Why Alaska? Life on the Last Frontier
A Collaboration by C. David Gleason and DeAnn M. Gleason
Contributed to Make A Scene by Teresa Ascone
Readers who are interested in perusing the true chronicle of an Alaskan family should definitely pick up Why Alaska? Life on the Last Frontier, by C. David and DeAnn M. Gleason. This book, once sampled, cannot be put down until the final sentence has been read. It’s a quick read of about 100 pages, hence the perfect companion for that trip to Denali, a tour of Prince William Sound glaciers, or just a fireside read while snowflakes are drifting outside your window. A warning: if you live Outside, this book may tempt you to brave the adventure of living in the Last Frontier. The authors display an intense affection and dedication to Alaska that gladdens the heart of anyone who loves The Great Land, lives here, or has ever dreamed of living here.
The book begins, fittingly, with a dedication to Marie Drake, who wrote the lyrics to our beloved anthem, Alaska’s Flag. Those of us who were fortunate enough to grow up in the Territory of Alaska in the 1950s sang this song each school day ~ before statehood was achieved, when we were only a possession of the United States of America. So the words of the book dedication ring true to those of us who have lived in this beloved place for a long time.
Why Alaska starts with a few descriptive chapters of the exciting and eventful marriage of C. David, our self-described “impulsive and reckless” hero. As heros often do, C. David wins the affection of his true love, DeAnn, and together they launch their partnership of challenges and delights.
This book takes us from their first meeting through a long and adventurous sojourn through jobs, children, and finally, the brass ring: arrival to Alaska brought about by a job offer that C. David could not refuse.
The creative, pioneering spirit of C. David helped bring modern communications to Alaska. This is history in the making, and one gathers that there is much more to his story, should he ever be willing to share it, of personalities, politics and human frailty that significantly affected Alaskan history.
DeAnn, a beautiful redhead and a natural-born leader, throws her lot in with C. David, the headstrong adventurer of this story. Being a tough, brave and intelligent woman, she matches his spirit and dedication to create a beautiful living space for the family (several times) as well as a lucrative real estate profession in her own right. Their children, too, prove their worth, and the steadfast work ethic that DeAnn and C. David practice is passed on, benefiting the family time and time again. The book is speckled with instances of hard labor, ingenuity and simple toughness performed by the entire family as they build houses, take jobs, support their family and endure the hardscrabble life that was Alaska long ago. One might almost characterize it as the Alaska version of  “The Swiss Family Robinson.”
This book is the fascinating literary legacy of a pioneer family that enhanced and affected the future of our great state, and who still grace our land with their presence. Readers will wish admiring kudos for the Gleasons – true Alaska Pioneers.