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420 reviews for:
Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North
Blair Braverman
3.89 AVERAGE
420 reviews for:
Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North
Blair Braverman
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
It was a little tricky to track where we were in time, in the audio version - but overall a really lovely, reflective, engrossing memoir
an entertaining memoir by a fascinating woman who has thus far led a fascinating life. and she's only 29!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Blair Braverman is a wonderful and fascinating and inspiring woman in the outdoor sphere and it was really cool to learn about what put her on this journey. The book reflected on being a woman in a male dominated space and also dealt with challenging personal experiences with sexual assault & trauma. The book was a bit disjointed at times and I felt the jumping back and forth between linear time a little hard to follow. I really resonated with Blair's description of love and (be)longing to a land.
I first discovered Blair via her dogsled racing Twitter account, so I was surprised how little this book had to do with insane winter sports on the surface. It's actually a memoir of what it's like to grow up as a young woman who desperately wants to be brave in a world of men -- which is mostly what she wants the courage to deal with.
Everyone who used to be a young woman will be yanked back to the queasy feeling of being watched, weighed for sexual potential, touched with varying intents, and talked to -- talked down to, talked around, talked to death, talked nonsense to. Despite the matter-of-fact sexual content, the very worst parts of the book are Braverman's depictions of being gaslit by men who she needed to trust as a matter of survival.
The author steadfastly refuses to regard herself as any kind of victim, and hoards her sense of agency like a secret stash of chocolate -- but potential readers should consider a trigger warning. In the final analysis, the story of Blair's youth does in fact end up answering the question "How did you become a dogsled racer?"... just not in the way I expected.
Everyone who used to be a young woman will be yanked back to the queasy feeling of being watched, weighed for sexual potential, touched with varying intents, and talked to -- talked down to, talked around, talked to death, talked nonsense to. Despite the matter-of-fact sexual content, the very worst parts of the book are Braverman's depictions of being gaslit by men who she needed to trust as a matter of survival.
The author steadfastly refuses to regard herself as any kind of victim, and hoards her sense of agency like a secret stash of chocolate -- but potential readers should consider a trigger warning. In the final analysis, the story of Blair's youth does in fact end up answering the question "How did you become a dogsled racer?"... just not in the way I expected.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape
Minor: Physical abuse, Violence
challenging
dark
fast-paced
I love books about personal adventure to the "great unknown" and memoirs especially because it makes me feel like I could do that if I wanted but this book hit home in a way that was completely not expecting. it brought tears to my eyes when I related to the heartbreaking aspects and realizations that the author made but also when she found kindness in strangers that I could only dream of. Highly recommend this book!!
Braverman’s voice is unique and vivid. It was a gift to inhabit her world while reading.
I first heard of Blair Braverman when I stumbled upon her Twitter account completely by accident. I feel in love with her strength and sense of adventure, and her love and care for her dogs. When I found out that she had written a book, I bought it immediately, and started reading it as she was racing in her very first Iditarod.
I loved this book. Blair writes with honesty and vulnerability, and it took my breath away. It gave me the longing to do something grand with my life. To fight past my own traumas. It's everything I needed right now.
Read this if you need a reminder that we all have hidden strength, or that you are capable of accomplishing anything if you keep working towards it.
I loved this book. Blair writes with honesty and vulnerability, and it took my breath away. It gave me the longing to do something grand with my life. To fight past my own traumas. It's everything I needed right now.
Read this if you need a reminder that we all have hidden strength, or that you are capable of accomplishing anything if you keep working towards it.