Sleeping Lady

Gazing across Cook Inlet from Anchorage, Alaska, people have imagined that the sprawling peak across the inlet is a slumbering woman. Out of this idyllic landscape, has come a tale about a time of peace and the consequences of war. Evocative paintings and this retold tale capture the village life of the giant people, a prehistoric, peace-loving group and the drama that ensues when they must face a band of menacing warriors. The tale centers on the fate of the story's two betrothed lovers, Nekatla and Susitna, whose encounters with war bring a lasting change to the land and their people. The story is both a mythical explanation for natural phenomena and a tale about a time when people lived in harmony with nature and each other. Ann Dixon is the author of numerous books including "Alone Across the Arctic, Big-Enough Anna," "Blueberry Shoe," and "When Posey Peeked at Christmas." She is a librarian and lives in Homer, Alaska. Elizabeth Johns is a painter and has illustrated several books including "The Sleeping Lady" and "Sunflower Sal." She is a former resident of the Pacific Northwest and now lives in Bristol, Tennessee.