Read Andrea’s Other Books Now
Andrea’s debut novel is an inspiring story of how a single act of kindness can transform many lives.
An Echo Through the Snow follows Rosalie MacKenzie, a young woman adrift until she saves Smokey, a Siberian Husky living in deplorable conditions. Their bond leads them into the world of competitive dogsled racing in Northern Wisconsin, where Rosalie uncovers the poignant history of the Chukchi People of Siberia. Alternating between past and present, the novel weaves the story of a Chukchi family grappling with displacement by Stalin's Red Army in 1929 as they lose their time-honored way of life, and Rosalie's journey of self-discovery through her connection with Smokey, the sport of dogsledding, and the Chukchi People. It's a gripping tale of survival, healing, and the enduring bonds between humans and animals.
Praise for An Echo Through the Snow
"The author's love of dogs and the land comes shining through in this compelling and evocative novel...I read it straight through and couldn't put it down."
--Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., author of The Other End of the Leash
"Destined to become a classic."
---Susan Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of One Good Dog
In Fly by Night, when marine biologist Amelia Drakos loses funding for her Seahorse lab where she’s studied seahorses for more than two decades, she also learns of her late father’s other family. When economic necessity forces Amelia to take a lesser job as curator at the Mall of America’s Sea Life Aquarium, she relocates to Minneapolis and receives an email regarding an inherited property on Lake Superior from a Ted Drakos, who also claims to be a half-brother.
Accompanied by her lab partner Bryce, Amelia ventures to the property during a snowstorm and stumbles upon orphaned pups. She reluctantly seeks help from Ted, who lives nearby and is a wildlife biologist. As she bonds with the pups, who introduce chaos into her already wobbly life, Amelia grows fond of the Northwoods environment and learns of attempts to reinstate the wolf hunt and its impact on the local ecosystem.
She and Ted confront local poachers and engage in a political battle that draws them closer as they wrestle with issues of identity and abandonment and strive to find reconciliation and understanding in the face of personal and environmental challenges.
Traveling Light follows Paula Makaikis, whose life feels stagnant amidst a troubled marriage and a stale career as a demographer in New York City. Sleeping apart from her husband, Roger due to his hoarding issues, Paula finds comfort in feeding the birds outside her office window until a call from her friend Celeste sends her on an unexpected journey.
Tasked with translating for a dying homeless Greek man who insists she find his dog, Fotis, Paula's search leads her to an unexpected place. As she takes Fotis under her care, Paula leaves on a spontaneous road trip westward and eventually finds herself at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Minnesota. There, Paula discovers a passion for Raptor and Avian care and forms a closer bond with her mother, Eleni, who joins her after the woman’s failing eyesight causes her to lose a job working for a New York City furrier.
As Paula reconnects with Eleni, she learns profound truths about her family and begins to examine her marriage to Roger. "Traveling Light" is a tale of fate, family dynamics, and the transformative power of forgiveness that illustrates the possibilities that arise when one sheds the burdens holding them back and embraces new beginnings.
Praise for Traveling Light
“In her glorious new novel, Thalasinos has created a modern middle-aged woman living in two different worlds, neither of which is making her happy. Paula Makaikis has been sleeping on a basement couch for most of her 10-year marriage to a hoarder and has hidden this fact from her family and friends. Her job as Director of Immigrant Studies in New York City is equally frustrating, until she is asked to translate the words of a dying Greek elder with a dog named Fotis who only understands commands in the Greek language. Suddenly, Paula takes a leave of absence from her job, adopts Fotis, and begins a journey that eventually will take her to Grand Marais, Minnesota, and a raptor rehab center. Her discovery that humans and animals can relate to each other and heal even the most wounded of either party is what makes this amazing novel so powerful.”
—Kathleen Dixon, Islandtime Books & More, Washington Island, WI