jump into my favorite reading month of the year. In the retro chapter chicks group, we have a quarterly book swap. I suggested the book If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende to my partner. I was inspired to read Lende's second book Take Care of the Garden and Dogs that takes readers back to the town of Haines, Alaska.

It was April 7, 2005 and Lende was about to embark on a national tour promoting her first book. This book which first brought readers to Haines promoted the Alaska frontier as a wholesome place to raise a family. With the entire town being an extended family and moose and bears walking through town, Haines reminded me of the fictional town of Cecily depicted on the 1990s sitcom Northern Exposure. Yet, before leaving Haines, Lende awoke for her daily bike ride through town, and was run over by a truck. The book tour canceled, she was medevaced to Seattle where she had her pelvis mended and spent three agonizing weeks in a nursing home. It was there that Lende and her husband Chip learned the true meaning of kindness, and when she recovered from her accident, Lende took on the role of hospice volunteer as a way of giving back to the selfless people who helped her.

As a newspaper columnist and volunteer cross country coach, Lende is in contact with the entire Haines community. This community comes together in both good times and in bad in true Alaskan style complete with a potluck supper after each event. The town has its cast of characters, both native Tinglit people, third generation families, and newcomers like the Lendes who were drawn to the Alaskan wilderness. I was most captivated by the essays featuring Tinglit John Katzeet. He befriended Chip Lende through a mutual friend and introduced him to the native way of life, subsequently inviting him to join the tribe. At a tribal potlatch that demonstrates the balance of nature, non native people became adopted by the tribe. And this party could go on for hours and was not finished until attendees could go on the porch and view a shooting star. In another essay, Katzeet takes the Lendes bear hunting. While Chip is willing to hunt for the majority of his food, Heather can not bring herself to kill a majestic bear. Yet, Katzeet explains that killing one or two bears a year is part of the food chain and a necessity in Tinglit society that stresses nature and balance between all living things.

Besides the Tinglit people, which also included a totem pole ceremony, I enjoyed reading about Haines' quirky cast of characters. There is a Sri Lankan family, army veterans, ex hippies, and descendants of Alaskans who originally came north to work the gold rush. One of Lende's hospice patients Mimi, a nonagenarian, founded the Chillkat Valley Fine Arts Council and was responsible for the biannual summer theater that rivaled the best in the lower forty eight states. Lende joined the Council's board and directed Oklahoma when she had three children under the age of six and was expecting a fourth. Mimi had that type of charisma, and at her memorial service, choirs sang show tunes instead of hymns. Other Haines residents would go out of their way to make a neighbor's home wheelchair accessible, volunteer as an EMT, of become a public notary or clergy for a day. These people makeup the fabric of Haines and show the community as a healthy environment for raising children and for people of all walks of life.

With six months of real winter and the only way to travel to other communities being by ferry, I do not intend to move to Haines, Alaska in my lifetime. Yet, Heather Lende paints her adopted hometown as a vibrant town that shows a real community spirit. Lende's daughter Sarah got married at their home and the reception included a beach barbecue and volleyball game in what the author dubs as a true Haines wedding. When her mother was dying, she asked Lende to please take care of the garden and dogs. Even though her mother did not live in Haines, I am sure that any Haines resident would have been happy to complete this task.

4 bright stars

[Tina Haigler · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The first day of spring was not March 20, and it wasn't one day but a handful of early April days so bright that the residents of this little seaside Alaskan town crawled blinking out of our snow caves and welcomed it like sleepy bears."

Review to come :)

"The most beautiful music in the world, or at least in my world, is the music of what happens."

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the ascent of Sarah Palin on the national scene, Alaska has enjoyed a resurgence of interest, so the timing is perfect for Heather Lende's Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs. Lende writes for a small local newspaper in Haines, Alaksa, and handles the obituaries. She shares the stories of some of her neighbors, including a feisty 57-year-old whom she visited as a hospice volunteer. The woman had everything organized for her death- her will, insurance, sister's phone number- she even paid all her bills and packed up her belongings so that no one else would have to do it.

Lende's mother had a different view of death. Her mom had lived for twenty years with chronic lymphatic leukemia, but she never spoke of her impending death, even when her husband asked if she had anything she wanted to say to him or her children. All she said was "take good care of the garden and the dogs."

The year before her mother died, Lende was riding her bike when she was struck by a pickup truck. She was severely injured, and had to go to a nursing home in Seattle to rehabilitate. Her time there was eye-opening, and many people will recognize her experiences.

I liked how her faith came into play, and each chapter opens with a short verse, many of them from the Book of Common Prayer. Lende shares her faith, and her writings about trying to live her faith I found similar to Anne Lamott's book, Grace, Eventually, which I loved.

We also see how life in Alaska is unique. Lende skins and guts goats, eats bear tenderloin, grows much of what they eat, and keeps hens for eggs. She describes an elaborate adoption ceremony with the local Tlinglit tribe, filled with food, gifts and songs that is fascinating, as is her story of how the entire town helped to raise a huge totem pole carved by a local person.

She said that her goal is to "give readers a window into a specific time and place and by being so local and personal, tap into emotions they may have too." She succeeds in writing this lovely book.

[D. Thrush · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because my sister-in-law lives in Haines, Alaska, the small town that Heather Lende writes about in this and her first book. I’ve visited this town and life is certainly different. The winters are harsh and many of the things the rest of us take for granted are not so readily available. Like our choice of supermarkets or having a hospital close by. When the writer was literally run over by a truck, she had to be airlifted to a trauma hospital in Seattle. And here is the next coincidence I found in her book. My mother was operated on by the same excellent orthopedic surgeon in the same hospital. The writer recovers with the support of friends and neighbors. So life in a small town in Alaska has its inconveniences but the upside is that the community is a real community. They’re there for each other and neighborly because they’re all in the same small boat. She relates stories and anecdotes about incidents and accidents and histories of many of the colorful residents. It draws you in and everything is washed in a poetic cozy homespun glow. Life in this town harkens back to a more simple time, when people built their own houses and grew their own food and pulled together to help each other out. Many people hunt and fish and their houses are decorated with hides and stuffed heads and antlers. She describes hunting goats and bears. As a vegetarian, this is a part of the book I didn’t like. She also talked quite a bit about her involvement in church and her faith which I also didn’t relate to but that is who she is and I still found the book interesting and enjoyable and philosophical.~

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely follow-up to "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name." It seemed a little more personal (especially regarding her serious accident) and a little less structured around others' lives and deaths, but its essential nature was the same. There are a lot of exquisite moments, and I hope she writes more books.

[Beth Brekke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. The stories within this book were interesting enough to bring it to 3 stars but -- they were just stories. I personally would have liked to have had more details about the accident and recovery and her family relationships and less about everyone in the community. It seemed a bit "How many of my friends can I mention" and call it a book.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet memoir written by a woman that lives in Alaska and her small town and the people that live there! Just very pleasant!

[Barbara Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure why I liked this book less than "If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name." It might be because Lende referred over and over and OVER to her accident (which was a terrible one, being run over by a truck) while she talked about other people and their misfortunes. Not that she isn't entitled to talk about it, it being her book, but after a while I started thinking there had to be a way for her to write about empathy and sympathy without constantly bringing up her own woes.

Still, it made me want to live in her town and know her.

[Monica Tomasello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always had a bit of a "crush" on Alaska and the strong people who choose to call it home. I read and enjoyed Ms. Lende's first book several years ago and finally decided to read this book. I don't know why I waited so long because I loved it. I love her way of telling readers about life in a small town in Alaska, sharing the joys and the heartbreaks. In this one, I particularly appreciated her connections to her Episcopal faith as I, too, am an Episcopalian. Each chapter made me feel more like I was reading a daily blog of her life than a book. They were a collection of delectable morsels about family, friends and personal struggles that I could very much relate to.

[Lynn Matthes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. Beautifully written and thoughtful book that looks at life in this small Alaska town, weaving nature, faith, and native lore into the stories. I liked many of her insights, but felt like some of the stories went on a little long.

[Gracen Morrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this in a local bookstore in Alaska, so it was a special read! It took me almost a year to read, but I loved the imagery and storytelling of everyday life in Alaska!

[Dlmrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Jordan Fuja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t have a ton of thoughts about this book, it was just a pleasant. A nice slice of life of a life that is very different from mine. Powerful lessons of faith and friendship and perseverance. A little more religious than I’m used to, but it was still just pleasant.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I don't think I am meant to read memoirs. Once in a while one really resonates with me but the majority of the time I read knowing I am supposed to be gaining some kind of understanding of a universal truth but not quite grasping it within the stories. I think a good part of my difficulty with memoirs is that they often do not run in a linear fashion with the story moving in chronological order. This is certainly true of Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende.

This is Lende's second book with the first being If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska. Both books revolve around the citizens of Haines, Alaska and the impact that living there has on the author. Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs begins as Lende prepares to go on a book tour for her first book but is literally hit by a truck instead. Her months of recuperation, the illness and death of her mother, and writing obituaries for the town residents lead her to reflect on her community and her faith. The book is deeply spiritual without being preachy and Lende is able to add some humor to what might otherwise be a very somber story.

Lende moves fluidly throughout time tying together the past, the present, and even hopes for the future. One memory or story gives birth to the next as she tells the stories of those she knows and has known. While the book was interesting in parts, there was much that simply failed to capture my attention. I am not sure if it is because the wilderness setting of such a remote Alaskan town has no connection to my life or if it was because I was unable to relate to the various characters and events portrayed in the book. It is also very possible that I was simply not in the right frame of mind when I was reading it due to my own personal circumstances.

I think Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs will appeal and resonate with a great many people. I just don't happen to be one of them.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I didn't find Lende's second book as compelling as If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name, I did appreciate the almost meditative quality of this book and the thoughtfulness with which she covers many of the same topics here: community, friendship, the balancing of Alaskan cultures, family, death, home, work, marriage. In addition, this book weaves in the incredible story of her horrendous bicycle accident and prolonged, hard-earned recovery: physical, emotional, spiritual. I like that she doesn't segregate her history of personal trauma and struggle to just one chapter (as if such an event can be closeted off from the rest of life until things are "back to normal"), but instead reveals her struggle a few bits at a time when they fit in with other pictures of how people in the small, Inside-Passage town of Haines, AK, handle life, accept challenges, celebrate, grieve, work, and build community. The descriptions of her accident and recovery are never cloyingly presented; she does not share her story to solicit sympathy. In fact, her first mention of the accident is almost a passing comment, then the in-depth description of the accident itself is presented from a factual, almost detached perspective more like that of the professional journalist she is rather than like that of the individual who experienced the unbearable shock and pain of an accident that almost killed her and required years of challenging commitment and effort to rebuild muscles, strength, and confidence. Similarly, she threads her mother's death and her own grieving process across several different chapters, blending it with the stories, defeats, and triumphs of others in Haines. The chapter focusing on the raising of a newly carved totem pole beautifully illustrates the power of community while also providing insight into Alaskan history, cultures, and values.

[Pamela Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heather Lende is the author of the best selling Memoir “If You Lived Here I’d Know Your Name” which was about her life in the small town of Haines, Alaska. Right before her first book release, she was riding her bicycle and got hit by a truck. Very scary, and she came close to dying. Interestingly, death is something she is familiar with because she is the town’s obituary writer. The essays in this memoir are about her long recovery, and how it has had an effect on her faith, and her observations of life in her home town.

I like her writing style, its like talking to a friend; swapping stories, acknowledging those little “ah ha” moments, and it touches something deep inside—the human experience—the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next. Reading her words can slow down the rush of our busy lives and connect us to something bigger. Very enjoyable, with one icky story about hunting I could have done without, other than that I liked this book. For TV’s Gold Rush fans, her friend John Schnabel and Porcupine Creek are mentioned. 4 stars for this kindle version.

[~mad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and the author's previous book have been sitting on my shelf for God-knows-how long after I picked them up off a sale porch table of an independent iconic bookstore that closed in the last coupla years!

It's the ture story of "bad breaks and small miracles". The author has contributed to NPR, The New York Times and the Christian Science Monitor, among others.

She and her husband moved to small town Alaska in their 20's and raised their family there.

This particular book came about after she was bicycling one day in her town of Haines Alaska and was literally run over by a truck. She write obits for the local paper.

I used to live in Alaska on a "small town" Air Force Base and truly enjoyed traveling back with Heather Lende via this book.

I highly recommend!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, which was like curling up in front of the fire with a homemade quilt, warm cup of tea, and your dog at your feet. I loved the many variations of faith presented in personal stories of family and friends. This book made me want to return to my roots in the Pacific Northwest and live a healthier way of life. Highly recommended.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A devastating bicycle accident makes Heather even more introspective and appreciate of her life, family and friends.
I especially appreciated the moving tribute to my cousin Madeleine - one of Haines' most loved residents - who recently died of cancer.

[Corrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed

I liked the pace, the readability of this book. I like how the author connected the theme of daily life to the larger questions. I like how thoughtful the author is, which inspires me to be more thoughtful.

[Judy ZT · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it a lot more than I actually did.

[Shelly Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much. I agree with Erin(another reader). It's an excellent mix of wisdom compassion and common sense.

[Frosty61 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book of vignettes about Alaskan life, faith, friendships, traditions.

[Nancyliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me awhile to finish. My guess is that she doesn’t see herself this way, but she is pretty perfect. Which makes me feel imperfect. Which I am, biggly. At the very end of the book there is an interview with her and she declares that she is not religious. What? She writes about God all the time. Her God is one that many people share: the God who creates a breeze through the grasses and things like that. Did you see that sunset? That was me, your God. Cool, huh? I have a mighty problem with an all powerful creator who ignores the big stuff, allowing people to suffer, in great numbers all at once, and in households, one or two at a time, while showing off a hawk swooping through the treetops. A child suffers, but this song is a holy moment. I can’t sleep. It’s late, and I’m wide awake. I get that we are supposed to do something to fix our world, not sit around and wonder out loud why God isn’t fixing it. Heather Lende wonders the same thing: should she join the walk for peace or pray for peace. Either way, there is no peace. I should give the book four stars. She is a thoughtful writer. She has made a wonderful life for herself and her family. I’m pissed because Trump is ruining our country, and possibly the world. I don’t know what to do. I wish God would fix it. I would trade a lot of songs and sunsets. In fact, I might even give my life in exchange for world peace. Not peace because we are all under a thumb, but real peace, where we get that we have one planet to preserve, that is small and vulnerable, so we all take care of it and each other. The God that I imagine is shaking his head at our constant screwing up. No, he’s not going to fix it. He gave us, and continues to give us every opportunity to do things right. Brains, he gave us. Hearts. Minds. Souls. I can see that I will be up for hours.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pg. 10- I am broken too and I have some stuff on my mind so please be kind to me, which is a long way of saying that sharing grief does help.
15- pray with your feet— be a doer
16-the problem with linking action to fair is that it requires a sturdy body.
60- namaste means the divine in me greets the divine in you, or the Holy Spirit in me touches the Holy Spirit in you. She said that when we encounter people in our life and work, we should be on the alert for holy spirits trying to reveal themselves and that Christians should acknowledge the gifts of God that the other person brings to the meeting, whether they are friend or stranger, arriving or departing.
109- sooner than I want, I’ll have lots of time to write and not nearly as much to write about.
124- There is a kind of cold comfort in knowing that terrible thing a happen in each generation, in every tribe or clan, in every community or family, and that for thousands of years l, across time and terrain, human beings have survived them, and that most of us still wake up just about every morning with the hope that this day will be a good one.
154- Maybe that is why Jesus said loving one another is the most important thing we can do, and why we are still aspiring to follow that— because loving your neighbors makes them more lovable.
184- if you just say thank you that is a great speech. Sometimes thank you is the greatest speech you can make.
233- sharing experiences alone are not enough to make a community as Wayne had said about raising the totem pole you have to put your heart into them.
241- there are two kinds of people. Ones who have had something bad happen to them, and ones who will.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my tbr for a very long time and I believe the quote “the right book will find you for the right time.” Highly recommended.

Full of wonderful stories about the people and place of Haines, Alaska this is a book that will pull you right into community, family and inspire you to reach out into your own.

I loved the descriptions of life in Alaska and the small town atmosphere filled with people from all walks of life - some descended from the natives who settled thousands of years ago, some from the early pioneering days , and newcomers who are just settling in explore life in this beautiful state.

Heather Lende shares her story throughout and ties it wonderfully to her community and she sprinkles in how she walks through her life’s ups and downs with faith. I enjoyed the simple Bible and Book of Common Prayer intros to each chapter and her sprinkling of references to hymns that reminded me of how inspirational the right song at the right time can be.

Written as essays but tied together as a reflection of a period of time you will probably want to read it all through in a couple of sittings like I did , but it would also be enjoyed as a daily dose of goodness to brighten your day.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

Best to read in small doses. The first third is slower than the last two-thirds. Is that because I had to get used to the style? Meet the people she mentions? Or, most probably, I prefer when the focus is on Alaska itself (as opposed to religion and situations that can happen anywhere in the U.S.).

For example ...

p 129 good: cultural history
In the old days there were four main styles of totem poles: crest poles depicted the story of a family ancestry; history poles told the story of a clan or group of families; legend poles documented important cultural tales that shouldn't be forgotten; and memorial poles were carved when someone died, and often contained the ashes of their subject. ...

p 123, a disclaimer: important
I have enough understanding of Tlingit culture to know that this is where I must apologize in advance for any mistakes I may make interpreting it and for unintentionally offending anyone. ...

A little heavy on religion ... but this is her story, so it's appropriate.
p 293
I don't think I'm particularly religious, but I am faithful and I believe in God. All mu life I have attended church most Sundays. I say grace at dinner. And I pray, often.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lende presents a heartfelt, humorous take on serious topics, like how to live well, how to be present when dying, and how to grieve generously. At times - despite its isolation and inconveniences - I envied the close knit community of this small Alaska town. Technology may bring more people into constant contact, but it’s a superficial construct that seems to polarize and destroy communities rather than strengthen them. Our dependence on modern conveniences further distances us from getting to know our neighbors (when’s the last time you went next door to borrow a cup of sugar?), and be part of a real life, real time community. I appreciated the chance to see what Lende feels - that living and dying are far easier and more gratifying when surrounded by people who may be quite different but share a genuine love of others.

[Misty Farias · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was much better than her first book. The title of this book comes from the last thing her mother told her father before she died from cancer. That loss and the author's own near fatal bicycle accident tempered her writing a great deal. She has always been able to put beautiful, descriptive phrases together. I also liked the style of this book better, her last one hung together around different obituaries. The only drawback is she goes on and on about how good of shape she is in and how thin she is. (This is a common strain from her first book, which I consider super obnoxious). She did do a better job not being super snobby when discussing Tlingit native culture. (I figure she got a lot of blowback on this issue because she was much more muted).

[Cara Achterberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. I tried hard to portion it out and not let myself gobble it all up too quickly, but in the end, it proved irresistible. Maybe because of what's happening in the world right now with the pandemic and the police brutality and the racist moment of truth, I needed Heather's voice and clarity and perspective. I loved every word. She has quickly become my favorite author and when I finished this book, I immediately ordered her next book, and then opened up Kingsolver and L'Engle because they were the only voices that could follow this one.