Author Bonnie Leon & Lessons from her Alaskan Grandmother

I met my Grandmother Roberts only a few times in my life, but I always felt close to her. She lived in Alaska and I lived in Washington State. Although we lived far from one another, she made sure to stay in touch. She wrote regularly and always answered my letters. Although she had little means, she never missed birthdays or Christmas.

My grandmother knew a lot about living without and about surviving in the challenging environment of Alaska. From an early age, she understood the power of nature to destroy. As a young woman, she stood on a bluff and watched a tsunami hit the shoreline. The story of that day was handed down and told many times throughout the years. It is where I discovered my first book, The Journey of Eleven Moons.

Although my grandmother was Aleut and lived in Alaska, she was one of the fortunate natives who received an education. She attended the Chemawa Native School in Oregon. While she was a student there, her mother died and my grandmother was needed at home to care for her younger brothers. She returned to Alaska. She didn’t question the sacrifice; she just did what was necessary.

When a Welshman approached her father and asked to marry her, it was decided that marrying a white man was the best opportunity for a native girl. And so even though my grandmother was in love with a native man, she married Thomas Roberts. Her marriage began without love, but my grandmother’s tender and devoted nature and her belief that if she made the best out of what life had offered that love would grow. She was right. She and my grandfather shared a lifetime together and had eight children.

Much of their married life was spent on a homestead. Each day’s tasks were about survival. There were few days for rest. My grandmother worked hard and she learned to depend upon herself and God. One day while cleaning a fish, she cut herself so badly she nearly severed her thumb. There were no doctors to help. She sewed up the injury and went back to work.

She lived a life of subsistence, but her home was filled with music and storytelling. My grandfather had a rich voice, which he passed down to his family along with a love for stories. My grandparents created an atmosphere where hope and love grew. My mother’s life was filled with delightful moments and adventure-filled days.

Grandma was strong because she had to be, but she was also tender and full of love. She made her way in Alaska and so did my most recent heroine, Kate, in my new book Touching the Clouds. Kate lived an adventure. She did what she had to and faced each day with courage. Just as my grandmother did, Kate lived life with grace and anticipation. When all looked lost, she refused to give up, and determined to do more than just survive she made a difference in the lives that touched hers.

Bio
Bonnie Leon dabbled in writing for many years but never set it in a place of priority until an accident in 1991 left her unable to work at her job. She is now the author of several historical fiction series, including the Sydney Cove series, Queensland Chronicles, the Matanuska series, the Sowers Trilogy, and the Northern Lights series. She also stays busy teaching women’s Bible studies, speaking, and teaching at writing seminars and women’s gatherings. Bonnie and her husband, Greg, live in Southern Oregon. They have three grown children and four grandchildren. www.BonnieLeon.com

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