Inside Raven's Light

Zak was just like any other care free raven living in the Mat-Su Valley, until one day, on vacation, he caught the aftermath of a massive oil spill. The horrifying experience changed his life, and light, forever.

Unable to face the enormity of the disaster that killed many of his close feathered friends, Zak loses faith in mankind and his own purpose in the world. That is, until he catches a glimpse of the infamous white raven.

“Raven’s Light,” a new book by Marianne Schlegelmilch, is a tale of Zak’s struggle dealing with his loss, a glimpse into the world of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a glimpse of a raven growing up in the Valley.

Unlike Schlegelmilch’s previous children’s book, “Solo Flite,” the themes in “Raven’s Light” are much more adult oriented this time around, but that was her intent.

Schlegelmilch began “Raven’s Light” last September, writing each of the book’s nine chapters to represent a different month in the Valley.

The book is chock full of human and animal characters, including the on-the-edge Zak and many of his bird pals.

“It’s an allegorical tale where each chapter is an independent chapter, yet they’re interwoven together,” Schlegelmilch said. “Zak is conflicted when he sees this tragedy of his friends dying and starts berry binging and engaging in risky behaviors. He gets this jaded attitude towards humans and starts losing his zest for life.”

In the book, Zak hears about a mythical white raven living in Fairbanks and decides to search him out. When he eventually does meet the rare bird, his dark and damaged outlook on life, and humans, changes.

Schlegelmilch said she doesn’t believe “Raven’s Light” carries a heavy political theme, despite hot-topic issues discussed throughout the 95 page novel.

Oil spill destruction, gun control, and binge eating are subjects highlighted by Schlegelmilch. She said the book is more or less a retrospective of life in the Valley and an homage to those living with PTSD, namely war veterans, who Schlegelmilch dedicates “Raven’s Light” too.

“As a nurse, I faced life and death situations all the time,” she said. “Writing is a way to express myself. Veterans are good people that will never be the same because of their service, so I decided to dedicate my book to them.”

Raised in Flint, Mich., home of documentary film maker Michael Moore, Schlegelmilch moved to Alaska and fell in love with the wonders of its wilderness. She unexpectedly moved back to Michigan to fulfill obligations in 1981, but vowed to return. She came back to the Mat-Su Valley in 1995 an according to her, it was not soon enough.

“We moved to Michigan initially to be near the family,” she said. “The minute we got there we tried to get back.”

Now living in Homer, Schlegelmilch, a retired registered nurse, turned her attention to writing full time, something she’s done for years but never honed in on until recently.

In 2002, Schlegelmilch released “Solo Flite,” a story about a puppy that gets an opportunity to race in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, and donated the proceeds from the sales to help fund the Blood Bank of Alaska.

While working at the Blood Bank of Alaska, Schlegelmilch said she would watch the ravens overhead each day with amazement. She had heard about a rare raven that lived in Fairbanks and decided to start writing a legend about the unusual bird.

“It was fairly short and done quickly,” she said. “I chose to make my legend a tribute to veterans and an example of the inherent ability of the human spirit to survive. It’s also full of occurrences happening in the Valley around that time.”

Schlegelmilch tucked her short story in the drawer, eventually sending to her publisher last fall. Her publisher enjoyed the fable about the white raven, but suggested the piece be expanded.

“He wanted me to add a conflict,” she said. “Posttraumatic stress disorder was active with veterans’ groups, so I wove it around my theme. The book is not about posttraumatic stress disorder so much, but the main character mirrors its symptoms.”

Schlegelmilch said “Raven’s Light” seeks to help people generate a better understanding of PTSD, a disorder that effects not only war veterans, but many who have suffered human struggles in their lives.

In one chapter, Zak wonders why the moose in the winter were acting so happy when he was so restless and irritable. Schlegelmilch writes:

“He thought the change in him started right after the oil spill. He remembered wondering then if he had been exposed to some toxic fumes that had affected his mind. Coming back to the beaches, he noticed unpredictable impatience and hostility surfacing in his otherwise playful personality, especially towards humans. He started doing risky things.”

Schlegelmilch is working on two other books and said she is never at a loss for creative writing ideas.

“This one is definitely a story of hope,” she said. “The white raven comes to symbolize this. But it’s also about facing human struggles and surviving.”

Schlegelmilch said the book is geared for teens or older and has already received a good response back from friends.

“People are telling me it describes how they feel,” she said. “Yet they say it’s not a preachy self help book either. That works for me.”

The cover of “Raven’s Light,” was illustrated by artist Fred-Christian Freer of Full Spectrum Studios in Fairbanks. The image is inspired by the clarity and serenity Zak finally finds in the chapter entitled “Heart of the White Raven.”

“I’ve found a new passion, that’s for sure,” she said. “I’m not limited to just one genre like other writers, which I think broadens the imagination for me.”

Schlegelmilch will sign copies of “Raven’s Light” at Fireside Books in Palmer from 4 to 6 p.m. on May 16.

Contact J.J. Harrier at valleylife@frontiersman.com.