True North: A Journey Into Unexplored Wilderness
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Book Overview
An enthralling survival memoir "of a running fight against the forces of nature" and "the joys of wild life"--for lovers of nature and off-grid adventure (Kirkus Reviews)
In the 1930s, a couple abandons the daily grind for a winters-long trek with native trappers through one of the most remote regions of Canada. While many people dream of abandoning civilization and heading into the wilderness, few manage to actually do it. One exception was 24-year-old Elliott Merrick, who in 1929 left his advertising job in New Jersey and moved to Labrador, one of Canada's most remote regions. True North tells the captivating story of one of the high points of Merrick's years there: a hunting trip he and his wife, Kay, made with trapper John Michelin in 1930. Covering 300 miles over a harsh winter, they experienced an unexplored realm of nature at its most intense and faced numerous challenges. Merrick accidentally shot himself in the thigh and almost cut off his toe. Freezing cold and hunger were constant. Nonetheless, the group found beauty and even magic in the stark landscape. The couple and the trappers bonded with each other and their environment through such surprisingly daunting tasks as fabricating sunglasses to avoid snow blindness and learning to wash underwear without it freezing. Merrick's intimate style, rich with narrative detail, brings readers into a dramatic story of survival and shares the lesson the Merricks learned: that the greatest satisfaction in life can come from the simplest things.
In the 1930s, a couple abandons the daily grind for a winters-long trek with native trappers through one of the most remote regions of Canada. While many people dream of abandoning civilization and heading into the wilderness, few manage to actually do it. One exception was 24-year-old Elliott Merrick, who in 1929 left his advertising job in New Jersey and moved to Labrador, one of Canada's most remote regions. True North tells the captivating story of one of the high points of Merrick's years there: a hunting trip he and his wife, Kay, made with trapper John Michelin in 1930. Covering 300 miles over a harsh winter, they experienced an unexplored realm of nature at its most intense and faced numerous challenges. Merrick accidentally shot himself in the thigh and almost cut off his toe. Freezing cold and hunger were constant. Nonetheless, the group found beauty and even magic in the stark landscape. The couple and the trappers bonded with each other and their environment through such surprisingly daunting tasks as fabricating sunglasses to avoid snow blindness and learning to wash underwear without it freezing. Merrick's intimate style, rich with narrative detail, brings readers into a dramatic story of survival and shares the lesson the Merricks learned: that the greatest satisfaction in life can come from the simplest things.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1556439091
ISBN13:9781556439094
Release Date:May 2010
Publisher:North Atlantic Books
Length:312 Pages
Weight:1.12 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 6.0" x 9.1"
Customer Reviews
4 ratings
True North
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
I haven't read the book yet (it's in a stack waiting)...but it arrived in a timely manner, in excellent shape. Thank you for your prompt service, as always.
Excellent tale...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I read some of the previous reviews before getting this and some were positive and some negative...I have to say I was very much pleased with the book, excellent story and tale with local dialogue to add an element of adventure and flair. I just really enjoyed the story and to see the hardships people faced...
If only I had lived then
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
This book will transcend you to a time and place that makes you feel at peace with nature. Merrick's writing is like poetry in motion. You will wish you could have been there to experience the times when he is at one with the universe. The people and places he is writing about no longer exist, which is the greatest pity of all.
A great read for lovers of the Canadian North
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
A fascinating book! A well written account by a man who traveled extensively in the Canadian North in the 1930s, just as the traditional remoteness that had characterized that world was ending with the introduction of planes and other technologies. Merrick was a keen and sympathetic friend of the North, its history and its Native peoples.
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