Based on an Athabascan Indian legend passed down through generations of mothers to daughters in the upper Yukon Valley of Alaska, this story tells of two old women who were abandoned by their tribe during a brutal winter famine. Although these women are known for complaining more than contributing, they must now either survive alone or die in the attempt. In simple yet vivid detail, Velma Wallis describes a landscape and way of life that is both merciless and breathtakingly beautiful. In her old women, she has created two heroines with iron wills, whose story of betrayal, friendship, community, and forgiveness speaks directly to the heart – clear, sweet, and wise.