Although fewer than 100 pages, "Raven's Light A Tale of Alaska's White Raven" is a story author Marianne Schlegelmilch intends to anchor in the hearts and minds of readers.
"It's a message of hope," the Homer author says.
Zak, a raven whose dark eyes have seen too much destruction, too much pain, too much loss, is at the center of the action set in the Matanuska Valley. Before introducing readers to the winged protagonist, Schlegelmilch references the wealth of raven legends in Alaska. Particularly, those associated with the seldom seen white raven.
"The 2002 sighting of a white raven in Fairbanks, Alaska, inspires this story, as do the people who live throughout this place called the Last Frontier. ... There, among the magnificent mountains, sprawling glaciers and vast expanses of valley terrain, unfold these fictional stories about fictional characters; many named in honor of real Alaskans I hold dear," Schlegelmilch writes in the prologue.
At first, the book's nine chapters seem almost to be separate stories. However, readers will discover, as they follow Zak's wing beats and navigate from the ending of one chapter to the beginning of another, each chapter is part of a bigger picture tied together with a common thread.
"Throughout the story are encounters with ravens and the basic theme is the renewal of appreciation for the goodness of life," Schlegelmilch says.
When Zak and the white raven meet, changes begin to happen. Not just to Zak or his circle of black-feathered acquaintanances, but also to humans whose lives are woven into the plot.
Chris Kiana of Anchorage provides the book's forward.
"Intense in symbolism, this realistic portrayal of the struggle between peace and harmony in the face or drama and destruction will evoke in the reader a sense that he has read a much longer piece of work," Kiana writes. "Skillfully woven together, these individual episodes in the lives of both humans and ravens come together to bring a message of peace and hope to those who take the time to absorb the book's message."
The book's cover art was created by Fred-Christian Freer, a Fairbanks artist who lives near a spot the white raven has been known to visit.
"I haven't really seen it but I'm consistently on the search for it," Freer said.
What the artist has experienced is a connection with Schlegelmilch's story.
"Zak's emotion with respect to his experience, his trauma is very powerful. It translates into a human element which I think is very neat," he said. "I understand where he's coming from."
Referring to the book's culminating interaction between humans and ravens, Freer described it as "very symbolic, one of those things that you'd love to see, but if someone ever told you about it, you probably wouldn't believe it unless you saw it."
Operating Full Spectrum Studios from his Fairbanks home, Freer works in a variety of mediums, but paints mostly with acrylic paints. His favorite subject: ravens.
"They're unique birds, a favorite of Alaskans. One of the big, huge birds that are here in wintertime," Freer said. "There's a mystique about them. They have a definite personality."
"Raven's Light" began as a much shorter story four years ago when Schlegelmilch was living in the Matanuska Valley, before she moved to Homer.
"Then, my publisher became interested in it and thought I should add some conflict. So, I aggressively worked on it and expanded it to double the size," she says.
Of the finished work, the author says, "It sort of describes the human struggle that many of us have to face on different levels. It's not like a goodie-two-shoes self-help book. It's entertaining. Very visual. Very descriptive. Very tuned in to nature."
Since writing "Raven's Light," Schlegelmilch has been chosen as the September 2008 "author of the month" by the Fairbanks Arts Association. She has been invited to be a speaker and sign copies of the book at the association's Book Fest in June. Book signings of "Raven's Light" also have been scheduled at Fireside Books in Palmer, May 16, and Border's Books in Anchorage, May 17. During Memorial Day weekend, Schlegelmilch will join other authors at a book signing at the Anchor Point Wildlife Museum.
The author already is busy with her next book, "Gaston's Crow Nest."
"It's going to be about eagles and happens in Homer and beyond," she said. "It also has people. It's sort of the same kind of thing, but with a different theme."
Schlegelmilch also is the author of "Solo Flite," a children's book about the Iditarod.
"I donated that as a fund-raiser to the Blood Bank of Alaska and the Joe Reddington Museum," she said. "It's sold more than 3,000 copies and has done well."
For more information on Schlegelmilch and her books, visit the Web at www.publicationconsultants.com.
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com.
