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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
A story about “home” and places I’ve grown up around, I found myself often putting myself in the authors shoes and wondering if I could also leave behind the bustling city and be more self sufficient. Beautifully written, a book to be savored and enjoyed while immersing yourself in the quiet of nature.
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
On days that I become overly frustrated with society, people, their demands, and burdens, I've imagined escaping to a cabin in the woods by myself. Thanks to Anne LaBastille and her book Woodswoman, I can see my escape as one that works better in my imagination. After she was divorced, LaBastille bought two acres in the Adirondacks and built her cabin, mainly by herself. She lived there without electricity, running water, a phone, or indoor plumbing. She not only coped with the hardships, she seemed to welcome them and thrive. The cold winters were lonely with only her dog for company, and Anne is honest in her recounting. She writes as someone who appreciates nature and her place in it, but also doesn't present her life as idyllic. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
How I wish to fly with the geese away from dreary November days, the "freeze-up," and cruel winter. Away from loneliness, isolation, and anxiety bred by blizzards. Most every local person I've talked to grudgingly admits to an autumn apprehension. It is part and parcel of an Adirondacker's psychological makeup. The geese contaminate us with this strange depression on their southbound flight and cure us with their northbound. In between, we try to tolerate winter, each in his or her own way.
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Annie LaBastille is a courageous naturalist and scientist that works hard to enjoy her life. The description of wildlife and nature around her small mountain community on Bear Lake. I especially enjoyed her description of living in Washington DC for a stint. The book also has strong feminist and forward thinking ideas that are refreshing to see.
I found her writing style and the organization to be a bit of a drag. Very awesome story, though.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
This was a good blend of her personal emotions & feelings living alone in the Adirondacks with a more distanced view of the wildlife and nature. The ecosystems and species were described elegantly and beautifully, but her personal life experiences along the railroad, or mixed up in winter storms, or with certain people she met along the way keep the book real and readable.
The part that stuck with me the most was her discussion of being an independent woman, pretty much completely capable of doing everything herself to survive alone. She discusses how proud she is of herself that she is capable of chopping her own wood, performing her own basic repairs on her car, and building her own log cabin. But at the same time, she discusses how this has actually led in ways to make her more alienated from others, especially men. It has been difficult for some men to be around her if they cannot perform the same physical tasks that she can; they often feel threatened and end up distancing themselves. She stuck with it and for her, her independence was more important.
The part that stuck with me the most was her discussion of being an independent woman, pretty much completely capable of doing everything herself to survive alone. She discusses how proud she is of herself that she is capable of chopping her own wood, performing her own basic repairs on her car, and building her own log cabin. But at the same time, she discusses how this has actually led in ways to make her more alienated from others, especially men. It has been difficult for some men to be around her if they cannot perform the same physical tasks that she can; they often feel threatened and end up distancing themselves. She stuck with it and for her, her independence was more important.