MADreads

For the next heatwave

July 3rd, 2006 Liz - Central Library

I read Final Frontiersman: Heimo Korth and His Family, Alone in Alaska’s Arctic Wilderness by James Campbell while on vacation in Texas a year and a half ago in 100 degree heat. Author Jim visits his cousin Heimo in the vast wilderness of Alaska during winter, spring and summer. We see just how hard it is to truly live off the land, as Korth and his family do (mainly by hunting and trapping, then selling furs to buy the non-meat necessities.) Heimo, his wife Edna and his two daughters are true keepers of the land, moving their homestead periodically to not overhunt one particular area. We hear of the bliss of living this life so close to nature as well as the difficulties that come from such isolation. The author’s pictures demonstrate the beauty of the tundra and the family’s bond. There’s something about reading about frigid weather that keeps you cool– so try this book next time the thermostat surges.

Entry Filed under: Nonfiction