In this historical fiction novel, protagonist and narrator
Laura Dunagan was born into a gold prospecting family early in the twentieth
century. When she was sixteen, she lost her father to a mudslide while he was
seeking gold, and thus was sent to Chicago to live with her Uncle Joe. Laura
hated having left the gold prospecting business, although she learns that her
uncle made a fortune selling insurance, and was in fact the owner of the
biggest insurance company in the State of Illinois. While exploring her uncle’s
mansion one day, she stumbles upon his personal den, which led to the discovery
of a new life that would exceed that of gold-panning back in Alaska. She would
ultimately teach Uncle Joe six safety rules for prospecting gold that he could
apply to selling insurance, leading to a secret in discovering wealth.
The story opens with Laura being mistaken for a fisherman,
what with her wearing waders, when in reality she was selling whipped cream. After
her father’s demise, she would have her first experience in riding a train to
Chicago, which was for her a unique opportunity. However, she despises the
congested traffic of the city, nonetheless arriving at her Uncle Joe’s abode,
where she finds that he has a high standing with luminaries such as several
Illinois politicians. Initially she detests her new life, often dreaming of
being back home in Fairbanks, Alaska, although she slowly but surely adapts to
her new life, sharing her knowledge of gold-panning with her uncle that he
ultimately applies to his business, leading to success that wavers not until
his death. Overall, this is an enjoyable realistic novel, with the afterword
demonstrating that the author showed her work, which this reviewer would easily
recommend.
Ken Dunn is one of the leadership training world’s up and coming great speakers and trainers. An incredible hunger to learn and teach others has led Ken successfully through five different professional careers in the past 25 years.
Ken began a policing career at the age of 18. He was involved in the policing world’s most exhilarating and challenging disciplines, including undercover drug and surveillance work, S.W.A.T. teamwork, aggravated child abuse, frauds, aggravated assaults, illegal weapons smuggling and homicides.
Today, Ken regularly speaks to groups in the direct sales, mortgage, insurance and banking industries. He uses humor and his own experiences to inspire audiences around the world. Ken lives in Toronto, Canada, with his wife, Julie, and children Matthew and Laura.
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