Synopses & Reviews
In this wilderness classic, the quintessential Alaskan frontiersman relates his experiences from over twenty years as a homesteader. As New York Newsday has said of his work, "If Alaska had not existed, Haines might well have invented it."
Review
"A powerful, beautifully articulated love of the land....An existence as near to that half-mythic thing we celebrate as the 'frontier experience' as could be found anywhere in the 20th century." Washington Post Book World
Review
"Such a life may not be possible again. So it is good that a writer of Mr. Haines's rare vision and poetic eloquence lived this life, and good that he has shared it." New York Times Book Review
Review
"An invaluable addition to American literature." Booklist (starred review)
About the Author
John Haines is a poet, essayist, and teacher. He is the author of numerous books, including The Owl in the Mask of the Dreamer: Collected Poems and Fables and Distances: New and Selected Essays. Haines has recently received an American Academy of Arts and Letters award in literature, and a Fellowship of The Academy of American Poets for distinguished poetic achievement. He lived in Alaska for many years and currently lives in Montana.