From the Publisher
In 1926, Lillian Alling, a European immigrant, set out on a journey
home from New York. She had little money and no transportation, but
plenty of determination. In the three years that followed, Alling
walked all the way to Dawson City, Yukon, crossing the North
American continent on foot. She walked across the Canadian
landscape, weathering the baking sun and freezing winter, crossed
the rugged Rocky Mountains and hiked the untested wilderness of
British Columbia and the Yukon. Finally, on a make-shift raft, she
sailed alone down the Yukon River from Dawson City all the way to
the Bering Sea.
Lillian Alling is a legend. She has been the subject of novels,
plays, epic poems, an opera and more tall tales than can be
remembered. Her life has been subjected to speculation, fiction and
exaggeration. But as legendary as she may be, the true story of
Lillian Alling has never been told. "The Mystery Woman," as she
came to be known, is as intriguing to us now as she was to those
she met on her trek. Lillian''s name lives on in the folk tales of
British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska, but her life leading up to
her journey and what waited for her at home in Eastern Europe still
remains a shadowy mystery.
Lillian Alling: The Journey Home is a collection of
personal documents, first-hand recollections, family tales and
archival research that provide tantalizing new clues to Lillian''s
story. Smith-Josephy places Lillian firmly in the context of
history and among the cast of unique and colourful characters she
met along her journey.
About the Author
Susan Smith-Josephy is a writer, researcher and genealogist. She
trained as a journalist at Langara College and has worked for a
number of small-town newspapers in BC. She has a degree in history
from SFU, and is passionate about BC history. She lives in Quesnel,
British Columbia. Lillian Alling: The Journey Home is her
first book.
About the Book
In 1926, Lillian Alling, a European immigrant, set out on a journey home from New York. She had little money and no transportation, but plenty of determination. In the three years that followed, Alling walked all the way to Dawson City, Yukon, crossing the North American continent on foot. Finally, on a make-shift raft, she sailed alone down the Yukon River from Dawson City all the way to the Bering Sea. Lillian Alling has been the subject of novels, plays, epic poems, an opera and more tall tales than can be remembered, but as legendary as she may be, the true story of Lillian Alling has never been told. Lillian Alling: The Journey Home is a collection of personal documents, first-hand recollections, family tales and archival research that provide tantalizing new clues to Lillians story. Smith-Josephy places Lillian firmly in the context of history and among the cast of unique and colourful characters she met along her journey.
