Wealth Woman - by Deb Vanasse (Paperback)

About the Book

With the first headlines that screamed "Gold! Gold! Gold!" the rush to the Klondike quickly became the stuff of legend. It was the Wild West all over again, the cowboy hero recast as prospector. Four key figures are linked to the gold that set off the stampede: George Carmack, his Tagish wife Kate Carmack (born Shaaw Tlaa), her brother Skookum Jim, and their nephew Dawson Charlie. Of these, Kate has received the least recognition, even though she played a pivotal role in the events that led to the Klondike stampede.
In this recovery of a key historical figure, Vanasse explores the early life of Kate, the years she spent with George before the Klondike discovery, her meeting of almost every key figure in gold rush history, and the experiences in Washington and California that brought her into a world she could scarcely have imagined.
Four years after he set off the rush, Carmack abandoned his wife at a California ranch. Illiterate and thousands of miles from her home, Kate fought for her wealth, her family, and her reputation.
Through a fortuitous combination of correspondence, legal proceedings, ethnographic study, and the generosity of Kate's Tagish-Tlingit relatives, the story of Kate Carmack can finally be told. The first popular rendering of the Klondike Gold Rush from the perspective of those who were there first-, her biography gives voice to a survivor who, against all odds, ultimately reclaimed her true wealth.
Vanasse brings a novelist's skill to a multifaceted and deeply researched story. Here is a complex portrait of an important historical figure overshadowed by the rush to Klondike gold.

Book Synopsis

With the first headlines screaming "Gold! Gold! Gold!" in 1896, the Klondike Gold Rush was on-and it almost instantly became the stuff of legend. One of the key figures in the early discoveries that set off the gold rush was the Tagish wife of prospector George Carmack, Kate Carmack, whose fascinating story is told in full here for the first time.

In Wealth Woman, Deb Vanasse recounts Kate's life from her early years on the frontier with George, through the history-making discovery of gold, and on to her subsequent fame, when she traveled alone down the West Coast through Washington and California, telling her story and fighting for her wealth, her family, and her reputation. Recovering the lost story of a true pioneer and a fiercely independent woman, Wealth Woman brings gold rush Alaska to life in all its drama and glory.

Review Quotes

"A blend of narrative nonfiction and biography that offers the first in-depth look at Kate Carmack's life. The book is a formidable feat of research."

"An excellent example of the new western history that seeks to recover previously marginalized voices."

"Caught in the whirlwind of the gold rush in Alaska was Kate Carmack, the Tagish Indian wife of prospector George Carmack. Either Kate, her husband, or her brother found the nugget of gold that set off the Klondike Gold Rush. The truth is lost to history, as she almost was. Fiction author Vanasse became fascinated with Kate and spent three years combing through historical records, oral histories, and memories of family members to rediscover the life of this remarkable woman. . . . A very enjoyable biography of a woman on the cusp of change in the North. Recommended."


"This is a riveting story told by a brilliant writer."

"Vanasse's carefully researched, beautifully written biography, Wealth Woman, helps to fill many of the information gaps in the chronology of Kate's event-filled multi-cultural life. . . . There is much to learn, enjoy, and recommend in this book."

Winner in "Women" Category

About the Author

Deb Vanasse lives outside Anchorage and is a cofounder of the 49 Alaska Writing Center. Her previous books include Cold Spell, Black Wolf of the Glacier, and Lucy's Dance, all published by the University of Alaska Press.