Rating: 
Summary: The Cobbs Conquer Every Living Thing
Review: If you're looking for a survival story about a family abandoning their roots in the lower 48 and setting up stakes in Northern Alaska,this will suffice. If you're looking for a tale about one family and its total domination over wilderness,this is it once again. Norma Cobb literally worships her husband Les and glorifies him on virtually every page of the book. He kills every bear they ever encounter whether just traipsing through the homestead or those unfortunate enough to be rousted from hibernation by drunken Les and his friends. Book not as entertaining or as informative as I thought it would be. The Cobbs are pitted against the world which incudes their neighbors and what pases as the law during Les' poaching escapades and his booze running,any and all wildlife that ventures close enough and the reslt is total vanquishment of anything that gets in Lesters' way. They act as the very first frontiersmen must have 100 or so years ago but with the advantage of modern conveniences and better know-how. Book passes as an average tale of hardship.
Rating: 
Summary: A very unpleasant read
Review: If you've never lived where the weather can kill you, you might be inclined to believe everything Norma Cobb writes. If you've never encountered a Black bear outside of a zoo, you might think Norma has it right. If you've never set out on your own without a net, you might think God was Norma's personal servant.I usually enjoy books of adventure, particularly set in the North, and books of personal hardship overcome. This book, however, annoyed and insulted me. Does this author really believe she and her family are unusual? Pioneering is not about moving to Alaska and kind of living off the land; it is about meeting great obstacles and finding the resources to overcome them. Her world view is based on superstition, ignorance, and paranoia. When others start to follow their lead in mining gold in their precious valley, she starts to whine like those she says she despises. To use one of her pet phrases, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander." Read the reviews carefully. You will find one from someone who is actually mentioned in the book and was a witness to the reality of the Cobb's lifestyle. I didn't read them before I bought and read the book. I wish I had.
Rating:
Summary: God's Chosen People
Review: If you've never lived where the weather can kill you, you might be inclined to believe everything Norma Cobb writes. If you've never encountered a Black bear outside of a zoo, you might think Norma has it right. If you've never set out on your own without a net, you might think God was Norma's personal servant. I usually enjoy books of adventure, particularly set in the North, and books of personal hardship overcome. This book, however, annoyed and insulted me. Does this author really believe she and her family are unusual? Pioneering is not about moving to Alaska and kind of living off the land; it is about meeting great obstacles and finding the resources to overcome them. Her world view is based on superstition, ignorance, and paranoia. When others start to follow their lead in mining gold in their precious valley, she starts to whine like those she says she despises. To use one of her pet phrases, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander." Read the reviews carefully. You will find one from someone who is actually mentioned in the book and was a witness to the reality of the Cobb's lifestyle. I didn't read them before I bought and read the book. I wish I had.
Rating: 
Summary: The human spirit versus nature
Review: Last Friday I read Artic Homestead in its entirety. The book inspired me. A great deal. I realized that I wasn?t as tough as I thought after reading about the wild and restless frontier of Alaska; about the plethora of wolves and bears who wander wherever they so desire, that the temps can drop to 40 and 50 below zero ? that you could be a hot lunch for anything bigger or even smaller than yourself at any given moment. I read that being confined to a cabin for five months at a time in the winter was a reality along with the possibility of going insane fueled only by sheer imagination. I learned that planning ahead for the winter months by stocking up on food and firewood doesn?t ensure that your roof won?t cave in from heavy snowfall because you are meeting nature at her wildest and most untamed, and always on her terms. And yet, I also realized upon finishing this book that I?ve never fully lived my life - not like Norma and Lester Cobb. Mr. Sasser made it poignantly and abundantly clear that pioneering is not for the faint of heart or the careless who take so much of life for granted and yet expect more at the end of each day. Although strapping on the firearm of choice certainly does have it?s appeal, the love of family and community sustains us, always, even though death lies beyond the cabin door. And beyond that door is the breathtaking beauty of the great American wilderness known as Alaska and somehow that makes it all worthwhile. When Lester and Norma Cobb go to bed each night and at the end of their days, they will surely realize their lives have been lived to the fullest and to the best of their abilities. I found this book to be most excellent!!! Mr. Sasser paints with words the places that most of us will never see and have only dreamt about.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the BEST books I've EVER read!
Review: My husband read this book first and told me to read it as soon as he finished. He said is was almost imposible to put down. He was right! From the first page all the way through to the last, it's a page turner! A family moves from Colorado to homestead in Alaska. It's filled with one incredible adventure after another which makes the readers wonder how much more this family can take of the harsh Alaskan winters, bear attacks, and living in a land where law is as scarce as it was in the wild West. You won't want to put this book down and worse...you'll be so awed by this family, you won't want to see the book end!
Rating:
Summary: One of the BEST books I've EVER read!
Review: My husband read this book first and told me to read it as soon as he finished. He said is was almost imposible to put down. He was right! From the first page all the way through to the last, it's a page turner! A family moves from Colorado to homestead in Alaska. It's filled with one incredible adventure after another which makes the readers wonder how much more this family can take of the harsh Alaskan winters, bear attacks, and living in a land where law is as scarce as it was in the wild West. You won't want to put this book down and worse...you'll be so awed by this family, you won't want to see the book end!
Rating:
Summary: Arctic Homestead
Review: One of the best books I have read in a while. This book will definitely keep your attention and entice you to stay up all night reading. The book is easily read and comprehended. Almost made me want to move to the Alaska wilderness. I lived in Alaska for three years and traveled extensively in the bush. This book brought out some old memories. Norma Cobb should be commended for writing such a book and being a true part of Alaska heritage and history.
Rating:
Summary: Driftwood Valley is better.
Review: There is no joy in this book. Not a redeeming sentence. I lived in Fairbanks for two years and I am glad I never met this family. They critize others for doing the same thing they did to their land i.e. "rape it". There are a lot better books than this about living in the North. Driftwood Valley is one of the best.
Rating:
Summary: There are better books about life in Alaska
Review: This book reads as a collection of stories relating the history of the Cobbs' homesteading in Alaska. The writing is elementary and isn't especially evocative of their experiences. It reads more like a dictation of someone's oral account of dramatic stories they've experienced. While the drama of the tales can be entertaining, I got little sense of what day-to-day life was like for them or how to characterize their experience of Alaska. This is a book of tall tales or Disney-channel-style family adventures. As others have noted, the ceasless praise for her own and her family's physical beauty, charm, and industriousness wears thin, especially as it is contrasted with frequent disparaging remarks about the physical features and personal qualities of her neighbors and companions. For example, one early female companion on their travels is dismissed as "short and dumpy" while Cobb is sure to note that men turn their heads when she enters a room. Just one example among many others. Some may not find this bothersome but I'd be surprised if it adds to anyone's reading experience. If you want to read excellent books about life in Alaska try books by Richard Nelson such as the Island Within, or books by Nick Jans, or the classic by Murie, "Two in the Far North". The Murie book is a classic and is set in Alaska early 20th century. You might even read Byron Rick's account of kayaking the inside passage. Arctic Homestead is OK but why read something OK when something excellent sits next to it on the shelf.
Rating:
Summary: Easy-reading, page turning delight
Review: This is a great read, and would make an excellent book group selection. As its title suggests, this book is about one families adventure homesteading in Alaska in the 1970's. Readers will learn about the logistics of homesteading and survival, and will come to know and care about its characters. The tone of the book can sometimes be wearying, diversions of a political nature I think are the weakest points of the book. Still, this was a surprise find for me and I found it to be a gripping read.
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