Anna Pasteels is a vibrant, young immigrant with her whole life ahead of her. Unfortunately, life has dealt Anna an unlucky hand in the form of a father who doesn’t want her, a mother who died too young, and an older sister being ravished by consumption. All the possibilities for a better life in the Yukon evaporate as she is forced into an unsavory line of work just to keep food in her belly and medicine available for her sister. As the years pass, Anna finds ways to cope with a desperate existence and a less than sanitary environment. It isn’t love at first sight when Romeo Poulin walks into her life, but rather a series of pleasant exchanges that eventually cause these two to form an understanding. Both bringing something different to the table, Anna and Romeo help each other to cope in a time and place bearable only with the support of trustworthy companions. But trust is a rare commodity, and is hard to gain back once it’s been lost.
An answer to classic westerns, Anna’s Wish: An Immigrant in the Yukon is a more northerly story about a broken family looking to make a future in a town that is still in flux from the regional gold rush. Joyce Derenas spares readers none of the unsettling realities of life at the turn of the century, especially for a single woman. Anna contends with an unfamiliar environment that doesn’t boast the luxuries of her home country, the denigrated view of women held by many men, grievous illnesses, and the hopelessness that leads to life as a prostitute. Although lacking the refinement of other stories in the series, this installment of A Klondike Gold Miner’s Life features some familiar faces and further develops their personal stories. Consistent with the pacing and exciting plotting of the books that precede it, Anna’s Wish will keep readers captivated from the moment Anna and her sister step foot in Dawson. Filled with dramatic twists, difficult choices, and heartbreaking truths, Anna’s Wish is a terrific find for anyone interested in Yukon history, told from the perspective of families that lived in the time period.
