Ratings7
Average rating3.7
"A revelatory memoir of the author's efforts to develop the strength and resilience to survive in the demanding landscapes of Norway and Alaska describes her physically exhausting survival endeavors on a ruthless arctic tundra marked by violent natural and human threats."--NoveList.
Braverman recounts her efforts to develop the strength and resilience to survive in the demanding landscapes of Norway and Alaska. She left California to move to arctic Norway to learn to drive sled dogs, and found work as a tour guide on a glacier in Alaska. Developing strength and resilience that the landscape demanded of her, Braverman describes her physically exhausting survival endeavors on a ruthless arctic tundra marked by violent natural and human threats.
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I'll confess that it was the pictures of adorable sled dog puppies and her great Twitter handle, “Feminist Jack London,” that drew me to Blair Braverman's work. And while her memoir sadly has no pictures of adorable dogs, it has interesting stories about a youth and young adulthood spent trying to prove herself in the male-dominated world of the North. She has a confident writing style and relates the character of people in her life such as to draw you in and make you take notice. The fact that she explores her sexual awakening–or rather, her awakening to being sexualized by others, whether she liked it or not–was subtle and well done.
The time line occasionally confused me. How many trips to Malangen? I don't think that matters much to the book's readability, however, and would heartily recommend Braverman's book to those who read about adventures, snow and cold, coming of age, dogs, and feminism. (I'm down with everything but the snow and cold. brrrrrrrr.)