(From Chapter One)

      Seas roared over Toby. He clung to a stanchion and struggled to hold his breath. Wind battered his face. Spitting saltwater, he gasped and drew great breaths of air into his lungs. He pulled himself higher on the stay. Rubbing moisture from his brow, he strained to catch a glimpse of the others. An ominous hissing came from his left. Water thundered in his ears and ripped him from the quivering wire. He clawed his way through the blackness until he broke the surface. Gulping greedily of salt-laden air, he flailed at the water to keep his head above the waves.
      To his left he spotted the Hope on its side, breaking up in a smother of spray. Toby glimpsed his son struggling in streaks of foam. "Roger! Roger!" Wind ripped the words from his mouth. Thrashing at the water, he struggled to reach him. Everything seemed to freeze in place. He stared, horrified, as Roger was swept away in the maddening surf, eyes wide with terror against his pale face.
      Toby struggled, spitting saltwater to clear his mouth. He sensed rather than saw a towering reef throw spume into the air. He rammed the rocks, a numbing shock jarred his breath away. Refilling his lungs with a gasping breath, he clawed through the slippery seaweed. Barnacles ripped his fingers. An anguished cry burst from clenched teeth as he struggled to grip a boulder. Another breaker slammed him into the rocks. Waves thundered over him until he felt his chest would burst. His head broke the surface, water streamed by his ears with a roar. Gasping, he hung on while the sea pulled at him, trying to drag him back….

Reviews:

      "A rollicking good read! Larson writes so vividly you'll find yourself strapped to the characters' backs, nerving out their lives and howling through their perils. The book carries you through riveting crises on boats on the high seas, and takes the reader ashore with crew members as they carry their messy lives forward onto foreign shores."      --The Alaskan Southeaster

      "Half Native American, half white, Toby Jensen doesn't feel he belongs in either world. A shaman tells him of his vision of Toby leaving Alaska, finding evil in the outside world, but ultimately finding peace.
     "From The Wilderness is a vivid and fast-moving novel tracing Toby's journey from his home in Alaska to his adventures at sea and in port. As captain of an ocean-going tug, he proves himself as good as any man. On shore, he's treated like just another drunken Indian.
     "Drawing on personal experience, Native American writer Larson masterfully tells the story of Toby's descent into despair and struggle to redemption, while addressing tough issues of racism, alcoholism, crooked cops and dirty union politics in this riveting first novel."     --Laughing Bear Newsletter

     "A child of two worlds, yet belonging to neither, half-breed Toby Jensen sets out from the wilderness of Alaska on a tumultuous quest to find his place in the white man's world. Fulfilling an aged shaman's vision, he leaves the land of the Smoking Hills, embarking on a journey through a world fraught with danger, beautiful women and high seas adventure.
     "From The Wilderness is a fascinating tale of spirituality, romance and gut-wrenching action. Highly recommended!"         --Midwest Book Review