Years of the Forest (A Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book) - Softcover

Hoover, Helen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0816631301 ISBN 13: 9780816631308

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press, 1999

Synopsis

These are some of the items that Adrian Hoover jotted down on his to-do list, soon after he and his wife, Helen, gave up urban comforts for the deeper delights of the wilderness in 1954. The Years of the Forest by Helen Hoover elaborates on that deceptively short list and describes the difficulties inherent in accomplishing each of those tasks. In fact, it would take sixteen years to check off every item. This is the story of the Hoovers' education in wilderness housekeeping, and of the surprising challenges they faced at each step.There are priceless hints and how-to's for solving the problems of living close to nature and on good terms with one's neighbors -- bluejays, weasels, field mice, and deer. There is plenty of magic in this guide, delightfully illustrated by Adrian Hoover. Now in paperback for the first time, this book tells the story of going bark to the land, with all its rough edges and incomparable rewards.

About this title

From the Publisher

Minnesota author tells a tale of everyday life in the woods.
"Clear brush and paths. Lay hardwood floor. Install wiring. Make a living. Take a vacation."

These are some of the items that Adrian Hoover jotted down on his to-do list, soon after he and his wife, Helen, gave up urban comforts for the deeper delights of the wilderness in 1954. The Years of the Forest by Helen Hoover elaborates on that deceptively short list and describes the difficulties inherent in accomplishing each of those tasks. In fact, it would take sixteen years to check off every item on the list. This is the story of the Hoovers’ education in wilderness housekeeping and of the surprising challenges they faced at each step.

There are priceless hints and how-to’s for solving the problems of living close to nature and on good terms with one’s neighbors—bluejays, weasels, field mice, and deer. There is plenty of magic in this guide, delightfully illustrated by Adrian Hoover. Now in paperback for the first time, this book tells the story of going back to the land, with all its rough edges and incomparable rewards.

"Helen Hoover is a compassionate observer of the fauna and a sensitive, poetic chronicler of what she saw and felt. . . . A wistful, appealing, and very personal account of paradise lost." New York Times

"Hoover’s sensitivity and appreciation of the ways of nature, together with her emphasis on the manner in which nature renews itself, enhance her beautiful book. Warm and unsentimental, Years of the Forest stands in a class by itself." Minneapolis Tribune

"Laced with humor and sparkling with philosophy, Hoover’s story entertains while it teaches. New readers will find a fresh reading experience, bound to intrigue and inspire." Philadelphia Inquirer

"Helen Hoover is one of those rare writers who can describe the natural world warmly, intimately, and affectionately without being in the least sentimental or childish. A lot of north woods writing is in the boys' adventure story vein, telling of a romantic land in which the sunsets are always glorious, the wolves are always howling, and nobody ever heard of black flies or mosquitoes. Helen Hoover offers a grown-up's version of the same world; not surprisingly, it lingers longer in the memory." Paul Gruchow, author of Journal of a Prairie Year and Boundary Waters: The Grace of the Wild

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0816631301
• ISBN 13: 9780816631308
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336