"Secret Alaska: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure" by Bailey Berg | Published by Reedy Press | softcover 182 pages, $27
As a new Alaskan resident, I felt it was like a rite of passage to learn about Haines’ Hammer Museum with a 20-foot hammer in the front yard, or the potentially history-altering boarding house in Fairbanks that may or may not have contributed to President Warren Harding’s untimely death. I had an entire childhood’s worth of road trips and campfire urban legends to learn about California’s idiosyncrasies, but “Secret Alaska: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” by Bailey Berg is a quick and comprehensive crash course to catch me up on my new home state’s strangeness.
Berg, a freelance writer who lived in Alaska for eight years, dedicates her book “to the untamed wilderness of Alaska” and “those who dare to explore its wild heart” — her passion for uniquely Alaskan customs and landmarks is clear in the book’s careful curation. In the 167 highlighted items, Berg paints with broad strokes a state steeped with history, the exploits of thrill seekers and passionate people who dedicate themselves to improving their communities. She highlights underrepresented features in the usual guides to Alaska, honoring small achievements made remarkable by the communal effort and passions bolstering it.
In addition to interesting trivia, “Secret Alaska” imparts tidbits of Alaskan history in a fun, consolidated fashion. From the origins of the state flag — designed by 13-year-old Benny Benson — to the prohibition of selling subsistence foods commercially (except reindeer!), I learned things about Alaska I didn’t know before and probably wouldn’t have thought to look up.
Berg’s “Secret Alaska” is a love letter to an often unexplored Alaska. Be careful when choosing to read it: it may inspire wanderlust.
– Cathy Li
