The Winter Solstice of 2024 feels like a fitting time to look back over the past year at 100% Proof, introducing some of the brilliant writers I’ve met and the wonderful projects I’ve had the privilege to be trusted with.

This first post, though, is a throwback to 2021 and Melissa L. Cook’s fascinating memoir, The Call of the Last Frontier, which charts her experiences as a teacher with a young family working in a remote Alaskan town. It’s a tender, detailed and sometimes terrifying account of life in one of the world’s harshest climates; a tale of pushing limits and working through adversity, woven through with insights and historical detail about Alaska’s rich history.

Since Melissa’s memoir was published in October of 2021, it has won the Western Horizon Award, been a finalist in the High Plains book award, and has sold over 10,000 copies.

The Call of the Last Frontier is available now at http://www.melissacook.us