A Tender Distance: Adventures Raising My Sons in Alaska

Fishing, hunting, hiking, biking; this mom wants her sons to know what Alaska's wilderness has to offer, but also struggles with wanting to keep them safe. Johnson offers her finely-crafted recollections of raising boys in Alaska, and how she matured along with them. Her journey begins as a young wife who is separated for the first time from her close-knit family. She confronts the challenges of becoming a mother and dreams of a life in the wilderness. That dream comes true when the young family moves to Alaska. She struggles, caught between two desires: she wants to raise her sons to appreciate the wonder of Alaska's wild beauty, yet fears for their safety in a landscape filled with real danger, including bears and other predators. We cry with her as she holds one son, struck down by a truck while on his bicycle, and share her joy and relief when she learns he is only bruised, not broken. Kaylene came to national prominence and worldwide media attention as the author of the New York Times bestseller, Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down. What most readers don't know, and will discover with A Tender Distance, is that she is a gifted writer with her own story to tell.