Savage Mountain
Smelcer clearly knows his way around Alaskan mountains.--David Roberts, author of The Mountain of My Fear
Praise for Edge of Nowhere:
A survival story, but one with a strong heart.--ForeWord Reviews
A thought-provoking and moving coming-of-age story.--Publishers Weekly
Another gripping literary triumph for Smelcer.--Midwest Book Review
Praise for Lone Wolves:
A beautiful and moving story of courage and love.--Ray Bradbury
An engaging tale of survival, love, and courage.--School Library Journal
[Smelcer] promises to further solidify his status as 'Alaska's modern day Jack London.'--Suzanne Steinert, Mushing
Powerful, eloquent, and fascinating, showcasing a vanishing way of life in rich detail.--Kirkus
Combines good old-fashioned adventure . . . with heart-tugging moments of clarity and poignancy that recall Julie of the Wolves.--Booklist
A compassionate and inspiring tale . . . highlights the importance of family, community, and heritage.--Midwest Book Review
Brothers Sebastian and James Savage decide to climb one of the highest Alaskan mountains to prove themselves to their father. Inspired by true events, Savage Mountain is not a story of father-son reconciliation, but a touching story of two brothers who test their limits and learn that no matter how different they might be, the strongest bond of all is brotherhood.
John Smelcer is poetry editor of Rosebud and the author of more than forty books. He is an Alaskan native of the Ahtna tribe, and a skilled mountaineer. He divides his time between Talkeetna, Alaska, and Kirksville, Missouri, where he teaches in the department of communications studies at Truman State University.
Earn by promoting books
Earn money by sharing your favorite books through our Affiliate program.
Become an affiliateJohn Smelcer is the winner of the 2004 Milt Kessler Poetry Book Award and of the 2004 Western Writers of America Award for Poetry for his collection Without Reservation, which was nominated for a Pulitzer. Lone Wolves was chosen for ALA's Amelia Bloomer book list.
Edge of Nowhere is on the Alaska Library Association's 2014 Battle of the Books list. The Great Death
- Nominated for The National Book Award, the BookTrust Prize (England), and the American Library Association's Award for American Indian YA Literature
- Listed along with The Incredible Journey as one of the greatest adventure stories in The Book Lover's Guide to Children's and Young Adult Literature (foreword by Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked)
- Short-listed for the 2011 William Allen White Book Award for Children's Literature.
"John Smelcer is a writer's writer. His refined and economical style offers an easy and exciting read. a true experience of two brothers surviving their fractured family and an unforgiving environment. Smelcer crafts a breathtaking Alaskan adventure story of struggle and determined will as the boys run out of everything except pure grit." "Midwest Book Review," Reviewer's Choice
"Set in the interior of Alaska, this novel balances family dynamics, brother-bonding, and high-stakes adventure. The mountaineering and Alaskan drama is realistic but also exotic, suspenseful, and exciting. VERDICT Extreme adventure sequences and the strong brotherly relationship make this a solid general purchase." "School Library Journal""
"John Smelcer is a writer's writer. His refined and economical style offers an easy and exciting read.... a true experience of two brothers surviving their fractured family and an unforgiving environment. Smelcer crafts a breathtaking Alaskan adventure story of struggle and determined will as the boys run out of everything except pure grit." --Midwest Book Review, Reviewer's Choice "Set in the interior of Alaska, this novel balances family dynamics, brother-bonding, and high-stakes adventure.... The mountaineering and Alaskan drama is realistic but also exotic, suspenseful, and exciting. VERDICT Extreme adventure sequences and the strong brotherly relationship make this a solid general purchase." -- School Library Journal