Smell of Other People's Houses

​In Alaska, 1970, being a teenager here isn't like being a teenager anywhere else. This deeply moving and authentic debut is for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, and Benjamin Alire Saenz. Intertwining stories of love, tragedy, wild luck, and salvation on the edge of America's Last Frontier introduce a writer of rare talent. Ruth has a secret that she can't hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she's always known on her family's fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it's safer to run away than to stay home until one of them ends up in terrible danger. Four very different lives are about to become entangled. This unforgettable book is about people who try to save each other and how sometimes, when they least expect it, they succeed. Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock was born and raised in Alaska. She worked many years fishing commercially with her family and as a reporter for Alaska Public Radio stations around the state. She was also the host and producer of Independent Native News, a daily newscast produced in Fairbanks, focusing on Alaska Natives, American Indians, and Canada s First Nations. Her writing is inspired by her family s four generations in Alaska.