I lived for several years in Alaska and my wife thought I would enjoy this book, which she got through Paperback Swap. I read the book during a recent illness and only finished it because I felt I had to, not because there was any epiphany to be gained in the last few pages. I realized this early-on, but kept reading only to learn more of the well-described and interesting people that are part of Lende's social circle. Alaska seems to bring out the best some of its citizens- and I have known some really funky and admirable Alaskans. A story about them or folks like them would have been a better goal for Lende. She has the talent to pull-it-off and she certainly has the presence of mind to jot-down relevant comments made by others. Her recollection of quotes and comments borders on the spooky. I wonder if her friends will ever be so frank again. Her ability to use quotes to capture a "life" is exceptional.

This book could have been edited better. A good editor would have guided Lende in a more cohesive arrangement of her content to support any one of the supposed goals of the book: a narrative about death as it shapes how we view life, a first-hand account of life in small-town Alaska, a collection of profiles of Alaskans, how marriage is shaped by life's experiences and challenges, the development of the conflict between her secular (permissive) view of social freedom and the role of prayer and religion in her life, how liberal or conservative views shape a culture or a small community in the face of modern challenges, or a narrative that explores gritty details of life from the feminine (or maybe liberal) perspective. Any of these goals would have been admirable, but not all at once. A good editor would have made her choose, and fully develop it. What she created was a collection of disjointed vignettes, with a heavy overlay of first person. It is readable and fun, but not a very important literary achievement.

Her technique of using the Duly Notes column as a launching pad for each chapter was interesting, but not very helpful to the reader, since those details were not further developed by the examples in the following chapter. Further, the digressions placed in the middle of her profile-obituaries seemed like more of a distraction rather than a technique to introduce or bolster some larger meaning. Heather Lende's story about Haines is really a first-person memoir. All the vignettes, obituaries, and profiles seem to provide some direct reflection on Lende or her family, or seem to be used to validate her own social or political viewpoints. So it is not as much about Haines as it is about Lende's perception of how Haines reflects on her life. A true narrative about Alaskan life would have less first person pronouns in it. Her view of Haines is one from privilege; though it is endearing to read her self-critical commentary during her visit to the trailer of a native (in her Patagonia jacket) it falls short for the very effort she uses to convince us that she is trying to understand. Sensitivity towards modesty would have prevented her from dropping "elite" details of her life that set her apart from the mainstream. Those very details betray her motive.

As other reviewers have mentioned, her version of Haines, and of small town life in general, is one of a well-healed community leader in one of the best places to live if your are a millionaire. But not everybody there will be a millionaire - we can expect a full-on pluralistic society. I imagine few folks in Haines have the resources to be flying in and out of Alaska as often as she does - even if you stretch all those trips over 15 years. Her story might make me want to visit Haines again, but what would I find? A town of "haves" and "have nots" So this book is a "teaser" in many ways. It trades the neutral excellence of a John McPhee with first person impressions of a narrator that gives us just enough of her opinion and emotion to betray her own credibility. You want a piece of Heather's Haines, but you'll never get it because you can't afford it.

I recommend others read this book, but not because it will give them some Alaskan Lake Wobegon fix. Read this book to get a voyeur's glimpse of what small towns look like from an ivory tower viewpoint. Just don't be teased into believing it is possible to have it yourself.

M.A.'s husband, Chris

I lived for several years in Alaska and my wife thought I would enjoy this book, which she got through Paperback Swap. I read the book during a recent illness and only finished it because I felt I had to, not because there was any epiphany to be gained in the last few pages. I realized this early-on, but kept reading only to learn more of the well-described and interesting people that are part of Lende's social circle. Alaska seems to bring out the best some of its citizens- and I have known some really funky and admirable Alaskans. A story about them or folks like them would have been a better goal for Lende. She has the talent to pull-it-off and she certainly has the presence of mind to jot-down relevant comments made by others. Her recollection of quotes and comments borders on the spooky. I wonder if her friends will ever be so frank again. Her ability to use quotes to capture a "life" is exceptional.

This book could have been edited better. A good editor would have guided Lende in a more cohesive arrangement of her content to support any one of the supposed goals of the book: a narrative about death as it shapes how we view life, a first-hand account of life in small-town Alaska, a collection of profiles of Alaskans, how marriage is shaped by life's experiences and challenges, the development of the conflict between her secular (permissive) view of social freedom and the role of prayer and religion in her life, how liberal or conservative views shape a culture or a small community in the face of modern challenges, or a narrative that explores gritty details of life from the feminine (or maybe liberal) perspective. Any of these goals would have been admirable, but not all at once. A good editor would have made her choose, and fully develop it. What she created was a collection of disjointed vignettes, with a heavy overlay of first person. It is readable and fun, but not a very important literary achievement.

Her technique of using the Duly Notes column as a launching pad for each chapter was interesting, but not very helpful to the reader, since those details were not further developed by the examples in the following chapter. Further, the digressions placed in the middle of her profile-obituaries seemed like more of a distraction rather than a technique to introduce or bolster some larger meaning. Heather Lende's story about Haines is really a first-person memoir. All the vignettes, obituaries, and profiles seem to provide some direct reflection on Lende or her family, or seem to be used to validate her own social or political viewpoints. So it is not as much about Haines as it is about Lende's perception of how Haines reflects on her life. A true narrative about Alaskan life would have less first person pronouns in it. Her view of Haines is one from privilege; though it is endearing to read her self-critical commentary during her visit to the trailer of a native (in her Patagonia jacket) it falls short for the very effort she uses to convince us that she is trying to understand. Sensitivity towards modesty would have prevented her from dropping "elite" details of her life that set her apart from the mainstream. Those very details betray her motive.

As other reviewers have mentioned, her version of Haines, and of small town life in general, is one of a well-healed community leader in one of the best places to live if your are a millionaire. But not everybody there will be a millionaire - we can expect a full-on pluralistic society. I imagine few folks in Haines have the resources to be flying in and out of Alaska as often as she does - even if you stretch all those trips over 15 years. Her story might make me want to visit Haines again, but what would I find? A town of "haves" and "have nots" So this book is a "teaser" in many ways. It trades the neutral excellence of a John McPhee with first person impressions of a narrator that gives us just enough of her opinion and emotion to betray her own credibility. You want a piece of Heather's Haines, but you'll never get it because you can't afford it.

I recommend others read this book, but not because it will give them some Alaskan Lake Wobegon fix. Read this book to get a voyeur's glimpse of what small towns look like from an ivory tower viewpoint. Just don't be teased into believing it is possible to have it yourself.

M.A.'s husband, Chris

Heather Lende is a freelance writer, commentator for National Public Radio, and obituary writer for the Chilkat Valley News in Haines, Alaska. "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" is a portrait of life in Haines--a small isolated Southeast Alaska town dominated by awe-inspiring wildlife, majestic mountains, and 1,800 people (give or take) who manage to tenaciously hold onto their rugged individuality yet know when to set their individuality aside for the sake of greater goods (e.g. families in need of assistance, strong relationships with neighbors).

Lende writes from a first person perspective and thus Haines life is told from her idiosyncratic point of view. Many anecdotes revolve around Lende's vocations of stay-at-home-mother, school board member, member of the local Episcopal church, environmentally-conscious citizen, and (especially) obituary writer. As she presents Haines life from these angles, she often juxtaposes the complex emotions surrounding Haines. She presents examples of the breathtaking beauty of her town, but then tells the story of how their son almost died of appendicitis as they raced through a blizzard to a Canadian hospital. She writes about her divisive attempt to institute a mandatory gay sensitivity workshop at the local high school, but then writes about the unity she experienced with one of her most bitter rivals as they cooked a benefit meal together to help defray the medical bills of another town resident. She effectively shows that life in Haines, Alaska, is as complex as life anywhere.

A major theme running through "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" is death--or to be more accurate, the cycle of life. This should not be surprising since one of Lende's vocations is that of obituary writer (and every Haines death gets a full treatment). Writing about "good deaths" for people who lived life fully to a ripe, old age is easy; writing about a twenty-year-old who drowns when his fishing boat sank isn't nearly as easy; why? Each death is totally unique; each death fits the pattern of life-and-death that had been established since the world began; how is this reconciled? And then, how do the related issues of birth, ageing, growing, loving, and how one spends his life come into play? Lende manages to be poetically reflective even while she avoids the temptation of being simplistic about death. She allows it to be mysterious, fearsome, natural, and expectedly complex. Even still, her last chapter, "I Am Not Resigned" surprisingly ties up a lot of running themes and brings a feeling of completion without presenting "solutions."

In my reviews, I try to present both positive and negative aspects of any book. For this book, Lende's memoirs, it is difficult to condemn her life experience. I never get the sense that Lende is being less than totally truthful (even when she portrays herself in a bad light). This reader appreciates her honesty, even to the point of admitting that those on different sides of various "issues" have valid points. Being one on the other side of these various issues, I do have trouble identifying with Lende at times. Crying, she comforts herself by imagining a future in which a homosexual from Haines becomes President of the United States; when writing an obituary of a Tlingit, she is overcome by "white guilt" because of what all the "people who look like her" have done to American Indians; she indulges in religious pluralism as she is a leader of her Episcopal church, seems to believe Tlingit creation stories, writes laudably about a wedding in which the "eternal spirits of the universe" are invoked, writes equally highly about a totally secular wedding, and experiences the joy of praying the Rosary. With all of these, this reader and Lende are so far apart, that I simply can't put myself in her shoes and say, "I understand what you're feeling, even if I disagree."

However, as previously mentioned, this is Lende's life experience and it is well told. I was fascinated as she mused on life during the winter months (where the sun doesn't rise until 9:30 and sets by 3:00!) and summer months (where the sun stays out well past midnight!). Her relating tales on the process of smoking fish, picking wild berries, raising chickens, cooking meals for thirty from scratch, and the like are fascinating. She succeeds in getting this reader to envision what living in Haines would be like...and in fact envy the people of Haines (until I remember the lack of hospitals and winter sun). In all, this book is highly recommended as it provides a great balance of enjoyment and forces to the reader to contemplate things common to us all--life, death, family, vocation, and what's really important.

Though I enjoyed reading about Haines and parts of this author's life, the preoccupation with death throughout this book was overwhelming. Death of relatives, strangers, friends, animals. Accidental death. Death by falling, by weather, by cancer, by boats sinking, by airplanes crashing. Fear of death. Near death. Funerals. Researching and writing obituaries. Anniversaries of loved ones dying. Even when it seems a chapter is going to be about a different subject, within a few pages it seems like death always sneaks in there.

I'd like to see another book by this author, this time devoted to life and living, instead of death and dying.

I have been wanting to move to Alaska for about 15 years but my family won't come with me, so after the kids are through college and I have put in 20 years on my job, (I have 7 years to go) Haines, AK, here I come. During the past 15 years I have been reading about different towns in Alaska and there is always something that turns me off. Not one thing about Lende's descriptions about life in Haines has turned me off. I am sure this is the place for me. I am going to take a road trip in the summer of 2008 to Alaska and will definately spend time in Haines. I can't wait. One thing for sure, I won't be getting on any planes there until I am ready to go meet my maker.

Heather Lende writes the social column and obituaries for the small town paper in Haines, Alaska. You get to feel you know all of the residents there through her eyes and the columns she tells about that she has written. A book well worth reading. It will show you the joys and sorrows of a small town in Alaska and help you appreciate that small town where you may have grown up any where else.

Heather Lende writes the social column and obituaries for the small town paper in Haines, Alaska. You get to feel you know all of the residents there through her eyes and the columns she tells about that she has written. A book well worth reading. It will show you the joys and sorrows of a small town in Alaska and help you appreciate that small town where you may have grown up any where else.

I live here. Heather knows my name. I know hers. I'm even rated a quick mention in her book. But there are many people in town she doesn't know. Heather doesn't get to the trailer courts and the local convenience store all that often. And in all fairness, the publishers were the ones who slapped the title on this book. Heather's Haines is just that Heather's Haines. It is Haines as seen through 'A Prairie Home Companion' liberal vision of life. On the surface it is all embracingly fair, painting a picture of wonderful quirky resilient people all moving, even if unconsciously, towards a politically correct utopia. Yet the reality is of course quite different.

While the town does have the vestiges of real community, satellite cable television, the internet, cellphones are all making inroads. Back in the early 90s when music videos finally arrived the teen boys suddenly all turned their caps around. And they became as disaffected as teens everywhere. Black Metal is now the rage. Sex before the age of 13 is not uncommon. And the Christian or New Age parents often don't understand the kids at all. But of course it is not all of the kids. Athletics, Drama and other influences keep a fair number of students relatively sane. Nevertheless there are serious problems.

Alcoholism is one of them, particularly among adults and Native Americans. And it's pretty much a taboo subject in public discussion. The town is not that violent though, unless you spend a LOT of time at the bars only. The doors to the homes are still unlocked, though lower forty-eight styled teen alienation are making a few people wonder how long that will continue. And there are some seriously prickly and petty people lodged in places of power. Heather doesn't note the real dark side of Haines, because I don't think she thinks that there is much darkness in the world. One can live in a Haines that is somewhat like Heather's description of it. And just sort of close one's eyes to it. You can go to a festive event, and see the smiling faces and not the alcoholics also present. The chipper couples at today's parties will have often switched partners within a year or two. One can see the moment without seeing past or future.

Heather does often capture something of the joy of living in Haines, yet she glosses over many of the dark spots in the picture. And she ignores many of the really great aspects of living here. What are they? You'll have to visit for yourself in October or April to find out. Many of the people I've met who have read this book probably wouldn't appreciate Haines on the many gray days of rain. But that's the reality. Sunshine is more the exception than the rule. Heather's book is a bit too sunny. But yes the sunshine is here too.

I live here. Heather knows my name. I know hers. I'm even rated a quick mention in her book. But there are many people in town she doesn't know. Heather doesn't get to the trailer courts and the local convenience store all that often. And in all fairness, the publishers were the ones who slapped the title on this book. Heather's Haines is just that Heather's Haines. It is Haines as seen through 'A Prairie Home Companion' liberal vision of life. On the surface it is all embracingly fair, painting a picture of wonderful quirky resilient people all moving, even if unconsciously, towards a politically correct utopia. Yet the reality is of course quite different.

While the town does have the vestiges of real community, satellite cable television, the internet, cellphones are all making inroads. Back in the early 90s when music videos finally arrived the teen boys suddenly all turned their caps around. And they became as disaffected as teens everywhere. Black Metal is now the rage. Sex before the age of 13 is not uncommon. And the Christian or New Age parents often don't understand the kids at all. But of course it is not all of the kids. Athletics, Drama and other influences keep a fair number of students relatively sane. Nevertheless there are serious problems.

Alcoholism is one of them, particularly among adults and Native Americans. And it's pretty much a taboo subject in public discussion. The town is not that violent though, unless you spend a LOT of time at the bars only. The doors to the homes are still unlocked, though lower forty-eight styled teen alienation are making a few people wonder how long that will continue. And there are some seriously prickly and petty people lodged in places of power. Heather doesn't note the real dark side of Haines, because I don't think she thinks that there is much darkness in the world. One can live in a Haines that is somewhat like Heather's description of it. And just sort of close one's eyes to it. You can go to a festive event, and see the smiling faces and not the alcoholics also present. The chipper couples at today's parties will have often switched partners within a year or two. One can see the moment without seeing past or future.

Heather does often capture something of the joy of living in Haines, yet she glosses over many of the dark spots in the picture. And she ignores many of the really great aspects of living here. What are they? You'll have to visit for yourself in October or April to find out. Many of the people I've met who have read this book probably wouldn't appreciate Haines on the many gray days of rain. But that's the reality. Sunshine is more the exception than the rule. Heather's book is a bit too sunny. But yes the sunshine is here too.

I live in rural Colorado and first moved here from New York City just after graduate school. Heather's accounts and comparisons of living in a small town in Alaska I can relate to. Opportunities are limited but adventure is bountiful. Her stories and feelings sound so familiar to me it is like looking in the mirror. The sections in between the chapters "Duly Noted" bring the characters and flavor of the community to life. Somehow I never quite thought of a cemetary as a multi-residential district but I guess it is. The residents just don't move. If you are thinking Alaska is for you read this book first. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. By the way I picked this book up because I am going to Alaska next year.

Heather Lende's neck of the woods--Haines, Alaska-- is a place where the name of the game is subsistence, and the surroundings are both breathtakingly beautiful and frequently downright dangerous.

Episodic in the fashion of an Alaskan "All Creatures Great and Small", Lende's book creates a panoramic view of her small community built out of informal, conversational anecdotes. No one could be better equipped to write about Haines than Lende, who authors all the local obituaries for the local newpaper. Her job as the "chronicler of deaths" also wins her the dramatic role as the Narrator in the local production of the play, "Our Town". She plays softball for a team called the "Diehards", and each Christmas can be found with a chain of her friends beneath the costume of the "Christmas Dragon" weaving through the streets.

It's a measure of Lende's authentic and intimate writing style that most readers will feel as if they are right beside her as she recounts the triumphs and travails of her family, friends and neighbors.

As for her politics--who really cares? She tips her hand about her causes once or twice, but for the most part the book is not overtly political. She seems like a fair-minded and caring individual. I thank her for providing readers with this quaint book elucidating the mysteries of a small Alaskan village. The local tourism industry should be thrilled with this book-- it will bring curious readers to Alaska in droves.

Heather Lende's neck of the woods--Haines, Alaska-- is a place where the name of the game is subsistence, and the surroundings are both breathtakingly beautiful and frequently downright dangerous.

Episodic in the fashion of an Alaskan "All Creatures Great and Small", Lende's book creates a panoramic view of her small community built out of informal, conversational anecdotes. No one could be better equipped to write about Haines than Lende, who authors all the local obituaries for the local newpaper. Her job as the "chronicler of deaths" also wins her the dramatic role as the Narrator in the local production of the play, "Our Town". She plays softball for a team called the "Diehards", and each Christmas can be found with a chain of her friends beneath the costume of the "Christmas Dragon" weaving through the streets.

It's a measure of Lende's authentic and intimate writing style that most readers will feel as if they are right beside her as she recounts the triumphs and travails of her family, friends and neighbors.

As for her politics--who really cares? She tips her hand about her causes once or twice, but for the most part the book is not overtly political. She seems like a fair-minded and caring individual. I thank her for providing readers with this quaint book elucidating the mysteries of a small Alaskan village. The local tourism industry should be thrilled with this book-- it will bring curious readers to Alaska in droves.

Life in Alaska is different. Life in small-town Alaska is quite a bit different. Haines, a community in the Southeastern region of the state, has a population of only around 2,000 people. The high school has a mere 100 students, with a grand total of two school buses to transport them. Though most of the roads are now paved, there is still not a single traffic light. Nobody puts numbers on their houses, because there is no individual mail delivery - all mail is picked up at the post office. There are few land routes in and out of the town, and air and water travel are limited to good weather conditions. The town has no hospital. Those needing medical care beyond what the local clinic can attend to must either fly to Juneau, Alaska's capital, or drive to Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory.

Author Heather Lende moved to Alaska with her then-newlywed husband right after graduating college, spent a short time in Anchorage, and then traveled to Haines where she has lived ever since. She writes the obituaries for the Chilkat Valley News, the local newspaper, as well as a column entitled "Duly Noted," which consists of short blurbs about current minor news related to the community. Through her work at the paper, gathering information for the obituaries she writes, she has become very close to many members of the community, and has many heartfelt and interesting stories to tell. This is the focus of the book.

Other reviewers have criticized the book for being too "self-centered" but that is exactly what a memoir is - a personal reflection. Flip to the back cover and you'll see "Travel / Memoir" printed right above the barcode. Lende's writing accomplishes two things: It takes us into the close-knit world of a remote Alaskan town, and it relates what the author has seen and experienced to her own life, showing us how living in Haines has affected her personally. There is no plotline to the book. It is a collection of vignettes about life and death in the town and surrounding area, and they are arranged in no distinct topical or chronological order, but nevertheless manage to come together into a pleasing whole. The vignettes are also interspersed with excerpts from Lende's "Duly Noted" column, giving us further insights into what is important and noteworthy to people in this small community.

This is not grand literature, but the writing is clear and enjoyable to read. It is not really as humorous as it is advertised to be (though there are some funny moments), but I do not think this was the intent in the first place. It is a heartfelt glimpse into small-town life, and though I am originally from Alaska myself, I have no experience living in a small, remote community, and found the book intriguing. Though I don't think I could live permanently in such a place, I am now very interested in visiting Haines myself, and I think the book may well have the same effect on other readers. It's a light, quick read, but definitely worthwhile, even if all you're looking for is a way to pass the time on an airplane (which is, in fact, how I read the book). I'd certainly recommend giving it a shot.

Life in Alaska is different. Life in small-town Alaska is quite a bit different. Haines, a community in the Southeastern region of the state, has a population of only around 2,000 people. The high school has a mere 100 students, with a grand total of two school buses to transport them. Though most of the roads are now paved, there is still not a single traffic light. Nobody puts numbers on their houses, because there is no individual mail delivery - all mail is picked up at the post office. There are few land routes in and out of the town, and air and water travel are limited to good weather conditions. The town has no hospital. Those needing medical care beyond what the local clinic can attend to must either fly to Juneau, Alaska's capital, or drive to Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory.

Author Heather Lende moved to Alaska with her then-newlywed husband right after graduating college, spent a short time in Anchorage, and then traveled to Haines where she has lived ever since. She writes the obituaries for the Chilkat Valley News, the local newspaper, as well as a column entitled "Duly Noted," which consists of short blurbs about current minor news related to the community. Through her work at the paper, gathering information for the obituaries she writes, she has become very close to many members of the community, and has many heartfelt and interesting stories to tell. This is the focus of the book.

Other reviewers have criticized the book for being too "self-centered" but that is exactly what a memoir is - a personal reflection. Flip to the back cover and you'll see "Travel / Memoir" printed right above the barcode. Lende's writing accomplishes two things: It takes us into the close-knit world of a remote Alaskan town, and it relates what the author has seen and experienced to her own life, showing us how living in Haines has affected her personally. There is no plotline to the book. It is a collection of vignettes about life and death in the town and surrounding area, and they are arranged in no distinct topical or chronological order, but nevertheless manage to come together into a pleasing whole. The vignettes are also interspersed with excerpts from Lende's "Duly Noted" column, giving us further insights into what is important and noteworthy to people in this small community.

This is not grand literature, but the writing is clear and enjoyable to read. It is not really as humorous as it is advertised to be (though there are some funny moments), but I do not think this was the intent in the first place. It is a heartfelt glimpse into small-town life, and though I am originally from Alaska myself, I have no experience living in a small, remote community, and found the book intriguing. Though I don't think I could live permanently in such a place, I am now very interested in visiting Haines myself, and I think the book may well have the same effect on other readers. It's a light, quick read, but definitely worthwhile, even if all you're looking for is a way to pass the time on an airplane (which is, in fact, how I read the book). I'd certainly recommend giving it a shot.

I can't begin to tell you how much I loved this book. Lende celebrates the simple life which so often goes unnoticed. The people came alive for me and reminded me of so many characters that I know. I was so moved by the book that I wrote to the Chamber of Commerce in Haines, AK to get more information about this little bit of heaven where neighbors take care of each other.

I can't begin to tell you how much I loved this book. Lende celebrates the simple life which so often goes unnoticed. The people came alive for me and reminded me of so many characters that I know. I was so moved by the book that I wrote to the Chamber of Commerce in Haines, AK to get more information about this little bit of heaven where neighbors take care of each other.

Lende writes well enough but I had read a review claiming this was humorous and found few laughs. It reads more like a journal, and I while I found a few of the "Duly Noted" excerpts entertaining, most were dull reports of "so & so going on vacation", "so & so's children visited from Oklahoma" These read like filler, which I am sure small town gossip is interested in, but I found awfully tedious.

I loved this book. While some reviewers have complained that the book centers around Heather, this is indeed a story written by a woman with a unique perspective. As a chronicler of life in her weekly "Duly Noted" column in the local paper while also writing the obituaries, Heather sees and writes about her neighbors in their best and worst times. I have lived in remote, small towns, and could identify strongly with life in Haines. One of my favorite chapters revolves around her observations of people in Vancouver when she and her husband spend a weekend there escaping cabin fever. Each homeless person, schizophrenic, and odd person that she sees on the street reminds her of people in Haines. The difference is that in large cities these people are shunned, while in Haines they are known by name and folded into the community. How true!
So many things touched me in this book. Her description of small town funerals where friends gather to speak simply and powerfully about the deceased; her description of a five-hour drive through a blizzard to get care for a child with an apendix about to burst when the nearest hospital is hundreds of miles away--all these are realities of small town life in places like Haines. One reviewer complains that she doesn't talk about the grimness of life in these small towns. Why would she? This is Heather's story, after all. She has grown to accept the limitations of small town life and loves Haines and its people. It shows in her writing.

After finishing this book I felt like I had just watched an episode of "Seventh Heaven", something I don't particularly recommend. Heather Lende writes like a minister's wife: everyone is basically good and kind; don't make waves; make hubby feel like a man while he kills a billy-goat; the joy of small things, like smoking your own salmon, running marathons in between numerous pregnancies, adopting a Bulgarian orphan when things get slow......
Everything is so wonderful in Haines, Alaska, I smacked my forehead in frustration---I coulda lived there! No alcoholism, no drugs, no despair, I don't think there's any cursing, either.

I guess as an obituary writer Lende feels it is her job to clean up and sanitize the mess of life, but in book length?
In fact, this account reads like one big obituary of a small town in Alaska-- a pleasant, uncontroversial bromide for the living.

Having visited Haines with a friend who is building a cabin, I was eager to have an "insiders" look at the people and the community I visited. The author seemed to focus a lot of attention on the quirks of the community and the issolation felt (and desired) by the members of this close knit (if politically divided) community. Like all small towns there is a division between those who have come from the outside and those who are native (those westerners raised in Haines as well as the Native population). One of the hottest topics in town when I visited this May was whether to embrace the tourist industry and the cruise ships, which is not touched on much in the book and would have been interesting. Probably my favorite part of the book is the access the author is given into many of the peoples lives as the town papers obit writer. She is inside these homes at a vunerable and fragile time and gets much insite into what the community held values are by what people share about their departed loved ones. The prose was not in a style I was able to get into, but it was an easy read. She was able to capture the beauty of the location - I have never been somewhere so vast and that exhisted on this scale. But for a small town, it does have some ammenities one would not expect - a health food/coffee shop, one of the most beautiful public libraries I have ever seen and a small bookstore. Going to Alaska was like opening a door to ones home that has always been there but never opened. Was happy to have found the key, if this book makes anyone else seek out Haines, then it is worth the cover price.

I was given this book by my Mother and have enjoyed reading it, primarily because I grew up in Haines and know many of the people the author mentions.

I do recommend it with the following criticisms: it is not accurate, the writing is Chicken Soup for the Soul Variety and it is very much centered on Heather Lende.

When I say it is not accurate I mean that the sense of community she portrays is not the sense of community that I have felt growing up there and in the ten years since graduating from high school.

Haines frequently leaves people feeling isolated and alone and at the same time ridiculously over scrutinized. A schoolmate once said to me, "Whenever I go to Haines I just want to start drinking." Depression, substance abuse, drunk driving and violence all are a significant part of life in Haines.

That said the other two criticisms are only criticisms if you allow them to be, I like the chicken soup books and I enjoyed reading about Heather's life. Take the book for what it is and I suspect you'll enjoy it greatly.

As a reader from Sitka (Alaska), a frequent visitor to Haines, and as someone who has had the opportunity to meet the author (very briefly), I utterly enjoyed this book. It aroused both smiles and nostalgia for a town I bashfully covet.

First of all, although I barely know the author and highly doubt she knows my name, I can attest that her words have nothing less than the sparkle of unadulterated authenticity shining all over them. This in itself makes the book a worthwhile read for me, and if you don't believe me, I can assure you the prose will speak for itself.

The content itself is very unique. As the other reviews take note, the book is centered around Heather's obituaries for her local paper and her experiences derived from writing those. While during some of her recollections I found my mind wandering, most were vivid and intriguing, and a few I'd even heard myself from the grapevine. On a personal sense, my interest with Heather's thoughts were compounded by the fact that I knew many of the mentioned personalities in the stories which may be cause to take this review with a dab of salt.

If anything, this book will cut open a window into small-town Southeast Alaska for you to look through -- the wilderness, the people, the personalities -- and at occassions Heather's stories even allow you to raise the sash and stick you're head into the crisp Alaskan air for an long, indulgent breath in.

-Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins

I have always been drawn to tales of life in Alaska, and was eager to read this book. I enjoyed it a good deal---it was a nice way to feel like I was spending some time among friends and neighbors in Haines. The author is talented and obviously has a deep love for her town and state.

However, I felt the book was a bit rambling. It was loosely structured around various obituaries the author had written, which for each chapter brought up a different theme. This led to a back and forth sort of narrative---we find out here and there bits and pieces of the author's life and that of the town, but I never felt I really found out enough about either one. I would have loved more details---how big were the schools? What was the layout of the town? What was it like when she first moved there? How were things changed when cruise ships started to stop there? Sometimes episodic writing works, and sometimes it doesn't. It sort of half works here---you keep reading, but somehow I kept feeling like I was missing parts of the story. The little clips from the newspaper at the end of each chapter are TOTALLY unconnected to the rest of the book most of the time, and they feel like reading social news from a paper where you know no-one---which essentially they are.

Also, centering the book on deaths left me anyway feeling like life in Haines was extremely dangerous. People seemed to be dying in an untimely way constantly. I am sure the deaths talked about happened over a number of years, but since this was rarely spelled out, you got the feeling it might not be the best place to live if you wanted to live to a ripe old age.

Overall, worth a read---enjoyable, solid, non-flashy writing about a place I'd like to visit!

I purchased this book because I wanted more insight into life in Alaska, and I wasn't disappointed. I had been researching my grandfather's ( he was a whaler) arrival in the US from Brava, Cape Verde Islands and I came across this book by Heather Lende about her life and the lives of those around her in Haines, Alaska. Many times she had me feeling as though I were right there, experiencing everyday life in this little town. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

This book received some glowing reviews, including some hyperbolic character who called the author "a national treasure." That just may be pushing it a bit. My guess is that there are two kinds of readers in the world--those that will love it and those that won't. I fall into the latter category but obviously from other reviews it grabs some people. I found it a bit gee-whiz and self-centered, and the writing style was inoffensive but hardly brilliant. Still, I give three stars in honor of those who obviously have different tastes. If Readers Digest features sometimes make you sniffle, this book's for you. Not me.

For what it is, I thought this book was very entertaining and insightful. It reminded me of my hometown. In some cases I felt like I was reading about my great aunt's and grandma. I would recomend it to others. Perfect for summer reading. It's a very quick read.

I laughed and I cried at the stories of small town Alaska. I am a former Alaskan and recognized the characters in the book. Each chapter stands alone and I savored each one. Hated for the book to end.

Many many miles from Haines, Alaska, I found this new book at Northwind Books at Finlandia University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Yet the views of small-town living will strike a note of recognition for any small-town residents anywhere.

Lende's view of her town and her interactions with her old and new friends, in sad and glad times, especially with the focus of her newspaper assignment, is a delight to read.

One of the best "first books" I've read in a long time. Had to purchase another copy to send to relatives living in Sitka, Alaska.

Recommend it highly.

I picked up this book intrigued by the title of the book, and the location of the small town. Of course there are many small towns across America, but not too many as isolated as Haines, Alaska, population 2,400, about 90 miles north of Junea.

In "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" (281 pages) author Heather Lende brings us everyday stories of what life is like in Haines, Alaska. There is no story line in the book, just observations of what life is like in a place that is reachable only by ferry or by plane (no McDonald's!). Surprise, but even in a close-knit community like that, it turns out that there is trouble in the high school (less than 100 kids in total) with kids being picked on etc. Hende writes the obituaries for the local weekly, and that allows her to get even closer to the people in the community, and it comes across in the book. Her love for Haines is obvious, and affectuous. It makes me want to visit the place myself.

No, this book is not some grand statement of literature. Instead, this is the perfect beach reading for the summer. "If You Lived Here" will take you to a place that most of us have never lived in, visited, or ever will visit. Highly recommended!

Heather Lende's book about a tiny town in Southeast Alaska is not a literary masterpiece, but it does have an endearing quality to it. Lende's writing leaves something to be desired and is best suited to the quick "Duly Noted" columns she writes for her local newspaper.

If you live in any kind of city, you will be amazed at her tales of near-isolation; getting to the next town is often impossible during the winter, when the temperature dips to about 30 below and ten feet of snow pile up, prohibiting ships and planes from getting in and out. There are frequent sightings of bears, moose, seals, goats, and wolves. A minor medical scare in "the Lower Forty-eight" becomes a life or death situation in Haines (there is no longer a facility in which to give birth; expectant mothers are flown to Juneau).

There is a lot of death in "If You Lived Here," since Lende's day job is writing obits for the weekly paper. Many of them involve fishing and flying accidents, common ways to go in Alaska. The message seems to be that with every death there is a lesson about her own life to be learned, and some readers will lose interest in this self-centeredness. Perhaps a warning that this is largely autobiographical is in order. When I bought this, I thought I would be reading about the residents in the town, not the residents in the town as they relate to Heather Lende's life. And, whether you agree with her or not, her "I'm so liberal and free-thinking" mantra becomes tiresome.

"If You Lived Here" is a at best an ode to the beautiful Alaskan wilderness and at worst the diary of a stay-at-home mom whose only claim to fame is living in the beautiful Alaskan wilderness. It is at times poignant, but it can also be corny and eye rolling inducing. It's a swift read that may encourage you to visit Alaska.

alaskan author heather lende's book, "if you lived here, i'd know your name" is everything a good read should be. one feels, after reading it, fully acquainted with the author, her family and the little town of haines, alaska, and all of the townspeople therein of whom she writes.

she pulls out all the stops in the last chapter; tears were streaming down my cheeks. i will recommend this book to everyone i know and already have a list of folks i am going to pass my copy to.

marilyn blumer

Ok, I am a conservative and would rather you did not know my name. My dear and tolerant friend Dan Lindemann lives in Haines - do you know his name? I love Haines...I have lived in Haines...but I would not want this woman writing my obit - nice try - how many river rats does she know? If you are a sentimental female democrat - please buy this book - if you are Haines ethnocentric - please buy this book.....

I started out really liking this book. It's my favorite genre - I love a memoir. Unfortunately, the author's personality kept getting in the way. I felt it became more and more self promoting as she smugly casts herself as the most tolerant person in the town - she's almost doing her neighbors a favor when she accepts them as they are and *gasp* realizes she could actually like a conservative! What a novel idea! It just really started to bug me, and I'm sorry because I loved reading about small town Alaska.

This is my town, these are my friends. Heather does a great job portraying our lives. She makes me remember why I live here and after reading this book you'll wish you lived here too. And, yes, everything she's written is all true...and the Duly Noted's are for real.

Upon reading this book you will become endeared with the characters, the settings, and the simplicity of small town life in Alaska. The "simple life" does have its counterpart, however, as many complex situations and thought processes emerge from the freedom to think and act in an untamed land, as if the grandeur of the landscape allows for freedom of heart and soul. There are moments of humor, sadness, and fortitude, but what will stay with the reader is a renewed faith in humanity's ability to treat like other like humans, while prospering in a rugged land.
Lende's writing style keeps you turning page after page. The segues are seamless, while every chapter is a journey in itself, ending with an aftertaste like a fine wine.
Almost every chapter is based on a death, or birth, or marriage, but the content exceeds this starting platform. Lende turns her experience in writing obituaries into a celebration of life, and paints such vivid pictures you feel like you have known the characters your whole life.
This is a must read for anyone interested in small town life in Alaska, or the potential of the human spirit.