Joan Dodd

Cow Woman of Akutan Joan Dodd

As I made my way to the hold, I saw Charlie and Hans lashing the deck cargo down tighter while they, too, struggled against the violent rising and plunging of the boat. Suddenly, despite their efforts, some of the bales of hay and bags of feed slid over the side into the dark churning waters of the Pacific. Crashing waves and roaring wind were so loud I didn't hear them hit the black undulating water; they were just swallowed up. On reaching the hold, I heard cows above the din of the raging storm as they were bellowing in their fear and misery. Cow Woman of Akutan is an incredible account of a family and their partner as they encountered multiple disasters in their attempt to raise livestock on an isolated Aleutian island inhabited by a small group of Alaska Aleuts. Cow Woman of Akutan is a story of survival coupled with multiple events as Akutan villagers often come to the rancher's aid.