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Life and Basketball in Arctic Alaska

Eagle Blue by Michael D'orso Who must have this book: Anyone who is interested in Alaska Bush Basketball. Who should have this book: Anyone interested in High School sports. ISBN: 1582346232

My first introduction with Alaskan Native basketball came from an excerpt from Nick Jans published in Tales from the Edge. I was amazed by this surprising phenomenon that has spread throughout the bush communities of the state. Then, just as I was finishing Velma Wallis’ Raising Ourselves about life in Fort Yukon, I heard there was a book about the Fort Yukon basketball team about to be released. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and I was not disappointed when I did.

This book picked up right where Velma Wallis left off with life in Fort Yukon in Raising Ourselves. Michael D’orso does a great job of painting the interweaving lives of the young players, their community, and the world. This is more than just a book about a high school basketball team trying to win their state’s championship. This is a book about a culture that is trying to merge its heritage with a challenging present and future, and thrown into this mix is basketball.

This is a gripping book. Just don’t do what I did and flip to the end of the book and read their record. Although, even knowing the outcome of games, D’Orso still had me at the edge of my seat when reading his accounts of the games. This is far more than a sports thriller, it is a piece of history and culture. Everyone should read this book.

Overview

This book quickly introduces the main characters and setting for the Fort Yukon basketball team, then takes you through the season from the first practice to the last shot on the season. Each of their 28 games is covered in a way that makes them interesting. (If you told me that I would care at all about the retelling of high school basketball games, I would have thought you were crazy, but I did.)

It is amazing how you find yourself in the stands cheering this gritty team on through the book.

After reading this book, I know I will be in the stands for the next 1A state basketball tournament.

Author

Michael D’Orso has written several other books including Plundering Paradise, Rosewood: Like Judgement Day, Like No Other Time, and Walking with the Wind. Apparently this is his only book based in Alaska.