Three Against the North

By Dianna Dorisi Winget

One girl yearning to prove herself. Another desperate to escape pain. A dog trying to save them both.

 

Penny Brighton despises being treated like a baby. Now that Papa is sending her to Alaska to stay with her uncle during the waning days of the Great Depression, she's thrilled by the chance to prove she's strong and capable. But her excitement turns to dread when she reaches Juneau and there's no one to meet her.  

Refusing to panic, she follows a deaf bull terrier to a boarding house and agrees to wash dishes in exchange for room and board while searching for her uncle. But when she meets Bitty, a young girl who's being forced to undergo painful medical treatments for a mysterious illness, Penny's determined to help. Then Bitty disappears during a blizzard and only Penny knows where she is.

 

Will she swallow her pride and accept help in order to save her friend, or will her unrelenting urge to play the hero cause her to risk Bitty's life?

 

Three Against the North is an engrossing historical fiction middle grade story. If you like fast paced adventure, courageous characters and dogs, you'll love Dianna Dorisi Winget's inspirational tale.

 

Buy Three Against the North to release your inner explorer today!

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dianna Dorisi Winget
• Release date: Sep 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781386470601

Dianna Dorisi Winget

Dianna Dorisi Winget writes fiction and non-fiction for young readers. She is a life-long resident of the Pacific Northwest and lives in the mountains of North Idaho with her husband and daughter. www.diannawinget.com

Book preview

Chapter One

Penny gripped the Aleutian’s icy rail as the ship plowed through the choppy waters of Gastineau Bay. Her tweed jacket offered scant protection from the chilling wind that burned her fingers and whipped her bare legs. I really mean it this time, Lord, she warned. This better finally be Juneau, or I swear I’ll jump overboard.

For the past hour, the steamer had been roiling through a long, narrow channel of water, edged on either side by towering evergreen forests topped with snowy mountains. Now, shadowy structures took shape through the early morning haze, a hopeful sign that this horrid trip might be over at last. But Penny’s hopes had been dashed more than once already. They’d briefly docked at Ketchikan, and some other place whose name she couldn’t recall. But both stops had lasted less than an hour without providing any chance to go ashore.

Penny bounced on her toes as the ship ever so slowly inched toward the grey structures. Finally, the fog parted to reveal dark, oily timbers anchoring the wooden docks of a wharf. Penny caught her breath. Two long piers extended out to deep water. Seconds later, a muted whistle joined the noise of churning engines and hissing steam.

Ladies and gentlemen, announced the static voice of the captain, welcome to Juneau.

Oh, yes! Thank you, thank you, Penny cheered, not caring in the least if any of her fellow passengers heard.

When Papa first revealed his plan to send Penny to stay with Uncle Brighton in Alaska, it sounded like a grand and glorious adventure. How many times had she and her friends rushed to the Seattle pier to watch a steamer depart for the North, waving their handkerchiefs and pretending to know one of the passengers? It was more fun than going to the theater.

After all, the official gold rush might be over, but The Seattle Times still brimmed with inspiring tales of the great unknown territory of Alaska. A land full of adventure, wealth and danger. A place without bread lines, where everyone had a job and plenty of money.

Papa said the real picture might not be as rosy as everyone painted it. But still, Penny couldn’t wait to see for herself. To travel on a real steamship—to experience glassy seas, keen salt air, and the thrill of getting to eat in the Aleutian’s famous dining room. Her excitement overpowered the panicky feeling the evening she left Papa and Griffin behind, their faces fading into the dusk as the ship moved out of Puget Sound into the cool blackness of the open ocean.

But the dream trip she’d anticipated turned out to be like opening a beautifully wrapped gift with nothing inside.

Oh, she’d experienced plenty of keen salt air all right—along with bone chilling winds, heaving ocean, and her own tossing stomach. After three miserable days curled up in her berth or retching over the ship’s railing, Penny didn’t care to ever set sail again.

Clunk-clunk-bang!

The Aleutian pushed aside chunks of bobbing ice as big as bureaus as it slowly lumbered into position along the dock. A group of men in rubber boots and rain gear waited to grab the mooring ropes. The next dock over, workers used a rattling crane to unload tarped pallets from a freighter ship.

Holy smokes! Penny shouted, cringing, as the swinging hook of the crane nearly knocked one of the men in the head. He dodged just in time. She exchanged a horrified look with a nearby passenger who’d also witnessed the incident.

Penny puffed out a breath. She’d only been here five minutes and already witnessed a near death. What would the rest of her visit bring?

She reached for her suitcase just as something white caught her eye and made her turn back to the rail. A small dog balanced alone at the end of the groaning dock, its ears tossed by the wind as it stared intently at the Aleutian. The loyal little dog was obviously waiting for someone, just like Griffin was back home waiting for her. Leaving him behind had been harder than leaving Papa. Papa knew where Penny was going and why. He knew they’d be back together soon. Griffin didn’t know any of that. Penny had done her best to explain, but she could tell by his normal happy hound expression, he didn’t understand.

But she couldn’t allow herself to pine for him right now, there were more pressing things to worry about … like getting off this horrid ship and finding Uncle Brighton.

She scanned the cluster of people who had come to meet the Aleutian. A few neatly dressed ladies waited with heavy shawls clutched around their shoulders. But most of the group were men, none of whom looked much like her uncle. Not that Penny had ever actually met her uncle, but Papa had shown her a picture. And none of these men were tall and slender, with thick enough brown hair or a bushy enough beard.

Penny looked farther up the dock. Where was Uncle Brighton? She knew he worked long hours at a gold mine, but Papa had assured her he’d be waiting. So why wasn’t he here? What would happen if he didn’t come?

She squeezed the pocket of her jacket and felt the comforting lump of money. Papa had dumped out all the coins from his Mason jar and exchanged them for two ten dollar bills—enough money for meals on the ship, and a little extra. But she’d been too seasick to eat anything except tea and an occasional apple, so she still had nineteen dollars. Was that enough for a hotel room? Penny tried to shake off her worry. She needed to get down to the dock where Uncle Brighton would have an easier time spotting her.

She clutched the handle of her leather suitcase and joined the short line of passengers waiting to disembark. Finally, the gangplank dropped into place with a tremendous CLANG and the line inched forward. When her turn finally came, Penny ignored the offered hand of the steward and took a joyful leap onto the swaying dock.

Two seconds later she crashed back onto her bottom with a loud OOOMPH!

Whoa there, miss, the steward said. Are you all right? He held out his gloved hand once more. Take a hold now, we all need a little help from time to time.

Penny scrambled to her feet and slapped down her dress, horrified. I’m fine, thank you, she mumbled, rushing past. Her hip throbbed, but at least there wasn’t any laughter. Either no one had witnessed her mortifying fall, or they were too polite to react. Even more miraculous, her suitcase hadn’t spilled open. She could just picture her underwear flying through the air and landing on the steward’s shiny black shoes. Wouldn’t that have been a fine end to an already brutal trip?

Penny tottered up the long dock with wide, careful steps, her suitcase banging painfully against her knees. All she’d packed were three changes of clothes, a photograph of her and Papa, comb and toothbrush, and her treasured copy of Black Beauty. How could so little weigh so much? Once she reached the end of the pier, she plunked the suitcase down and turned back for a better view of the small crowd.

The passengers mingled with friends and family, chattering and giving hugs. The white dog nosed happily among them, accepting pats from some, handouts from others. Maybe it hadn’t been waiting for anyone special, after all. Soon, everyone gathered up their belongings and began to move past Penny, some alone, others in small groups. A few polite nods and smiles were thrown her way, but there was no glint of recognition in anyone’s eyes, no meaningful looks in her direction.

No Uncle Brighton.

Penny swallowed. She was incredibly tired, and she missed Papa and Griffin. For the first time, the reality of the vast distance between