By Tony Potter Staff Writer tpotter@hibbingdailytribune.net
HIBBING — What started as a hobby, has
turned into more than one Minnesota woman could’ve ever imagined.
A.L. “Sandy” Sanderson, 78, began writing
about her fascination — Minnesota history — after she retired about 20 years
ago. And now that infatuation with her home state
has produced not one, but two published books. The books, titled “Timber” and “The Last Dance” are
fictional, but vaguely resemble the lives of Sanderson, her parents and
grandparents.
When she first took up the hobby of writing,
her focus was on “The Last Dance,” which is a bittersweet romance. Then Sanderson decided that an
action-packed story would be more interesting. She switched gears and began
writing, “Timber,” which is an “adventurous page turner” about a boy who comes
to the northern region of Minnesota to work in the timber industry.
Despite the countless hours Sanderson put
into the two stories, she said publishing them was never her intention. That was until her husband passed away
and she moved in with her daughter, Susan Bissonette, who urged her to publish
them. “I always told her they were good, but she
never believed me,” Bissonette said. “Now she does.”
After those years of encouragement from her
daughter Susan and Sanderson published “Timber” in February 2013. She recently
launched her second book, “The Last Dance,” on Dec. 7. Sanderson said the recently published
book serves as a good sequel to her first novel. “It’s really a love story about descendents of the people in
‘Timber,’” she said. “How they tried to make a living and support their
families by farming the land that used to grow timber.”
The story of “The Last Dance” resembles how both
Sanderson’s parents and grandparents struggled to raise families by farming on
post-timber land in Hinckley, Minn. and Milaca, Minn. “Farming that land was difficult because it doesn’t like to
grow crops. It’s made for timber,” she said. “The soil in that area is not
rich, and instead rather rocky.”
But the struggle of farming on land formerly
populated with a forest of white pine isn’t all that inspired Sanderson to
write these books. She noted that her grandparents were immigrants from Sweden. “I’ve always thought about what it
must’ve been like to leave your home and cross the ocean on a big ship,” she
said. “Then you arrive in a new land where you don’t know the native language
or what could happen….that takes a lot of guts.”
Readers seem to share a similar interest,
Sanderson said.
“People tell me they love both books even
though they are so different,” she said.
Sanderson said that even though the books
have a stronger connection to Milaca and Aitkin, Iron rangers can still relate
to it.
“What the books are really about is
struggling to survive in a place that’s beautiful but doesn’t make lots of
millionaires,” she said, adding that the timber industry spread into Hibbing
and Grand Rapids. “I think that Iron Rangers loved their land just as I do.”
And a lot of people have connections to the
timber industry, Bissonette said.
“It’s surprising how many people come up to
us and say, ‘My uncle was a lumberjack’ or ‘I had a relative who was in the
Great Hinckley Fire,’” she said.
In honor of the release of Sanderson’s
second book, she will be holding book signings on Saturday, Dec. 21, in Hibbing
and Grand Rapids. Bissonette is
inviting everyone to come visit her and her mom at either book signing. “It’s such a great time of the year to
pick up a good book,” she said. “Lots of people are stuck inside, and there is
nothing better to do than to cuddle up with a good book.” Sanderson agreed.
“The most pleasure I get out of this process
is to talk to someone who read one of my books,” she said. “It’s not about the
money. I want as many people to read my books as possible, because that’s so
rewarding.” The book signing is
going to be a lot of fun, Sanderson said.
“I don’t know how many people get excited at 78, but I’m very excited,”
she beamed. “I’m looking forward
to seeing all of the faces and talking to other about my books.”
•••
Book signing for Author A.L. Sanderson, who
wrote the books “Timber” and “The Last Dance.”
Hibbing
• When: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec.
21
• Where: Howard Street Booksellers, 115
Howard St.
Grand Rapids
• When: 12:30 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21
• Where: Village Book Store, Central Square
Mall
