Tessa Speaks Her Truth

Trapped in her seat, nine year old Tessa looked out at the snow covered peaks far below. She smiled, knowing this aerial view meant school had finally ended and she would now be able to spend the summer with her Dad in Alaska. It hadn't always been this way. She had once called Alaska home but now she spent her summers with her Dad and the remainder of the year with her Mom in Oregon. Little did she know, that this summer would be like none other. A shy boy from Unalakleet becomes a friend. A mysterious death, considered a closed case, is solved. Most importantly, Tessa learns to speak her truth without apology.

Trapped in her seat, nine year old Tessa looked out at the snow covered peaks far below. She smiled, knowing this aerial view meant school had finally ended and she would now be able to spend the summer with her Dad in Alaska. It hadn't always been this way. She had once called Alaska home but now she spent her summers with her Dad and the remainder of the year with her Mom in Oregon. Little did she know, that this summer would be like none other. A shy boy from Unalakleet becomes a friend. A mysterious death, considered a closed case, is solved. Most importantly Tessa learns t speak her truth without apology.

Toni Faubion Truesdell was raised in Oregon and transplanted to Alaska as a young mother of two nearly fifty years ago. She is a self-proclaimed logophile (lover of words) and has practiced the art since childhood. After many years assisting in the classroom of special needs students, Toni is now retired and enjoying the luxury of extra time to pursue her first love, writing. Her poetry, commentaries, and articles have been published in local periodicals and in her own hometown newspaper. She now resides in the pristine town of Palmer, Alaska, with her husband Lee, and their furry felines.