Camille's Reviews > The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic

Cleo recommended this one to me. It's non-fiction, but parts of it read like a novel. Others read as a textbook.

The actual story about the diphtheria outbreak makes up only a small portion of the book. I really wanted to hear more about it, but I realize that everyone was busy staying alive, not documenting the potential disaster. The bulk of the book focuses on the local people, traditions, early Alaska, and dog sledding. I'll admit that I got a little bogged down with some of the side stories. I found the information about the early settlements and gold rushes and Eskimo populations very interesting. Some of the other detours became a bit tedious - aviation in Alaska, dog breeding, red tape etc.

I learned a lot from this book. I'd never really thought much about the settlement of Alaska, Eskimos, dog sledding or diphtheria. I am very thankful that I don't live in Nome. I'm glad that my family members have all had their DPT shots. And it was refreshing to read about so many people and faithful dogs willing to sacrifice everything to save their fellow countrymen.