John Morgan and his wife can barely contain their excitement upon arriving as the new teachers in a Yup'ik village on the windswept Alaskan tundra. Lured north in search of adventure, the couple hope to immerse themselves in the ancient Arctic culture. But their move proves disastrous when a deadly epidemic strikes and the isolated community descends into total chaos. When outside help fails to arrive, John's only hope lies in escaping the snow covered tundra and the hunger of the other survivors by making the thousand-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness for help. Along the way, he encounters a blind Yup'ik girl and an elderly woman who need his protection as badly as he needs their knowledge of the terrain and their companionship to survive. And as the harsh journey and constant danger push him beyond his limits, John discovers a new sense of hope and the possibility of loving again. [Ahead of it's time, this novel explores the impacts of a possible pandemic created by H1N5, also known as birdflu or avian flu.] "Underneath this story's intrigue, suspense and insider knowledge, there is something darker, more disturbing...Rearden portrays how pollutionaffects northern culture and the subsistence way of life, as well as the systemic poverty of which "outsiders" have little knowledge...Beyondpoverty, substance abuse and suicide we find characters with buoyancyand hope..." Winnipeg Free Press In 2nd grade the kids in our small one room school house took a field trip to visit the abandoned houses across the river from our village. The houses appeared as if the occupants left in a hurry, the contents inside undisturbed. The elders told us that ghosts would haunt those who took anything from inside one of the homes.  This was my first glimpse into the devastation wrought by epidemics in Alaska. From that day forward I would be infected with a love for the history, cultures, and stories of this vast landscape that is Alaska. I grew up on the tundra and rivers of southwest Alaska. My experience and adventures in Alaska have shaped both my writing and my love and concern for humanity and our planet. I'm a professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage,screenwriter, novelist, and--- when the mood hits, a tundra philosopher-poet. Don Rearden's writing is captivating and new. This is a writer who hasmany books in him. I predict he will be widely read, well respected,and greatly admired." -Jo-Ann Mapson, author of bestselling novels Bad Girl Creek, The Wilder Sisters, and Hank & Chloe. "Don Rearden is a masterful storyteller, and an artist of extraordinarytalent and vision. Like all great books, The Raven's Gift transcendsgeography and culture; it provides a window into what it means to behuman in an age when humanity is all too often pushed aside and thosewho live at the margins forsaken in the name of political expedience." -Kris Farmen, author of Turn Again and The Devil's Share "The book is fantastic, one of the best books about Alaska I haveever read. It calls to mind Cormac McCarthy and Stephen King, but at the same time it is all its own. The Raven's Gift is the story of a couple teaching in a remote Alaskan village when aepidemic sweeps through. People are dying in isolation, and othersdescending into savage violence. It is a survival story and anedge-of-the-seat thriller." 2013 Pulitzer Finalist, Eoywyn Ivy, author of The Snow Child "Underneath this story's intrigue, suspense and insider knowledge, there issomething darker, more disturbing...Rearden portrays how pollutionaffects northern culture and the subsistence way of life, as well as the systemic poverty of which "outsiders" have little knowledge...Beyondpoverty, substance abuse and suicide we find characters with buoyancyand hope..." Winnipeg Free Press "A post-apocalyptic novel that will set your hair on end..." The Sun Times "The Raven's Gift is a compelling read -- well-crafted, engaging without being cheap. The term "page-turner" comes to mind. But it's dark and frightening for amidwinter read." Alaska Dispatch "At firstglance, The Raven's Gift might appear to be an epic thriller set in theancient land of the Yup'ik tundra, but it goes much farther than thatinto the delicate frontiers of the human heart--the best book I've readthis year." -Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire Mysteries " The Raven's Gift will propel you pell-mell into a terrifying future of plague on theAlaskan tundra--all too real if you've talked with elders who survived1917--all too frightening if you have sense to know this future canstart five minutes from now." --Seth Kantner author of Ordinary Wolves "In The Raven's Gift , Don Rearden has created a kind of allegory for a people and place atrisk, a generous and honest portrait of Yup'ik communities. His Alaskais one you won't yet have seen." -- David Vann, author of bestselling novels Legend of a Suicide and A Mile Down Don Rearden is the author of the critically acclaimed novel, The Raven's Gift