Devyn's Reviews > The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic
The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic
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Wow! What a intense tale of survival and sacrifice from the the icy edge of Alaska. This is the first time I've heard of Nome, the tiny Alaskan town only 55 miles from Russia, and the terrifying outbreak of diphtheria in 1925 during the dead of winter.
I am shocked speechless after reading about the conditions the brave dogs and men willingly went into to deliver the desperately needed serum. As someone who lives comfortably in the south, I can't imagine anyone surviving those winter conditions while living in a house, nonetheless going out into it in a dogsled. Heroic and dangerously near suicidal. Those men had a huge dosage of luck left in them.
The only thing I didn't like was when I learned that the dog team belonging to Kaasen that ran the last 53 miles with the serum to Nome was sold to a shady sideshow in California after the pomp and pony show was through. For ten cents a person, you could go into a disgusting, gloomy tent and view those heroic dogs now brought low and starving because of greed.
Despite the six remaining dogs finally being put in a better home, it forever marred my opinion of Kassen. My resentment has moved on to outright hate. Who sells their loyal, lifesaving dogs to a #%# sideshow?!
Anyway, great book. I enjoyed reading it and have added Nome to my travel bucket list. I plan on someday viewing Russia on a clear, crisp day from across the water with my feet planted firmly on American soil.
I am shocked speechless after reading about the conditions the brave dogs and men willingly went into to deliver the desperately needed serum. As someone who lives comfortably in the south, I can't imagine anyone surviving those winter conditions while living in a house, nonetheless going out into it in a dogsled. Heroic and dangerously near suicidal. Those men had a huge dosage of luck left in them.
The only thing I didn't like was when I learned that the dog team belonging to Kaasen that ran the last 53 miles with the serum to Nome was sold to a shady sideshow in California after the pomp and pony show was through. For ten cents a person, you could go into a disgusting, gloomy tent and view those heroic dogs now brought low and starving because of greed.
Despite the six remaining dogs finally being put in a better home, it forever marred my opinion of Kassen. My resentment has moved on to outright hate. Who sells their loyal, lifesaving dogs to a #%# sideshow?!
Anyway, great book. I enjoyed reading it and have added Nome to my travel bucket list. I plan on someday viewing Russia on a clear, crisp day from across the water with my feet planted firmly on American soil.
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![Devyn](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1434249768p1/10346961.jpg)
Thanks for replying Nora! I knew he wasn't technically the owner. I assumed with all the fame he was garnishing he would have had more sway with the company and was involved in the decision to sell the dogs.
And if he was unhappy with this idea, all he had to do was talk to a reporter and the newspapers would have gone crazy over Bolto being sold without Kassen's blessing. I admit my anger is based heavily on that assumption.
Maybe he never considered doing that, or maybe if he did he would have lost his job. Who knows?
Anyway, just my thoughts on it.
![Kasualkat](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2017/...