Rating: 
Summary: Courageous Woman, living my dream
Review: A wonderful book! Norma Cobb's bravery, strength of character, mothering instincts, and faith shine through in this book. Taken from her journals, the story of her family's migration to Alaska for homesteading transports the reader along with them. I couldn't put this book down, and I was sad when it ended. A sequel is needed, to cover more of the many years she has lived there. If you ever dreamed of giving up all the "stuff" of modern life and living in a wilderness cabin, then you will love this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Arctic Homestead: Do not believe every thing you read!
Review: Arctic Homestead is a simply written collection of short stories that chronicles the struggles of the Cobb family as they "prove up" their homestead. It is very light reading and should not take more than an afternoon to read through. While it will not go down as a great book, it does provide some entertaining reading. There are certainly better and more accurate books written about homesteading in the bush of Alaska, but this book does give the reader a sense of what interior Alaska was like in the mid to late 70's. Just take some of what you read with a healthy "grain of salt." This book is of particular interest to me because I lived with the Cobbs on their Lost Creek Ranch Homestead from June of 1978 to January of 1979. My name is Ken Nelson and my time with the Cobbs is erroneously summarized in Chapter 67. Norma mistakenly identifies this time as 1981.Norma Cobb, as comes through clearly in the book, tends to be quite a paranoid individual. She always fears the worst is going to happen in any situation and almost instinctively distrusts anyone outside of her family. You will notice as you read the book that she also tends to manipulate facts in her stories to place her family in the best possible light. Les is a driven man and is willing to bend the law and truth to fit his particular needs. While I always liked Les in spite of himself and generally admired Norma for her grit and determination to keep her family together in the wilderness, I was never fully able to accept that their way of getting ahead was right. Too many relationships were destroyed because of her paranoia and their willingness to destroy anyone and anything that might possibly threaten their way of life. My relationship with them was also mostly destroyed through this paranoia even though I wasn't driven off under gun point or blasted out with dynamite. Read the book for stories of people who were. Les and Norma had promised me the Oh Brother cabin and 5 acres of land with it if I would stay and help educate their children over the winter of 1978 and help Les with the work on the homestead. This I fully intended to do until circumstances made me decide it would be best for me to leave in January of 1979. Les had once again left the homestead looking for work. Norma had basically thrown him out and was threatening to divorce him. There is much more to this story than I care to disclose here to protect all of the parties involved in the situation. Never the less, shortly before I decided it was best that I leave, Norma had made the twins, Cora and Cara, move in with me in the Oh Brother cabin since they were Les's kids and not hers. I was only 21 at the time and did not feel fully prepared to take care of 5 year old twin girls in spite of the fact that they were very sweet and cooperative. Also, I had recently become engaged during the visit of my California girl friend, Donell, and was anxious to get back nearer to her. In the book, Norma comes across as a devoted and almost worshipful wife. While this was true much of the time, Les and Norma were not immune to the factors that strain marriages of blended families. Also, living as they were, there were even more stresses than usual to threaten their marriage. Les was often gone months at a time. I give Norma credit for sticking with Les even when she had legitimate reasons for breaking up their marriage. Les also had the presence of mind to keep things patched up between him and Norma because he knew that he would fail if she were to leave him. All of these problems were mostly ignored in the telling of this story even though you get hints of it every now and then. The biggest shock for me came when I read that I was credited with letting most of their dogs die while the Cobbs were gone. I had stayed alone on the homestead while they were gone in order to take care of their dogs. One dog, Arrow, had suddenly and unexpectedly refused to go any farther while in harness on a return trip from Rampart. I had taken him out of harness because the other dogs were just dragging him along. I expected him to follow us home but I never saw him again. He later turned up dead under a cabin in Rampart. This was very upsetting to me as Arrow was a very friendly dog that I had come to love. Dogs in the bush had no veterinary care and almost no vaccines. It was easy for canine diseases to pass from one team to another. Native dogs teams had spent the night with me on the homestead and I had staked out my dogs with teams in Rampart. Arrow must have contracted a deadly disease, but I'll never know for sure. All of the other dogs along with around 15 new pups that came while they were gone were still alive when I left. Arrow's death coupled with the necessity to clean up a large amount of dog feces that had been buried in the deep winter snow the next spring made her concoct a story that I must have neglected the dogs. While I freely admit that there were days when I did not get every "pile" chiseled cleanly out of the snow and days when heavy snowfall prevented me from shoveling at all, the dogs were fed and watered regularly and were in good condition upon their return. After their first winter in the bush Norma describes a day of cleaning up after the dogs during breakup that sounds very similar to what it must have been like in the spring of 1979. Also contrary to Norma's description in Chapter 67, Sid and I parted on very good terms. In fact, the night before I left, Sid came down to my cabin and begged me to stay. Both of us were in tears before that night was over. Sid certainly was forced to grow up before his time but he was up to the task. His dog team was never close to Iditarod caliber, but he was good with the dogs. It was Les that did not have the temperament for dog training and the family sled dogs all died from lead poisoning from Les's 44 some time after I left. This I learned from Les himself when I visited the homestead in April of 1979 and found all my dogs and most of their dogs missing.
Rating:
Summary: Arctic Homestead: Do not believe every thing you read!
Review: Arctic Homestead is a simply written collection of short stories that chronicles the struggles of the Cobb family as they "prove up" their homestead. It is very light reading and should not take more than an afternoon to read through. While it will not go down as a great book, it does provide some entertaining reading. There are certainly better and more accurate books written about homesteading in the bush of Alaska, but this book does give the reader a sense of what interior Alaska was like in the mid to late 70's. Just take some of what you read with a healthy "grain of salt." This book is of particular interest to me because I lived with the Cobbs on their Lost Creek Ranch Homestead from June of 1978 to January of 1979. My name is Ken Nelson and my time with the Cobbs is erroneously summarized in Chapter 67. Norma mistakenly identifies this time as 1981. Norma Cobb, as comes through clearly in the book, tends to be quite a paranoid individual. She always fears the worst is going to happen in any situation and almost instinctively distrusts anyone outside of her family. You will notice as you read the book that she also tends to manipulate facts in her stories to place her family in the best possible light. Les is a driven man and is willing to bend the law and truth to fit his particular needs. While I always liked Les in spite of himself and generally admired Norma for her grit and determination to keep her family together in the wilderness, I was never fully able to accept that their way of getting ahead was right. Too many relationships were destroyed because of her paranoia and their willingness to destroy anyone and anything that might possibly threaten their way of life. My relationship with them was also mostly destroyed through this paranoia even though I wasn't driven off under gun point or blasted out with dynamite. Read the book for stories of people who were. Les and Norma had promised me the Oh Brother cabin and 5 acres of land with it if I would stay and help educate their children over the winter of 1978 and help Les with the work on the homestead. This I fully intended to do until circumstances made me decide it would be best for me to leave in January of 1979. Les had once again left the homestead looking for work. Norma had basically thrown him out and was threatening to divorce him. There is much more to this story than I care to disclose here to protect all of the parties involved in the situation. Never the less, shortly before I decided it was best that I leave, Norma had made the twins, Cora and Cara, move in with me in the Oh Brother cabin since they were Les's kids and not hers. I was only 21 at the time and did not feel fully prepared to take care of 5 year old twin girls in spite of the fact that they were very sweet and cooperative. Also, I had recently become engaged during the visit of my California girl friend, Donell, and was anxious to get back nearer to her. In the book, Norma comes across as a devoted and almost worshipful wife. While this was true much of the time, Les and Norma were not immune to the factors that strain marriages of blended families. Also, living as they were, there were even more stresses than usual to threaten their marriage. Les was often gone months at a time. I give Norma credit for sticking with Les even when she had legitimate reasons for breaking up their marriage. Les also had the presence of mind to keep things patched up between him and Norma because he knew that he would fail if she were to leave him. All of these problems were mostly ignored in the telling of this story even though you get hints of it every now and then. The biggest shock for me came when I read that I was credited with letting most of their dogs die while the Cobbs were gone. I had stayed alone on the homestead while they were gone in order to take care of their dogs. One dog, Arrow, had suddenly and unexpectedly refused to go any farther while in harness on a return trip from Rampart. I had taken him out of harness because the other dogs were just dragging him along. I expected him to follow us home but I never saw him again. He later turned up dead under a cabin in Rampart. This was very upsetting to me as Arrow was a very friendly dog that I had come to love. Dogs in the bush had no veterinary care and almost no vaccines. It was easy for canine diseases to pass from one team to another. Native dogs teams had spent the night with me on the homestead and I had staked out my dogs with teams in Rampart. Arrow must have contracted a deadly disease, but I'll never know for sure. All of the other dogs along with around 15 new pups that came while they were gone were still alive when I left. Arrow's death coupled with the necessity to clean up a large amount of dog feces that had been buried in the deep winter snow the next spring made her concoct a story that I must have neglected the dogs. While I freely admit that there were days when I did not get every "pile" chiseled cleanly out of the snow and days when heavy snowfall prevented me from shoveling at all, the dogs were fed and watered regularly and were in good condition upon their return. After their first winter in the bush Norma describes a day of cleaning up after the dogs during breakup that sounds very similar to what it must have been like in the spring of 1979. Also contrary to Norma's description in Chapter 67, Sid and I parted on very good terms. In fact, the night before I left, Sid came down to my cabin and begged me to stay. Both of us were in tears before that night was over. Sid certainly was forced to grow up before his time but he was up to the task. His dog team was never close to Iditarod caliber, but he was good with the dogs. It was Les that did not have the temperament for dog training and the family sled dogs all died from lead poisoning from Les's 44 some time after I left. This I learned from Les himself when I visited the homestead in April of 1979 and found all my dogs and most of their dogs missing.
Rating:
Summary: Norma Cobb is not God
Review: I *just* finished this book last night and I must agree with the other reviewers who mentioned the regular pontificating and disparaging remarks by Norma. This wore me out by the last few chapters and I found myself skipping some to get to the finish. It appears the Cobbs (and the "Kernels", man that pun gets old fast) made the right choice in moving to remote Alaska as I doubt there are many in the lower 48 or in more populated areas that were good enough to be/could stand them as neighbors. As another reader said, there are better books about "pioneering" in The North E.G. "The Stars, the Snow, the Fire" by John Haines, just one author whose purported affection for the animals he must hunt to live isn't polluted by an overzealous albeit cut-and-dry religious temperament. As always YMMV.
Rating:
Summary: My Husband Loved This Book!
Review: I bought this book for my husband as one of his Christmas Presents. He devoured this book, reading it in bed, even in the middle of the night. He said he loved it so much that he hated to reach the end of the book! He related some of the challenges this family went through and only hearing my husbands accounts of the stories, I was amazed at the courage, strength and stamina of this family. I cannot imagine putting myself in such an environment. My darling husband loves to read, but this book consummed him, and I knew I had found a "treasure" of a book,..given that he spent every spare moment since Christmas Day, reading it! Given the accounts he has relayed about the book, I would bet my last dime that this story will end up as as a major movie, for it certainly would make an excellent story told on the big screen. Lets hope that someone snaps up this story and produces a true-life movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating Story
Review: I got this book for a Christmas present, and devoured it in two days. The story of Norma and Les Cobb and their children in the wilds of Alaska is truly an inspiration for people who want to live life according to their own rules, and without fear. Unlike other customers reviewers from the big city found here, I agree wholeheartedly with Norma's assessment of the scourge of victimology and dependence on the government that occurs in our society. I wonder if, perhaps, some readers feel that the statements hit a little too close to home. I applaud and am inspired by the Cobb's fortitude to stake their claim, to defend their home against all odds, and Norma's continued courage to tell their story unashamedly and with such vigor. The attention paid to the efficiency and supremecy of indiginous methods of combatting and utilizing the harsh winters, such as the dog teams, as well as the Cobb's introduction of more modern conveniences, such as when Les traipses up to the top of a mountain in the winter to watch the SuperBowl, make the book a rare and informative look at the blending of modern life and ancient traditions in a wild and challenging land. This book is an incredibly quick read, partially because each event is so fascinating. It's nearly impossible to put it down at the end of the night. Norma reflects that it takes a certain sort of person to be able to survive the harsh winters, the cabin fever, and other trials that come with living in an unsettled land. Obviously, the Cobbs are these people, and the fact that the story is told with this unwavering confidence, strength of belief, and forthrightness makes it all the more outstanding.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, Easy to read and hard to put Down
Review: I got this book signed by the author as a gift. It sat on my bookshelf for quite some time piled up with all the other books that I intend to read someday. Once I started to read this book I could not seem to put it down. The timeline of events told a lot about society in the 70's. It always amazes me on how people can easily judge a person who tell their story about their past as if they think it would have been better if they omited parts and changed the ending. The book was told from the heart of a mother as only a mother could tell such a story. I thought the book was great and it made me want to know more. Job well done Norma Cobb! And thanks Mom for the present!
Rating: 
Summary: The insufferable Mrs. Cobb
Review: I had to bail out on this one about two thirds of the way through. I simply could not stand to spend one more moment with this insufferable, sanctimonious woman. It seems that the greatest pleasure Mrs. Cobb derives from life is comparing herself and her husband favorably to others. Much of the book is taken up with petty, mean-spirited gossip about her neighbors and acquaintances, and the rest consists of rhapsodizing about her husband whose stupid blunders and thuggish pranks endanger the lives of both family and enemies alike. For a good memoir about living off the land in Alaska, try Jean Aspen's beautiful book, "Arctic Daughter."
Rating:
Summary: Great Story Ruined by Lecturing Tone
Review: I have to agree with a previous reviewer. Although I am a dyed-in-the-wool city girl and wouldn't have it any other way, I love books such as this about lives in remote places. Norma's story was terrific, but her pontificating tone really ruined it for me. In the last chapter she goes on and on about how American parents don't spend time with their children (as she, the perfect Norma, spent with hers), how worthless life is in the Lower 48 (how would she know??), blah, blah, blah. Of course, I don't know many mothers, including myself, who would go off and work on the pipeline for an entire summer and leave her children basically unattended. I also don't think a responsible mother exposes her children to physical injury and hardship the way Norma did. I actually could not help thinking how selfish they were, considering some of the things their kids went through. From the sound of it, most of them did not receive a very good education and didn't seem to be excelling at much of anything (except for one son) as adults. Also, she goes on about people depending on the government - I wonder who picked up the tab when her husband had the serious accident that damaged his eye? It's very unlikely that they had private health insurance, so Joe Taxpayer in the lower forty-eight probably paid for that!! I sure hope they pay taxes on their land now. She really did ruin a good story with her holier-than-thou preaching. A little humility would have made this a perfect book.
Rating:
Summary: A really fascinating book about family life in the Arctic
Review: I just finished reading 'Arctic Homestead.' This is one of those books that you miss when you are finished reading. If you have any interest in what life in the wilderness would be like, then this book is for you. Norma Cobb is an amazing woman. Her family endured more hardships that I can ever imagine and yet their love for the wilderness continued to grow. Buy this book...You will be fascinated to hear how the Cobb's dealt with grizzlies, floods, and some mighty strange people as well. You will laugh out loud at more than a few instances, too.
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