The Bush Doctor’s Wife

Ruby Gaede expected to be a Kansas farmer’s wife, snuggled safely into a Mennonite community with her relatives, milking cows and gathering eggs.

What happens when her husband climbs off his tractor, goes to medical school, and becomes a bush pilot doctor in the middle of Alaska? She makes a home, cranks homemade ice cream on the frozen Yukon River, sings Christmas carols at 40 below, serves moose roasts, and seeks tips from the Native women on how to keep her four young children warm in the winter.

* * *

Gaede-Penner is an authentic and gifted Alaska writer. I identified with her stories and the village culture she portrays. She gives voice to indigenous people, missionaries, and schoolteachers, all of whom need to be heard.
–Margaret DeMers, Bible Translator for People of the North

Gaede-Penner’s books are the best Alaska biographies I have read. She incorporates local history without losing her story’s focus. Her accounts are unpretentious and present forceful and appealing characters.
–Larry Hibpshman, retired Senior Archivist at the Alaska State Archives

Reading Gaede-Penner’s book, I was amazed how Ruby persevered through each exasperating episode with her children, initiated classy social activities in a village with only a general store, and without hesitation opened her home to local and long-term guests alike. I couldn’t put down the book.
–Melissa Fogle, ESL Teacher

* * *

NAOMI GAEDE-PENNER is a writer and speaker who believes prescriptions for adventure come in all walks of life. Along with story telling, capturing Alaska history is her passion. This is her fifth Alaska book. Learn more at www. prescriptionforadventure.com.