Penny in My Shoe: Vagabond Girl in Frontier Alaska 1945-1947

by Lone Janson, Anne Darrow (Editor)

Armed with little but her experience as a waitress, a willingness to work, and a dream of becoming a writer, this daring cheechako landed in Skagway on September 1, 1945, to begin her adventure. In the next two years, Lone experienced the opening of the Alean Highway, met such Alaskan characters as the famous "Ma" Pullen of Skagway, was fired by the First Lady of Alaska, worked on the White Pass And Yukon Railroad, hitchhiked the Richardson Highway when it was only a dirt road, flew with bush pilot "Mudhole" Smith, traveled the old wagon trail over Thompson Pass, and encountered the early years of commercial fishing in Alaska. From Skagway to Whitehorse, Fairbanks to Nome, Valdez to Cordova. Lone experienced Alaska when it was still a small community. In the next 60 years, Lone realized her dream of becoming a writer, publishing uncounted magazine articles, newspaper stories and columns, news features, Native news, and two books. She had dedicated her writing life to writing Alaska's rich history in aviation, railroads, commercial fishing, and Native issues. Now finally, here is her own story of coming to Alaska.

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2006

Reviews

[Elstirling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story of a very adventurous 17 year old in Alaska.