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".
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'.
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�.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a very different kind of book, kind of person
Review: This is not the type of book I tend to read - my husband picked it out for me. Knowing nothing of her, I kept waiting for her to reveal herself to be some type of political or sociological extremist. Instead, she simply told stories ... no platforms - just vignettes from her life in the Andirondack. She tells how she came to build a log cabin in that remote terrain, including the mistakes she made when she built it. She tells of the struggles to keep a pet, about some of her hiking adventures and the personalities that came through her life. When she talks of environmental concerns, she is a realist and does not presuppose that everyone would want life on the terms that she does while pointing out that so many of us have no idea what life would be like without a TV or radio wailing. Plus, she never really "launches" into environmental concerns - they just come up during some of the stories as salient points. Such as how snowmobiles and motorboats had affected her life - for good and bad - and describing the conditions of hiking public trails, etc. I am very impressed with Ms. LaBastille. She is a much stronger woman than I. I could never live this way but it does makes me want to visit. Instead of feeling energized or particularly educated in some way, I would have to say this book leaves the reader contemplative. I have a feeling its effect on me will last much past the time I have forgotten the story line in other books I have read.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Barbie Doll
Review: This woman lived in the wilderness, not an easy task, she loves the outdoors, and because she is blonde and pretty, does not make her a barbie doll. Take this woman seriously.
Rating:
Summary: Gets your mind and soul to wish for life in the woods.
Review: This woman made me want the life that she led in the woods of upper New York State. She writes with the clarity of a person whose soul is in the woods. I think I walked with her on some of her treks into the forest. I envy her and will certainly remember this book for a long time.
Rating:
Summary: On the Road with the WOODSWOMAN
Review: WOODSWOMAN IV - Book Four of the Woodswoman's Adventures.
Anne LaBastille ISBN 0-9632846-3-0
Strong and independent, Anne LaBastille has chosen to live very simply as an ecologist and an Adirondack wilderness guide. She loves the solitude of the mountain lakes and woodlands. Fortunately for us she shares her vision once again in this fourth book of the WOODSWOMAN series. She seeks solitude and revels in everyday miracles of nature. She lives a contemplative, traditional life in an increasingly technological world. In this book she shares vignettes of life in her log cabin next to the Adirondack wilderness; a frugal, yankee approach to publishing; a "Deliverance-like" adventure in Appalachia and much more. Her style is conversational and easy. Delve into a chapter and into the book's 50 photos and you are there, alongside her. It is a fast and delightful read.
I really didn't want this book to end.
Ellie Horwitz
Concord, MA
Rating:
Summary: A nature loving feminist view on Woodswoman
Review: Woodswoman, by Anne LaBastille is an autobiography of ten years of LaBastille‚Aeôs life. The novel is uplifting and personal, and enjoyable to read. LaBastille‚Aeôs writing style is easy to read, making the 277 pages fly by. It is a novel of LaBastille‚Aeôs life after her divorce and her triumphs trying to make it on her own. She moves from a condo to a plot of land in just a few months. She does not know where to live so she decides to build a log cabin. Her dedication and proactive confidence is shown in the novel when she designs, builds, and maintains a log cabin all by herself. This novel never makes many political statements. She makes it accessible for everyone to read the novel no matter what their beliefs are. She only tells the story of her life in the Adirondacks. She never mentions any social events or movements that occur at the time. She does not even mention any historical facts. She does not want to tell the reader about social policy related to her life, she solely wants to invite the reader into her life as she tells them a story. La Bastille does a beautiful job at intimately drawing the reader into her life. She makes her life into an ideal adventure which the reader is left day dreaming about even after the book has been completed. When she visits a neighbor or an old friend the reader feels as though they are visiting this person as well. She does a great job at character development even when the a character does not play a major role in the novel. She poetically describes the changing seasons and all of the natural beauty around her and how they effect her life. She spends a few chapters in the novel just describing the life in the woods during every season. The details are so rich that the readers can make clear images in their head of the setting. I can easily visualize LaBastille sitting at her table in her cabin writing this story to the reader. To enhance her descriptions she also provides many comely pictures of her hiking, the log cabin, a pond, a layout of her cabin, and many general pictures of her performing woodsy things. I was given this novel by my sister who is traveling around the United States. She had picked it up from a used book store and told me that I had to read it. She said that I would relate to LaBastille‚Aeôs life and that it was an engaging read. Only a few pages into the novel and I was already falling in love with the story. I am a female who loves the woods, pets, camping, and feminism. LaBastille is a symbol of a strong female. She is not afraid to live in the woods all alone and she has the courage and willpower to build her own home. My dream home is a log cabin and I hope that it will be tucked away in the woods like hers. I also love to build and do creative projects on my own like she does. In the novel one of her only companions is her pet wolfs. I own a dog which is part wolf so I relate to her caring for her dog. I also love to backpack and camp. LaBastille shows her love for the recreation of backpacking as a dynamic part of who she is. When I read this novel the world seems like a utopian. A type of world that nowadays one would only experience in the Yukon or Alaska. While I read the novel I have to remember that it is written in the 1970‚Aeôs. A time when she does not have to worry about giardia or pollution. She very rarely mentions any environmental issues. She dislikes hunters on her property and is worried about her dog being shot, but she does not even have that big of a problem with trappers. LaBastille seems to understand the necessity and economic drive for trappers in order to support their families. She also dislikes the increasing number of boats on the pond. She often comments on the absence of loons on the pond due to the disruptive motor boats that overtake the pond. LaBastille‚Aeôs biggest hatred is seasonal cottage owners. Seasonal cottage owners do not respect the land well enough and they do not see the impact they lay on the land all year long. LaBastille is ‚Aeòone‚Aeô with nature and her surroundings. She knows how to live peacefully in a land that would be frightening to city dwellers. The only change to the novel I would make is for there to be more knowledge and concern for environmental and political problems that happened around her life and the time period that the novel was written. She seems too naive about the environmental impacts she makes. She also does not seem to know how politics impacts her life and the Adirondacks. I think that this novel could have had more depth to it by adding how her life related to the world outside of her little cocoon. Overall I really enjoyed the novel. I would suggest it to anyone regardless of their political and environmental views. It is a strong and encouraging novel for feminists and nature loving people to read. I look forward to reading the sequels to this novel.
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