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Velma Wallis’s “Two Old Women” is a haunting and inspiring tale based on an Alaskan Athabascan legend that has been passed down through generations. This slim but mighty novel tells the story of two elderly women who are abandoned by their tribe during a harsh winter and must find the strength to survive on their own.
What makes this book so compelling is how Wallis transforms what could have been a simple survival story into a profound meditation on human dignity, the value we place on our elders, and the incredible power of determination. The two women, Ch’idzigyaak and Sa’, are initially portrayed as burdens to their struggling tribe, but their abandonment becomes the catalyst for an extraordinary transformation.
The survival elements are gripping – watching these women rediscover skills they thought they’d lost and find inner strength they didn’t know they still possessed kept me turning pages late into the night. But beyond the physical survival, this is really a story about emotional and spiritual resilience.
Wallis writes with a spare, almost folkloric style that perfectly suits the legendary nature of the story. Her prose feels rooted in oral tradition, giving the narrative an timeless quality that makes the themes feel both ancient and completely relevant to our modern world.
This book made me reflect deeply on how we treat aging in our society and the wisdom we often overlook in our elders. It’s a quick read at just over 100 pages, but the impact lingers long after you finish.
Perfect for readers who enjoyed: “The Snow Child” by Eowyn Ivey, “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens, or anyone interested in Indigenous storytelling and survival narratives.