When the steamship Portland docked in Seattle harbour in 1897, a group of scruffy men and women dressed in rough northern garb walked down the gangplank. There was nothing remarkable about them, except they were dragging sacks stuffed with a half-million dollars' worth of gold. One of these travelers was Ethel Berry, who had helped mine of the richest claims in the Klondike. She was only one of the hundreds of women who joined the hordes of dreamers risking their lives in search of Yukon gold. Never before have the stories of these adventurous women been brought together. Women of the Klondike explores the critical roles women played during the gold rush. Frances Backhouse delves into the lives of these diverse individuals - entrepreneurs, miners, teachers, doctors, nurses, and journalists. Through diaries, letters, memoirs, newspaper accounts, and archival photographs, Backhouse presents an intimate look at women in the Klondike. " This lively work is an essential addition to the growing bookshelf of Klondike history. I read it with enormous interest. " - Pierre Berton

Frances Backhouse studied biology in university and worked as a park naturalist and as a biologist before becoming an environmental journalist and author. Her six previous books include Once They Were Hats: In Search of the Mighty Beaver and Children of the Klondike, which won the 2010 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her partner, Mark Zuehlke, who is also a writer. Frances loves exploring the natural world both close to home and far away, especially when those explorations involve tent-camping. If there’s a beaver habitat nearby, it’s even better.

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