Vivian Faith Prescott

“A gift of salmon heads shows you you’re loved.”

We follow the author through the seasons as she harvests berries and picks medicinal plants in Southeast Alaska. She shares numerous recipes using the produce of her area, and we learn things like how to recognize, catch, prepare, and eat rainbow smelt. We are exposed to the Tlingit way of life which includes passing traditional knowledge to younger generations, helping the elders, and sharing with the community. There is value is this book for its non-tech knowledge & way of life. They show respect for the land & responsible use of natural resources with an ability to read nature’s signs to signal when and what to harvest. I found it interesting to learn how such knowledge matters for people living closer to the land, and about their different lifestyle. Unfortunately for me, I will never have use for much of the book’s information, and because reading about someone picking berries isn’t always exciting, I ended up skimming through many sections. But I could easily envision the author and her family providing popular half-day (or longer) immersive ‘cultural experiences’ to well-paying tourists.
I won a free copy of this book (thanks to the author & publisher!) and am voluntarily providing an honest review.… (més)

Inspiring and educational, Prescott's collection of stories and essays evokes a cozy, back-to-the-earth mood as she describes her family's harvesting, crafting and hunting traditions surrounding her father's fishcamp in Wrangell, Alaska. Despite being a nature enthusiast, I was surprised by how many plant and animals species I'd never heard of, and I eagerly found myself googling many of the unfamiliar species mentioned for further information. I'd love the opportunity to sample some of the recipes provided — I'm a terrible cook, landlocked and unable to source many of the ingredients locally. At minimum, I got the distinct feeling that I'm really missing out on spruce tips! The book was comforting and reassuring that even if the industrialized world implodes, a scenario that feels likelier with every passing day, life will still go on and those who respect and listen to the land will probably be all right.

I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.… (més)

Very grateful to have received a copy to review through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. My Father's Smokehouse seeks to give readers a real "taste of place" for Southeast Alaska. Author Vivian Faith Prescott brings together stories from her Indigenous heritage with experiences living and growing up at her father's fishcamp. I will certainly be trying any of the recipes here with recipes that can be sources locally to me.

Organized through two seasonal cycles, Prescott takes the reader on a journey through the change of seasons and activities in her Southeastern Alaskan community. While I liked this organization style, the book would benefit from some minor editing (for instance, we don't get a definition of muskeg until almost 200 pages into the book).

Overall, a great read for anyone interested in local and Indigenous foodways.… (més)