A state of mind: C.B. Bernard will be in Mystic Sunday to talk about his book "Chasing Alaska: A Portrait of the Last Frontier Then and Now." The author says the book shares "two visions of Alaska: one formed by Captain Joe Bernard, an ancestor who sailed the Arctic when it remained a blank spot on the map, fighting for survival and living off his rifle and traps; and my own, formed a century later using Joe's journals to guide my own explorations of northern woods and waters."

Highly recommended: "Chasing Alaska" was named a top choice for spring by National Geographic, and it was a top 10 travel pick by Publishers Weekly.

Connections: Bernard's wife, Kim Pukstas Bernard, grew up in Westerly, and her parents, Chris and Barbara Pukstas, still live there. Bernard, meanwhile, grew up in Massachusetts and now lives in Portland, Oregon.

- KRISTINA DORSEY

C.B. Bernard, 3 p.m. Sunday, Bank Square Books, 53 W. Main St., Mystic; author of "Chasing Alaska: A Portrait of the Last Frontier Then and Now" talks about and reads from his book; cbbernard.com.