Rating: 
Summary: I would even give this book 12 stars if possible
Review: I read the first "Woodswoman" autobiography in 1983 when it was published in German and I loved it from the first page on. LaBastille influenced me to focus more on pieceful trips to the country than to go on exploring big cities like Paris or Amsterdam. Thanks to her I heard about Henry David Thoreau and on my first US trip in 1988 I walked around Walden Pond.
When I read her second autobiography "Beyond Black Bear Lake", I was amazed that from the very vague description in the book some of her readers were able to find her log cabin. Until today I have no clue where she lives and I don`t need to know. All I want her to do is writing Part IV and Part V and if possible Part VI, too.
I was lucky to spend a few days of my long October trip in 1997 in the Adirondacks and when I returned to my favorite bookstore in Lake Placid, "The Pipe and More", I was delighted to find out that her third volume was just published, "Woodswoman III". I even got a signed paperback copy.
Now I can`t wait 2005 and Part IV being published...
Rating:
Summary: The life we'd all like to lead, if we had the chance.
Review: I read this book back in 1980 and it was such a kick back then to read about a female that really did do her own thing. The old saying "If you have your health you've got everything" doesn't really say it all. The rest of the saying should be, if you've got the beauty of nature and animals around you, you own the universe. And isn't this what we all want? Seclusion, privacy, quiet reflection and some serenity from this crazy cruel world we live in. This life that Anne has made for herself does not come cheap. It takes alot of money to appear to live with very little modern conveniences. You can't just throw up a cabin and start living, it takes money. And I think gradually she explains this very well. But the really interesting thing about this book is that Anne evolves from a kind of flower child/hippie living in the forest into a mature woman who has discovered how fragile our environment really is and the terrible damage we are doing to it. And that really is the message of the Woodswoman series.
Rating:
Summary: The life we'd all like to lead, if we had the chance.
Review: I read this book back in 1980 and it was such a kick back then to read about a female that really did do her own thing. The old saying "If you have your health you've got everything" doesn't really say it all. The rest of the saying should be, if you've got the beauty of nature and animals around you, you own the universe. And isn't this what we all want? Seclusion, privacy, quiet reflection and some serenity from this crazy cruel world we live in. This life that Anne has made for herself does not come cheap. It takes alot of money to appear to live with very little modern conveniences. You can't just throw up a cabin and start living, it takes money. And I think gradually she explains this very well. But the really interesting thing about this book is that Anne evolves from a kind of flower child/hippie living in the forest into a mature woman who has discovered how fragile our environment really is and the terrible damage we are doing to it. And that really is the message of the Woodswoman series.
Rating:
Summary: Now HERE'S a woman's woman!
Review: I read this book many years ago and was transported to a place that I have often wished I could go--off into the woods to a small cabin with my dog. I don't seem to have the patience to #1 build the cabin or #2 sit still for very long after it is done. I admired Anne for her willingness to "go it on her own". I have loaned this book to many, many of my women friends, bought copies as gifts, and even met a woman from Denmark and got HER interested. Try it. It will make Walden Pond much more real. Be careful, however, you may find yourself looking through the Real Estate sections of the paper for property of your own. Dream your dreams.
Rating: 
Summary: There are Woods Women and there are Posers
Review: I sure have known some woodswomen in my lifetime.
There are actually very few of them, come to think of it.
Louise Rich who wrote We Took To The Woods was one. But Anne
Anne LaBastille is on the far side of the spectrum. This
is a book by a woman who is once in awhile a woodswoman.
It is a popular book. It is also not very accurate in many
details. This is almost a Barbie Doll in the Wilderness book,
But it does show that our modern world places many pressures on
publishers, authors, and still it is a good book to read.
Rating:
Summary: I have read and can relate to so much of what she says
Review: I too have a camp in the Adirondacks and I find her writing very interesting as I can relate to so many things. The fresh air and surroundings are so addictive. I have passed her books on to others and they too would love to meet with her. I am hoping to meet her in August for her book signing. I sense a sadness on her broken relationships and I feel that many of those men were intimidated by a strong woman, but a vulnerable one as well. I felt the pain of losing her beloved dogs and I feel as though I know her from all of her books. I am in the process of reading her newest book. I too long for the northwoods as there is peace and serenity that many have never have known. The air is the freshest, the scenery the most beautiful. I need to be there every week or every other week or I go into a withdrawal.
Rating:
Summary: If you love the adirondacks you'll love this book!
Review: If you love the Adirondack Mts. of northern New York you will love to read Ms.Bastille's books. She makes the woods come alive. Her books are about her Adirondack life written from a woman's perspective. Her writings are gutsy, romantic, while at the same time they are a honest portrayal of life in the North Country. If she keeps writing them I'll keep reading them. Anne Bastille is a role model for women and girls who love the outdoors.
Rating:
Summary: An Inspiring Book
Review: One of my all-time favorite books. LaBastille inspires independence and cooperation with nature. I have re-read this book many times, as it takes one away from the typical life full of cars, concrete and man's attempts to control nature to a life of trying to live in harmony with and in protection of nature. Add to it the fact that Ms. LaBastille does a large part of her work solitarily, and one comes away with admiration for her courage and resourcefulness.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational reading for anyone who loves nature.
Review: Simply put, reading this book inspired me to own my own camp in The Adirondacks!
Rating:
Summary: Life Goes On - Remarkably!
Review: The trilogy of "Woodswoman" has gone one step further by allowing the public one more look into Dr. Anne LaBastille's unique wilderness life. One might get the feeling that after dozens of conservationist and environmental oriented books that Dr. LaBastille might tire of letting the public peer into her private life. Fortunately for us, this didn't happen. "Woodswoman IIII" is more than just another tapestry of stories and events of these last five years. It marks an abrupt change in the life of a woman who cannot live without a tough balance of serene isolation and public duty. It is a mix of wilderness ideologies and humorous, but tough modern realities. The reader is always treated to nearly mystical stories of the woods. These include retreating from the remote cabin on the last day of winter thaw as six inches of water cover her remote lake. The ice cold winter water bubbles up through holes from the weight of the ice as she passes over. It is harrowing. The romanticism of the mountains is revealed through generations of bold and gregarious wild loons who seem to recognize their neighbor without fear, even seeming to welcome her. Danger is also not lacking, as Anne tells of a southern camping excursion where she and a companion where shot at and chased through an Appalachian valley, hiding overnight, cold, wet and terrified. Her ever faithful dogs put her to the test as they get older and desperately try to protect their lifelong companion, while she cannot bear to see their inevitable mortality. The reality of life as a writer and lecturer continue, however, and the reader learns hard but humorous facts about the complex and harried life of a writer who decides to publish her own books. Her "miserly book factory" is an essay on the realities of making a sparse living from writing of your endeavors. It's hard to believe she uses no computer and the one telephone line is only shared with a FAX machine. This latest edition in the "Woodswoman" series contains a more modern note than the previous, but that may be the point. Society moves on and one can only ignore the madness of progress so far before your life becomes less meaningful. The last chapter called, "Trust" seems to embody Anne LaBastille's philosophy about her lifestyle. It is touching, moving and without regrets. This edition lives up to its remarkable predecessors. Dr. Anne LaBastille wrote the foreword to Christopher Angus' new book, "The Extraordinary Adirondack Journey of Clarence Petty". Her book also includes photos by Gary A. Randorf, photographer and author of "The Adirondacks: Wild Island of Hope".
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