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Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics
In the same year that Donald Trump was elected president, Heather Lende was one of the thousands of women inspired to take a more active role in politics. Some of them, like Lende, had never run for office before but now felt called to serve. Lende’s entire campaign for assemblywoman in Haines, Alaska (pop. 2500) cost less than 1000 dollars. The competition was actually stiff—there were nine candidates for three open seats—but Heather prevailed.
This is the true story one woman’s term on the Haines Borough Assembly. Everyone knows everyone in Haines and as the longtime obituary writer for the local newspaper Heather is deeply ensconced in her community. Still, it is a year of downs (Lende was a target of a vicious whisper campaign and recall) and ups (she found her voice and survived the recall). We follow her as she keeps true to her principles and votes against hiring her daughter’s good friend as the town manager, and takes a stance that alienates her husband’s customers at the hardware store they own. And we are there, too, when she learns to compromise to get things done. Some votes—like funding a new outhouse without state management and allocating money on bear proof trash cans—seem pure Alaska; other issues, like the seizure of 100,000 marijuana plants, tie into national issues such as the legalization of marijuana. Whatever the agenda item, the background is the natural beauty and isolation of Alaska, the quirky and amusing cast of Haines characters, including Lende’s large and loving family, and her keen appreciation of what all of us owe one another in this gorgeous crazy world. Of Bears and Ballots is illuminating, relevant, and highly entertaining.
This is the true story one woman’s term on the Haines Borough Assembly. Everyone knows everyone in Haines and as the longtime obituary writer for the local newspaper Heather is deeply ensconced in her community. Still, it is a year of downs (Lende was a target of a vicious whisper campaign and recall) and ups (she found her voice and survived the recall). We follow her as she keeps true to her principles and votes against hiring her daughter’s good friend as the town manager, and takes a stance that alienates her husband’s customers at the hardware store they own. And we are there, too, when she learns to compromise to get things done. Some votes—like funding a new outhouse without state management and allocating money on bear proof trash cans—seem pure Alaska; other issues, like the seizure of 100,000 marijuana plants, tie into national issues such as the legalization of marijuana. Whatever the agenda item, the background is the natural beauty and isolation of Alaska, the quirky and amusing cast of Haines characters, including Lende’s large and loving family, and her keen appreciation of what all of us owe one another in this gorgeous crazy world. Of Bears and Ballots is illuminating, relevant, and highly entertaining.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2020
73 people are currently reading
4,104 people want to read
About the author
Heather Lende
4Ìýbooks285ÌýfollowersHeather Lende and her husband Chip have five adult children and nine grandchildren. Heather is a hospice, library and radio station volunteer and served on the Haines Borough Assembly. She is the 2021-2023 Alaska State Writer Laureate, a former contributing editor at Woman's Day and a former columnist for the Anchorage Daily News. Her essays and commentary have been widely distributed. She has written over 400 obituaries for the Chilkat Valley News in Haines, AK and is the author of Of Ballots and Bears (2020) Find the Good (2015), Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs (2010), and NY Times bestseller, If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name (2005), all from Algonquin Books. She is happy to Zoom with book clubs. Heather is also the recipient of a Middlebury College alumni award and the Alaska Governor's Award for the Arts & Humanities. She has an MFA from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Everything else you'd ever want to know about her is in her books or on her website.
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August 9, 2020
Happy National Book Lover’s Day 2020! With so little to celebrate this year at least there is that quirky calendar that denotes every day of the year a celebration of something. Normally on a Sunday in August I would be spending the day lazily watching baseball. Maybe I would be starting my vacation and getting to my destination in time for quick trip to the beach. This weekend, my baseball team’s games were canceled and I am sadly not getting to the beach this summer. We decided to take a staycation instead. A highlight of my usual vacations is reading light books, lazing next to a body of water. No water so I have to make due with the books that I have at home. The top book in my pile takes me back to the quirky small town of Haines, Alaska for a fourth time. Even though I have no desire to live in a state famous for its scenic winters, Heather Lende endears her readers to her adopted hometown, so I knew that with her fourth book I would be in for a treat.
Heather Lende has lived in Haines, Alaska since graduating from college. She and her husband Chip raised five children there and watched them turn into adults who are productive members of society. Two of their married children live in Haines so as Lende approaches her senior citizen years, she gets to add another title to her repertoire: babysitting grandma. With four grandchildren in town, two dogs at home, enjoying a wide range of activities and hobbies, and still employed as an obituary writer by the Chillkat Valley News, Lende could not possibly have time to join another committee. She had book tours to undertake and grandchildren to help raise and, as her first book arrests, she knows everyone in Haines, more of an extended family than a community. In 2016, Lende’s friend Margaret encouraged her to run for the Haines Bureau General Assembly. She was a long time resident and business owner who was respected by every resident in town. After seeing the ebbs and flows of Haines for the past thirty five years, who better than Lende would be qualified to run for a vacant seat on the assembly. Her husband Chip warned that she had no idea what she was getting herself into.
Chip knew best, of course, but Heather would never admit that as long as she lived. In November 2016, Lende won one of two vacant seats to the Haines General Assembly. After witnessing a national polarizing election, she had no idea that Haines had been just as divisive in a smaller scale; sadly, it had. Big Don represented the interests of fishermen and loggers who had made up the backbone of Haines� business interests for decades. Their goal was to expand boating docks along the beach front, making it less aesthetically pleasurable for residents who live along the Beach Road and view the beach as their backyard. Heather takes walks along the beach with her friend Beth and their dogs Pearl and Buddy every day and can see the ocean from her home. She also has a son who is a fisherman and sees where both sides of the harbor front debate are coming from. If anything, Assemblywoman Lende was tolerant of an issue that looked to divide the citizens of Haines as she knew pretty much everyone who called the town home. Big Don viewed Heather and her fellow liberals as a threat to Haines and petitioned to have them recalled from office after less than a year. This was not the climate or job that Assemblywoman Lende had signed up to uphold.
Despite being stressed out over her new position, Lende still paints a picture of a virgin Alaskan wilderness where the salmon run free and bears, moose, and wolves are among her “neighbors�. Haines is still only connected to the rest of Alaska via ferry, which at certain times of year does not run on a regular basis. One of her daughters has taken a job in Unalaska on the Aleutian Islands, seventeen hours away but off the grid and away from political mudslinging. At a certain point in the narrative, for Lende this represented a idyllic getaway. Meanwhile, residents still gather at Haines� bars and restaurants and frequent the library and swimming pool. The town relies on tourism, although not too much, for income and looks forward to the annual lineup at the Chillkat Valley Fine Arts Center, where Lende has sung in the women’s choir for years. Lende still looks to find the good in everything, which is why she was enticed to run for the assembly, yet at heart would rather that Haines be one community devoid of political bickering, where in-spite of one’s affiliations, neighbors can gather for a pot luck or a midnight sun softball game or perhaps run along the beach. That is the Haines that Chip and Heather Lende know and love and hope will maintain its charm as their grandchildren grow toward adulthood.
In a community as small as Haines, each small happening is magnified. As a writer for the local newspaper, Heather Lende knows the life stories of all the residents, young and old, business people and hippies, Tinglit and Caucasian, Republican and Democrat. She has created too many memories and lifelong friendships to have them ruined by the stress of serving her community on the general assembly. With five children and eight grandchildren (to date) and two dogs, Lende is still maintaining a busy lifestyle, one that does not include a role in the local government. She is happy on the beach or on her bike or in the Alaskan wilderness. Her stint on the Haines local assembly showed that on a small scale tolerant people on both sides of the aisle can work together to create a welcoming community for its residents to live in. After my fourth visit to Haines, the community sounds as quirky and charming as ever that even I would want to live there, at least during the summer months of endless sun and whale migrations. What a lovely way to spend National Book Lover’s Day. I look forward to my next trip to Haines whenever it may be.
4+ stars
Heather Lende has lived in Haines, Alaska since graduating from college. She and her husband Chip raised five children there and watched them turn into adults who are productive members of society. Two of their married children live in Haines so as Lende approaches her senior citizen years, she gets to add another title to her repertoire: babysitting grandma. With four grandchildren in town, two dogs at home, enjoying a wide range of activities and hobbies, and still employed as an obituary writer by the Chillkat Valley News, Lende could not possibly have time to join another committee. She had book tours to undertake and grandchildren to help raise and, as her first book arrests, she knows everyone in Haines, more of an extended family than a community. In 2016, Lende’s friend Margaret encouraged her to run for the Haines Bureau General Assembly. She was a long time resident and business owner who was respected by every resident in town. After seeing the ebbs and flows of Haines for the past thirty five years, who better than Lende would be qualified to run for a vacant seat on the assembly. Her husband Chip warned that she had no idea what she was getting herself into.
Chip knew best, of course, but Heather would never admit that as long as she lived. In November 2016, Lende won one of two vacant seats to the Haines General Assembly. After witnessing a national polarizing election, she had no idea that Haines had been just as divisive in a smaller scale; sadly, it had. Big Don represented the interests of fishermen and loggers who had made up the backbone of Haines� business interests for decades. Their goal was to expand boating docks along the beach front, making it less aesthetically pleasurable for residents who live along the Beach Road and view the beach as their backyard. Heather takes walks along the beach with her friend Beth and their dogs Pearl and Buddy every day and can see the ocean from her home. She also has a son who is a fisherman and sees where both sides of the harbor front debate are coming from. If anything, Assemblywoman Lende was tolerant of an issue that looked to divide the citizens of Haines as she knew pretty much everyone who called the town home. Big Don viewed Heather and her fellow liberals as a threat to Haines and petitioned to have them recalled from office after less than a year. This was not the climate or job that Assemblywoman Lende had signed up to uphold.
Despite being stressed out over her new position, Lende still paints a picture of a virgin Alaskan wilderness where the salmon run free and bears, moose, and wolves are among her “neighbors�. Haines is still only connected to the rest of Alaska via ferry, which at certain times of year does not run on a regular basis. One of her daughters has taken a job in Unalaska on the Aleutian Islands, seventeen hours away but off the grid and away from political mudslinging. At a certain point in the narrative, for Lende this represented a idyllic getaway. Meanwhile, residents still gather at Haines� bars and restaurants and frequent the library and swimming pool. The town relies on tourism, although not too much, for income and looks forward to the annual lineup at the Chillkat Valley Fine Arts Center, where Lende has sung in the women’s choir for years. Lende still looks to find the good in everything, which is why she was enticed to run for the assembly, yet at heart would rather that Haines be one community devoid of political bickering, where in-spite of one’s affiliations, neighbors can gather for a pot luck or a midnight sun softball game or perhaps run along the beach. That is the Haines that Chip and Heather Lende know and love and hope will maintain its charm as their grandchildren grow toward adulthood.
In a community as small as Haines, each small happening is magnified. As a writer for the local newspaper, Heather Lende knows the life stories of all the residents, young and old, business people and hippies, Tinglit and Caucasian, Republican and Democrat. She has created too many memories and lifelong friendships to have them ruined by the stress of serving her community on the general assembly. With five children and eight grandchildren (to date) and two dogs, Lende is still maintaining a busy lifestyle, one that does not include a role in the local government. She is happy on the beach or on her bike or in the Alaskan wilderness. Her stint on the Haines local assembly showed that on a small scale tolerant people on both sides of the aisle can work together to create a welcoming community for its residents to live in. After my fourth visit to Haines, the community sounds as quirky and charming as ever that even I would want to live there, at least during the summer months of endless sun and whale migrations. What a lovely way to spend National Book Lover’s Day. I look forward to my next trip to Haines whenever it may be.
4+ stars
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January 28, 2022Haines writer Heather Lende runs for a seat on her local assembly and wins, and the gates of mercy close behind her. She has barely warmed the seat of her chair before there is a recall petition being circulated against her and the two other new members of the assembly. Said recall fomented by incendiary and completely false rhetoric promulgated on a (you guessed it) closed Facebook page.
I have two takeaways from this narrative: The bone deep conviction that I never, ever want to run for office for anything, and heartfelt admiration for Lende's courage in doing so. Her sister calls to read off the 258 names on the recall petition, and one of them is their local grocer.
Chip [Lende's husband] looked up from dish duty. "Really?" We were good customers of his store, and he of ours. He had even spoken up for us in one meeting, denouncing a boycott of our lumberyard that one of the recall sponsors was encouraging on Facebook. Now Chip looked stricken as he repeated his fellow merchant's name...his face crumpled. I could see him registering the knowledge that all his goodwill and good deeds and hard work--staying open six days a week every week for over thirty years while advising builders, homeowners, and business people, all those sports teams and community events he'd sponsored, all the fundraisers he'd contributed to--hadn't matter to nearly three hundred people. In a place this size, that's a lot.
The guy who built their house signed the petition, the guy who plows their driveway, friends of their children, all born and raised in Haines, and on and on. They know every name on the list. It is agony to read on the page. I can't imagine what it was like to live through. "All politics is local," said some old pol, and local politics are the bloodiest politics there are.
And then when the three assembly members under threat of recall appear at a public forum? The recall petitioners choose not to speak, not to air their concerns, not to justify their accusations.
For months I had been attacked, lied about, made myself sick because of Don and his charges, and he was refusing to explain himself? And none of those others would, either? Were you kidding me? Where was Ryan and his truck now?
The recall fails (more people voted for her the second time than did the first) and Lende serves out her term, doing her best to do right by her community in doing her homework so she can vote intelligently on tour operator permits and city dock construction and bailing out the local assisted living center. She doesn't run for a second term, though, and no wonder.
Actually, maybe there is a third takeaway here, that Alaska should revise its law governing recalls. When the time and expense (not to mention personal and community trauma) of a recall election can be supported by such specious charges as this one was? If we want good people to run and to serve, it shouldn't be so easy to harass them out of office. Two of Lende's fellow assembly members quit in mid-term and no wonder there, either.
Beautifully written, this is an in-depth, very human look at the joys and sorrows of holding public office, national (international, really) politics examined through a local lens and that includes gender politics, and an intimate look at small town life, not to mention a single-destination travelogue. Every word Lende writes about the local landscape reveals her love of it. No wonder at all about that.
I have two takeaways from this narrative: The bone deep conviction that I never, ever want to run for office for anything, and heartfelt admiration for Lende's courage in doing so. Her sister calls to read off the 258 names on the recall petition, and one of them is their local grocer.
Chip [Lende's husband] looked up from dish duty. "Really?" We were good customers of his store, and he of ours. He had even spoken up for us in one meeting, denouncing a boycott of our lumberyard that one of the recall sponsors was encouraging on Facebook. Now Chip looked stricken as he repeated his fellow merchant's name...his face crumpled. I could see him registering the knowledge that all his goodwill and good deeds and hard work--staying open six days a week every week for over thirty years while advising builders, homeowners, and business people, all those sports teams and community events he'd sponsored, all the fundraisers he'd contributed to--hadn't matter to nearly three hundred people. In a place this size, that's a lot.
The guy who built their house signed the petition, the guy who plows their driveway, friends of their children, all born and raised in Haines, and on and on. They know every name on the list. It is agony to read on the page. I can't imagine what it was like to live through. "All politics is local," said some old pol, and local politics are the bloodiest politics there are.
And then when the three assembly members under threat of recall appear at a public forum? The recall petitioners choose not to speak, not to air their concerns, not to justify their accusations.
For months I had been attacked, lied about, made myself sick because of Don and his charges, and he was refusing to explain himself? And none of those others would, either? Were you kidding me? Where was Ryan and his truck now?
The recall fails (more people voted for her the second time than did the first) and Lende serves out her term, doing her best to do right by her community in doing her homework so she can vote intelligently on tour operator permits and city dock construction and bailing out the local assisted living center. She doesn't run for a second term, though, and no wonder.
Actually, maybe there is a third takeaway here, that Alaska should revise its law governing recalls. When the time and expense (not to mention personal and community trauma) of a recall election can be supported by such specious charges as this one was? If we want good people to run and to serve, it shouldn't be so easy to harass them out of office. Two of Lende's fellow assembly members quit in mid-term and no wonder there, either.
Beautifully written, this is an in-depth, very human look at the joys and sorrows of holding public office, national (international, really) politics examined through a local lens and that includes gender politics, and an intimate look at small town life, not to mention a single-destination travelogue. Every word Lende writes about the local landscape reveals her love of it. No wonder at all about that.
July 2, 2020
Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics is an autobiography you are going to want to read.
Heather Lende was so inspired to take on politics that she ran an entire campaign and won in less than $1,000 despite a stiff competition of 9 candidates for 3 open seats in Haines Borough, Alaska.
I enjoyed this non-fiction political autobiography of Lende, an obituary writer for a local newspaper. From small town issues to issues that reached nationwide attention like the seizure, and the legalization of marijuana, this book had it all that made this such an interesting read for me.
I loved learning about running the politics of this small Alaskan town with all the issues Lende was faced with.
This book was definitely a read that I learned a lot from and was also highly entertaining. I recommend this for a quick read that is most relevant and eye opening.
I really am glad to have had a chance to read this book.
Heather Lende was so inspired to take on politics that she ran an entire campaign and won in less than $1,000 despite a stiff competition of 9 candidates for 3 open seats in Haines Borough, Alaska.
I enjoyed this non-fiction political autobiography of Lende, an obituary writer for a local newspaper. From small town issues to issues that reached nationwide attention like the seizure, and the legalization of marijuana, this book had it all that made this such an interesting read for me.
I loved learning about running the politics of this small Alaskan town with all the issues Lende was faced with.
This book was definitely a read that I learned a lot from and was also highly entertaining. I recommend this for a quick read that is most relevant and eye opening.
I really am glad to have had a chance to read this book.
February 27, 2024
Author Heather Lende seems like the kind of person who would make a wonderful neighbor, certainly a good person who contributes to her community. I enjoyed her very readable story of small-town life in Alaska and, in particular, her experience as an assembly member in her town. The town is Haines, accessible from the nearest city, Juneau, only by boat or plane. A beautiful place but I feel it's rather isolated. As a small town, it's a place where everybody knows each other. That can be a problem when people take opposing sides on various issues. People take things personally and friendships are ended. It's a serious matter when it's a small town where neighbors have to depend on one another.
Ms. Lende, as assemblyperson as well as neighbor, tries her best to uphold civility and even treat others with kindness--without backing down on her principles. It seems like an impossible situation. And, following the 2016 election, the town becomes more polarized, some people less civil, even angry. How this all plays out is the main story. It is a story told with compassion and, in the end, I find it to be an inspirational one.
Ms. Lende, as assemblyperson as well as neighbor, tries her best to uphold civility and even treat others with kindness--without backing down on her principles. It seems like an impossible situation. And, following the 2016 election, the town becomes more polarized, some people less civil, even angry. How this all plays out is the main story. It is a story told with compassion and, in the end, I find it to be an inspirational one.
November 10, 2020
An insider’s view of small town, Alaskan politics.
May 16, 2020
I’m a huge Heather Lende fan! I was thrilled to get my hands on her most recent work. This book isn’t just about politics and Lende’s three year term on the local Borough Assembly. It’s about living in a small community and and the way Lende and all the residents in the remote Alaskan town are woven together for better or worse. The author’s vulnerability in sharing her experience as an elected official is refreshing. She combines her political accounts with more characters and stories that are reminiscent of her first three books. Lende wears her heart on her sleeve. Her emotional accounts are relatable and raw. I appreciated and enjoyed this book and I am certain you will too.
August 22, 2020
How do I keep getting myself into memoir situations where I basically like the story but grow to increasingly dislike the author as a person?
I have been a politics junkie since I was a teenager, and fascinated by small towns in Alaska since I first saw Northern Exposure some 25 years ago. So, the moment I learned of this book, I knew it was for me.
And, in many ways, it was. I really enjoyed the minutiae about governing a small town with some big issues, and the descriptions of the geography, the townspeople, their relationships, etc.
What I did not care for was Ms Lende's use of polarizing language (and I'm a liberal!). I don't know, maybe I went into Of Bears and Ballots not realizing how much of it was going to be about how the wildly differing beliefs of U.S. citizens have led to increasing hostility and vulgarity in communication and rifts in relationships. If so, shame on me. It's just that even though Our Author attempted to reflect the shadowy grays that went along with some of the figurative blacks and whites of the characters, she really came across as painting a sort of hero/villain picture (with her of course as the hero). And that she has self-selected into a more, ummm, shall we say "sophisticated" intellectual lifestyle than have her fellow community members, therefore she knows best. (Yes, it is possible to do this and still know how to wield an axe and fry moose meat, etc., etc.)
I also got the feeling that she ran for office just so she could write this book.
Now, with me having said all that, you may be awfully surprised at what comes next.
I want to read her other books. Her descriptions are vivid, and, as I said earlier, I really dig learning about small towns in Alaska. From what I understand, her other works are not focused on politics. (Although, as I've proved time and time again, I could be wrong.)
Three solid stars.
I have been a politics junkie since I was a teenager, and fascinated by small towns in Alaska since I first saw Northern Exposure some 25 years ago. So, the moment I learned of this book, I knew it was for me.
And, in many ways, it was. I really enjoyed the minutiae about governing a small town with some big issues, and the descriptions of the geography, the townspeople, their relationships, etc.
What I did not care for was Ms Lende's use of polarizing language (and I'm a liberal!). I don't know, maybe I went into Of Bears and Ballots not realizing how much of it was going to be about how the wildly differing beliefs of U.S. citizens have led to increasing hostility and vulgarity in communication and rifts in relationships. If so, shame on me. It's just that even though Our Author attempted to reflect the shadowy grays that went along with some of the figurative blacks and whites of the characters, she really came across as painting a sort of hero/villain picture (with her of course as the hero). And that she has self-selected into a more, ummm, shall we say "sophisticated" intellectual lifestyle than have her fellow community members, therefore she knows best. (Yes, it is possible to do this and still know how to wield an axe and fry moose meat, etc., etc.)
I also got the feeling that she ran for office just so she could write this book.
Now, with me having said all that, you may be awfully surprised at what comes next.
I want to read her other books. Her descriptions are vivid, and, as I said earlier, I really dig learning about small towns in Alaska. From what I understand, her other works are not focused on politics. (Although, as I've proved time and time again, I could be wrong.)
Three solid stars.
April 16, 2020
Reminiscent of The American President, To A Point. This is a tale of a small town grandmother's one and only City Council run in a small rural Alaskan town that happens to have a couple of major connections: It is the home of Glacier Point -a major Alaskan cruise stop -and it is the hometown of Parker Schnabel of Discovery Channel's Gold Rush family of shows. Both of which actually play heavily into the narrative here, as they both came up repeatedly in Lende's singular three year term from 2016 - 2019.
Overall Lende is at times hopeful, at other times remorseful, and at still others a bit wistful. In both her politics and her overruling desire for basic decency, she even manages to evoke Michael Douglas' portrayal of President Andrew Shepherd in The American President, again, at least to a point. She manages to be seemingly honest about at least her thoughts and motivations during the various events and controversies of the three years, and in so doing provides an insight into what being on a small town City Council really can be like. Very much recommended.
Overall Lende is at times hopeful, at other times remorseful, and at still others a bit wistful. In both her politics and her overruling desire for basic decency, she even manages to evoke Michael Douglas' portrayal of President Andrew Shepherd in The American President, again, at least to a point. She manages to be seemingly honest about at least her thoughts and motivations during the various events and controversies of the three years, and in so doing provides an insight into what being on a small town City Council really can be like. Very much recommended.
August 27, 2021
I love this hometown cozy book about the political adventure of Heather Lende. I certainly enjoyed the descriptive scenery and the attempts at Robert's Rules of Order!
Well worth the read.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Well worth the read.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
October 16, 2024
This is another one of my book club books that I would have DNFed if I wasn't trying to finish it for the discussion. Politics isn't my preferred reading genre, and this one had difficulty holding my interest.
July 10, 2020
From BookGems.co:
A small Alaskan town is the last place one would imagine political turmoil or intense election seasons, yet Haines, Alaska is the setting for Heather Lende’s latest book, Of Bears and Ballots, focusing on her election to the city assembly and the lessons learned there. The everyday events of the borough come to life and assembly meetings, employee contracts, and harbor planning become humorous, insightful, and totally relatable � even if you don’t live in Alaska.
I appreciated that the entire book felt like a conversation with a friend � a bit of jumping around and a few rabbit holes, but completely relatable and real. Lende’s rural life leaps off the pages, and characters like Big Don, Pizza Joe, and others who make assembly meetings vibrant political events. But the lessons that Lende learns over her term as an assembly member are lessons from which we can call benefit.
While politics take center stage, and the turmoil that arises when individuals remove the individual from the political equation is emphasized, Lende consistently circles back to the power of human relationships. Yes, her stories from the assembly meetings show the progress of her political career and her continued growth as a community, but Lende’s keen awareness of the power of individual connections is at the heart of the book. Stories about whether a tour company contract should continue in spite of safety concerns, or how posthumous allegations of sexual assault by a town legend should be handled, carry with them introspective lessons to which we can all relate.
Given that Lende is a grandmother in a small town, her stories can be charming and relatable, but some readers may struggle to find themselves in the rambly, disconnected stories. Persisting through the moments that may seem irrelevant will allow for glimmers of the truly irreverent to emerge.
A small Alaskan town is the last place one would imagine political turmoil or intense election seasons, yet Haines, Alaska is the setting for Heather Lende’s latest book, Of Bears and Ballots, focusing on her election to the city assembly and the lessons learned there. The everyday events of the borough come to life and assembly meetings, employee contracts, and harbor planning become humorous, insightful, and totally relatable � even if you don’t live in Alaska.
I appreciated that the entire book felt like a conversation with a friend � a bit of jumping around and a few rabbit holes, but completely relatable and real. Lende’s rural life leaps off the pages, and characters like Big Don, Pizza Joe, and others who make assembly meetings vibrant political events. But the lessons that Lende learns over her term as an assembly member are lessons from which we can call benefit.
While politics take center stage, and the turmoil that arises when individuals remove the individual from the political equation is emphasized, Lende consistently circles back to the power of human relationships. Yes, her stories from the assembly meetings show the progress of her political career and her continued growth as a community, but Lende’s keen awareness of the power of individual connections is at the heart of the book. Stories about whether a tour company contract should continue in spite of safety concerns, or how posthumous allegations of sexual assault by a town legend should be handled, carry with them introspective lessons to which we can all relate.
Given that Lende is a grandmother in a small town, her stories can be charming and relatable, but some readers may struggle to find themselves in the rambly, disconnected stories. Persisting through the moments that may seem irrelevant will allow for glimmers of the truly irreverent to emerge.
April 29, 2020
A slim book about a small town in Alaska and one woman's journey in public office. She had been an advocate to the community for as long as anyone could remember and decided to run for Assemblywoman for the Haines borough. Once in office she discovered a mountain of paperwork, an avalanche of meetings and one incredible democracy in action. Plain spoken memoir that is full of heart and hope. The author includes many a funny story that could only happen in Alaska and points out the incredible natural beauty. Fresh, uplifting and well said, her words will bring out the conservationist and small town activist in all of us. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
May 16, 2020
I'd give this 3.5 stars, if that were an option. I found the substance more compelling than the writing (especially at first), but by the end I was really caught up in the politics of Haines, and was glad that Lende had regained her love of her community. A cautionary tale to be sure - if I ever thought I'd be interested in running for local office, this account has dissuaded me!
April 15, 2022
I’m not sure who the target audience for this book is but I think I must be in it.
I picked this up maybe for the nostalgia but stayed invested as Lende recounted her campaign for assembly, her first few months learning Robert’s Rules and they lay of the land, and the anxiety inducing recall election of her and two other assembly members.
It’s not that the content on governance is unique or new; but Lende’s descriptions were uniquely her own. A woman learning how to navigate tricky situations in a town so small that she knew the people who wanted to recall her intimately.
Ultimately, this is a story about people, and how living in a small town means you have to live with them and accept them as they come because there’s no one else around!
*listened on audiobook
I picked this up maybe for the nostalgia but stayed invested as Lende recounted her campaign for assembly, her first few months learning Robert’s Rules and they lay of the land, and the anxiety inducing recall election of her and two other assembly members.
It’s not that the content on governance is unique or new; but Lende’s descriptions were uniquely her own. A woman learning how to navigate tricky situations in a town so small that she knew the people who wanted to recall her intimately.
Ultimately, this is a story about people, and how living in a small town means you have to live with them and accept them as they come because there’s no one else around!
*listened on audiobook
March 24, 2024
Haines, Alaska couldn’t be more different than where I live so I loved the look into local politics in this community. The controversy about the recall vote got a little convoluted - I think because the author was sure never to insult anyone, even when their votes and actions indicated they might not be a super nice person. She gave everyone the benefit of the doubt to the extreme (at least, that’s how she wrote it). Otherwise, this book was easy to read and provided valuable insight into the everyday happenings of one small, remote town.
October 12, 2020
I've read all 4 of Lende's books and love them all. it's like living in a small Alaskan borough without the cold, snow, dark
this one is really timely as it's about small government in a time of political nastiness and divisiveness, with the tone set from the top
and, of course, everything Lende writes about is about relationships
this one is really timely as it's about small government in a time of political nastiness and divisiveness, with the tone set from the top
and, of course, everything Lende writes about is about relationships
June 14, 2020
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics
Author: Heather Lende
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: Political lovers, autobiography
Publication Date: June 30, 2020
Genre: Politics
Recommended Age: 17+ (politics, language)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 288
Synopsis: In the same year that Donald Trump was elected president, Heather Lende was one of the thousands of women inspired to take a more active role in politics. Some of them, like Lende, had never run for office before but now felt called to serve. Lende’s entire campaign for assemblywoman in Haines, Alaska (pop. 2500) cost less than 1000 dollars. The competition was actually stiff—there were nine candidates for three open seats—but Heather prevailed.
Review: While this isn’t my normal genre to read I thought this was a really interesting read. I liked how Heather became interested in politics and I loved how we saw her journey throughout this book. The writing was really well done.
My only complaint is that the book was a bit slow in the beginning and in a few middle parts. However, the book sped up towards the end!
Verdict: Would recommend for non-fiction politics lovers.
Book: Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics
Author: Heather Lende
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: Political lovers, autobiography
Publication Date: June 30, 2020
Genre: Politics
Recommended Age: 17+ (politics, language)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 288
Synopsis: In the same year that Donald Trump was elected president, Heather Lende was one of the thousands of women inspired to take a more active role in politics. Some of them, like Lende, had never run for office before but now felt called to serve. Lende’s entire campaign for assemblywoman in Haines, Alaska (pop. 2500) cost less than 1000 dollars. The competition was actually stiff—there were nine candidates for three open seats—but Heather prevailed.
Review: While this isn’t my normal genre to read I thought this was a really interesting read. I liked how Heather became interested in politics and I loved how we saw her journey throughout this book. The writing was really well done.
My only complaint is that the book was a bit slow in the beginning and in a few middle parts. However, the book sped up towards the end!
Verdict: Would recommend for non-fiction politics lovers.
Read
March 2, 2022I'm almost finished listening to this book. I really enjoyed one of her other books and she seems like a nice person, but in this book she comes off as super self-righteous and preachy. I had hope that she would use some of her Quaker education to see the good in other people, but instead she drew the line in the sand that said "Liberals Good, Conservatives Bad."
The chapter about her recall election really struck a cord. She spent the first twenty chapters demonizing President Trump, the democratic process and conservatives, then she was up for recall and she asked for mercy. I am thinking she probably was dancing when President Trump was wrongly impeached over a congratulatory phone call to the Ukraine after the election(now she probably has a sign in her yard that says, "I Stand With Ukraine." She seems super self-absorbed and not able to see that if she deserved grace for doing nothing wrong, so did Trump.
I will finish it, since I only have a few chapters left, but I'm not impressed with this one.
The chapter about her recall election really struck a cord. She spent the first twenty chapters demonizing President Trump, the democratic process and conservatives, then she was up for recall and she asked for mercy. I am thinking she probably was dancing when President Trump was wrongly impeached over a congratulatory phone call to the Ukraine after the election(now she probably has a sign in her yard that says, "I Stand With Ukraine." She seems super self-absorbed and not able to see that if she deserved grace for doing nothing wrong, so did Trump.
I will finish it, since I only have a few chapters left, but I'm not impressed with this one.
July 4, 2022
I loved this book for many reasons: gaining knowledge about how small town politics operate at such a granular level from someone who was both inside and had lived most of her life on the outside, being reminded of the importance of community/being a good neighbor/intentionally being there for those around you without expecting anything in return, and what “home� can mean to someone who grew up only surrounded by 1200 others.
One star off because I didn’t agree with many of Lende’s more grand points about state and national politics, and didn’t think her presentation of these larger statements came with enough caveats (eg it is TOTALLY OK and in fact in my mind justified to cut someone out of your life because they support Donald Trump), so I quickly read through the bits of the book where she shared these more grandiose perspectives/claims.
One star off because I didn’t agree with many of Lende’s more grand points about state and national politics, and didn’t think her presentation of these larger statements came with enough caveats (eg it is TOTALLY OK and in fact in my mind justified to cut someone out of your life because they support Donald Trump), so I quickly read through the bits of the book where she shared these more grandiose perspectives/claims.
August 31, 2021
This is a favorite author, who writes of her life in Haines, Alaska, her family and her job as an obituary writer. In this book, she tells about her campaign and election as assemblywoman in her small town and the rewards and extreme challenges of the role. Yikes, it was tough to read about someone I admire having such a hard time serving her town: making many mistakes, learning as she goes, trying to stay true to what she believes is best for Haines, and making enemies of friends and family in doing so.
May 6, 2022
This is an entertaining and interesting look at the realities of small town politics. I have some experience with this subject myself, though blessedly from the outer edges, and it’s spot on. Hopefully it will inspire people to get more involved, even if it’s only to get a ringside seat to the insanity!
This unbiased review is based on a copy won through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaway program.
This unbiased review is based on a copy won through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaway program.
June 25, 2022
When I lived in Seattle, there was a literary agency that operated in an apartment the floor above me. I had tea with the agency owner, who also lived in the apartment, and she gave me this book as a gift. It was a delightful adventure to read this book about a Democratic politician in Alaska, the frustrations and joys of caring for her community so much even when it didn't care for her back. Its poignant and wise nuggets about caring for others through service will stick with me.
July 9, 2022
3.5/5. A great examination through personal experience of small-town politics in our current political climate. No part of our society has gone untouched.
May 11, 2020
After the 2016 election, a woman runs for assembly member in her small town of Haines, Alaska. It deals with the issues she faced during her one term - expansion of the harbor, dealing with bullies, hiring a new town manager, tourism, water treatment, loaning money to the senior home, a recall and more.
Author writes from the heart so you feel what she is dealing with and get to learn about Alaska, small towns and local politics.
Author writes from the heart so you feel what she is dealing with and get to learn about Alaska, small towns and local politics.
May 9, 2020
This book is a quick read about Alaskan local politics and the running of small town American government. Heather as a long time resident has decided to run for a local office in Haines, Alaska and quickly learns that it is a job that is sometimes thankless, but is also rewarding in helping her fellow citizens/family have a better quality of life in Haines now and into the future.
May 7, 2020
I received this book as a GoodReads giveaway. I found it interesting and timely given the current political climate. What I liked most about the book was the feeling that I was there, in Haines. I detest cold weather, but Heather made me feel like Alaska should be on my bucket list.
January 18, 2021
I thought this was a bit of a departure for this author, as she usually writes obituaries for a small Alaskan newspaper, and books about what she encounters doing that work and living in her small town. And I am not really interested in more politics, but I needed a quick audio download before a drive, and so gave it a try. I was pleasantly surprised that her story of serving in a local elected position was told so cleanly- there was not bashing or grandstanding, just working together through challenges and disagreement to get a job done. She explained her side of the story, how they got their info, how they made decisions. She discussed some of the louder ways of working and obstructing that the current presidential administration has encouraged, but managed to survive a recall effort and even empathize with the caller.
January 16, 2021
This is the 4th book in a non-series collection by Heather Lende. I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy this title because ... well ... politics. So, I held it aside until the events of our most recent election settled a bit. I’m glad I did! Because I spent my high school years in Haines (go Class of �77!), I am familiar with the small town politics. The author accurately pins the antics of our current incivility in local and national politics squarely where it belongs. Beyond that, the players in the local scene are people she runs into on a regular basis. When a recall campaign arises, she writes candidly about what that felt like. It was Chapter 13 - Looking in a Broken Mirror that reduced me to sobs as she tells the story of a high school friend who recently committed suicide and the aftermath of a video he left behind. I was deeply moved by this chapter as I am sure anyone who knew Ricky and our other good friends will be when they read it. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
July 2, 2020
Heather Lende lives in a small Alaskan town called Haines. She is the obituary writer for the town's newspaper and as such she gets to know most of the people she shares the town with. Her husband runs a lumber business and her children grew up to be in the education business, along with other occupations. In such a small town, everyone depends on others to help and everyone pretty much knows everyone else.
Lende feels the need to do more than write books and be interviewed on NPR. She decides to run for the position of being one of six people on the town assembly board. She didn't spend much on her campaign; she felt that after all her time living there, everyone pretty much knew her and her progressive policies. Much to her surprise, she won one of the seats up for election as did the owner of the newspaper.
This book talks about what governing is really like, how it is often better to listen than to be the first one speaking or the loudest one. For each issue, she has to balance her own position against what those who elected her feel is best. She was shocked to see that sometimes, people she had considered friends for years, were against what she honestly thought was best, and would say or do things that were hurtful to her.
The best example of this was the recall election. One of the biggest issues in Haines was the renovation of the town bay and port. There were those who were determined to push their idea through stating that it was good for business and there were others who were hesitant to make the changes wondering about the environmental effect. There was also the issue over hiring someone in the local government to oversee various construction projects. When Heather, her editor friend and a third member voted to hire someone other than the local favorite, they soon faced a recall election. It was heart-wrenching for her to realize that there were enough people who thought she had done a poor job to get the recall on the election cycle or that she had misused her position.
Lende has written a series of books about her life in Haines and I've enjoyed every one of them. The dependent nature of living in such an environment and needing to rely on those around you is clear in everything she writes. This book shows a naive and vulnerable side of Lende that her earlier books did not but the stories she tells are familiar to those of us who fought politics in jobs and on issues. Her ability to withstand the storms and learn a series of lessons from this time is interesting and informative. This book is recommended for memoir readers.
Lende feels the need to do more than write books and be interviewed on NPR. She decides to run for the position of being one of six people on the town assembly board. She didn't spend much on her campaign; she felt that after all her time living there, everyone pretty much knew her and her progressive policies. Much to her surprise, she won one of the seats up for election as did the owner of the newspaper.
This book talks about what governing is really like, how it is often better to listen than to be the first one speaking or the loudest one. For each issue, she has to balance her own position against what those who elected her feel is best. She was shocked to see that sometimes, people she had considered friends for years, were against what she honestly thought was best, and would say or do things that were hurtful to her.
The best example of this was the recall election. One of the biggest issues in Haines was the renovation of the town bay and port. There were those who were determined to push their idea through stating that it was good for business and there were others who were hesitant to make the changes wondering about the environmental effect. There was also the issue over hiring someone in the local government to oversee various construction projects. When Heather, her editor friend and a third member voted to hire someone other than the local favorite, they soon faced a recall election. It was heart-wrenching for her to realize that there were enough people who thought she had done a poor job to get the recall on the election cycle or that she had misused her position.
Lende has written a series of books about her life in Haines and I've enjoyed every one of them. The dependent nature of living in such an environment and needing to rely on those around you is clear in everything she writes. This book shows a naive and vulnerable side of Lende that her earlier books did not but the stories she tells are familiar to those of us who fought politics in jobs and on issues. Her ability to withstand the storms and learn a series of lessons from this time is interesting and informative. This book is recommended for memoir readers.
June 29, 2020
Heather Lende, with the style and wit of Erma Bombeck, gives an account of life and politics in Haines, Alaska in Of Bears and Ballots. Her normal job of writing the obituaries for the local newspaper does not quite prepare her for the controversial role of she will play as assembly member after she runs and is elected. The organization of her book has an essay on either one aspect of the community or her job followed by a few lines from the agenda of the assembly meeting.
A hint of her writing style comes from this line: “Sometimes, when I’m frustrated with a burly man in work boots and a pro-mining bumper sticker on his truck who says he’s against funding the library, I imagine trouncing him in a bike race. Will I ever grow up?�
A few of her interesting agenda topics were:
� Winterfest was a great success despite the storm-related road and ferry closures and the basketball games conflict.
� Further ways to fund an outhouse without state management will be researched. It was also agreed that if an outhouse is installed, there should be some bear-proof trash cans.
� Education has been cut, and they are asking the ferry system to generate more revenue. Tourism and seafood marketing have been funded to last year’s level.
The town is accessible to the nearest city, Juneau, only by boat or plane. The population is made up of what Heather refers to as natives and newcomers who now live together in Haines. She gives historical background of the abuse of the natives, Tlinglit people, whose children were taken from them into orphanages, where they were not allowed to speak their native tongue or observe their cultural patterns. She quotes Ernestine Hayes, who wrote a memoir about her own growing up in an old Juneau village, and was asked by a newcomer if he also was loved by this land. She replied, “Yes, the land loves those who love it back.� I particularly liked her analogy for the chapter called “Looking in a Broken Mirror� with a story of using only the small pieces of a broken mirror to find the truth of a long held community secret that needed to be seen.
Threaded through very definite political opinions, she keeps her relationships steady even with those who are politically opposite � lesson for the times. The city of Haines reflects the political polarization of the times with an exception that we might learn from. She says the city is like a large dysfunctional family that disagrees in the public hearing before sharing a pew at the funeral. The book is both enjoyable and informative.
A hint of her writing style comes from this line: “Sometimes, when I’m frustrated with a burly man in work boots and a pro-mining bumper sticker on his truck who says he’s against funding the library, I imagine trouncing him in a bike race. Will I ever grow up?�
A few of her interesting agenda topics were:
� Winterfest was a great success despite the storm-related road and ferry closures and the basketball games conflict.
� Further ways to fund an outhouse without state management will be researched. It was also agreed that if an outhouse is installed, there should be some bear-proof trash cans.
� Education has been cut, and they are asking the ferry system to generate more revenue. Tourism and seafood marketing have been funded to last year’s level.
The town is accessible to the nearest city, Juneau, only by boat or plane. The population is made up of what Heather refers to as natives and newcomers who now live together in Haines. She gives historical background of the abuse of the natives, Tlinglit people, whose children were taken from them into orphanages, where they were not allowed to speak their native tongue or observe their cultural patterns. She quotes Ernestine Hayes, who wrote a memoir about her own growing up in an old Juneau village, and was asked by a newcomer if he also was loved by this land. She replied, “Yes, the land loves those who love it back.� I particularly liked her analogy for the chapter called “Looking in a Broken Mirror� with a story of using only the small pieces of a broken mirror to find the truth of a long held community secret that needed to be seen.
Threaded through very definite political opinions, she keeps her relationships steady even with those who are politically opposite � lesson for the times. The city of Haines reflects the political polarization of the times with an exception that we might learn from. She says the city is like a large dysfunctional family that disagrees in the public hearing before sharing a pew at the funeral. The book is both enjoyable and informative.
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