Woodswoman

Rating:
Summary: The beginning of a great story telling trilogy!
Review: "Woodswoman" is the first of a trilogy and the reader can see the talent and enthusiasm of Dr. LaBastille's grow with each book. The reader can also detect the maturity and 'lessons-learned' from this and the following books. Truth is stranger (and more interesting) than fiction and Anne LaBastille lets her feelings and emotional experience permeate every chapter. One can actually feel the authors' growth, love and anxiety of her life experiences in every chapter. This is just the first of many wonderful stories that Dr. LaBastille gives the world. You will read it again and again, just to experience what it is like to do what you REALLY want to do when you put your mind to it. The start of an inspirational writing career, "Woodswoman" is a collector's item.

Rating:
Summary: Enthralling!
Review: Anne LaBastille has penned another riveting read recounting her adventures as an independent woman residing in the wilderness and as a wildlife biologist striving to protect the natural world. She shares her forays in the complex world of self-publishing which adds a new dimension to this already accomplished visionary. Quite frankly, LaBastille is my favorite writer - her life is fascinating and I marvel at her commitment and ability to convey the emotional pain of losing her beloved pet-companions. Her talented writing style allows the reader to experience the fear of death she faced when confronted by out-of-control, gun-wielding thugs while camping in a public wilderness park. WOODSWOMAN IV is a page-turner that chronicles the changes in "Woodswoman's" life - and society.

...

Rating:
Summary: Enthralling!
Review: Anne LaBastille has penned another riveting read recounting her adventures as an independent woman residing in the wilderness and as a wildlife biologist striving to protect the natural world. She shares her forays in the complex world of self-publishing which adds a new dimension to this already accomplished visionary. Quite frankly, LaBastille is my favorite writer - her life is fascinating and I marvel at her commitment and ability to convey the emotional pain of losing her beloved pet-companions. Her talented writing style allows the reader to experience the fear of death she faced when confronted by out-of-control, gun-wielding thugs while camping in a public wilderness park. WOODSWOMAN IV is a page-turner that chronicles the changes in "Woodswoman's" life - and society.

...

Rating:
Summary: A sensitive, intelligent, and compelling book
Review: I have to admit up front: I'm an Anne LaBastille fan. Ever since I read her gripping book, Woodswoman, I've been hooked. As an avid conservationist and author, I've even had the privelege of meeting her and having dinner with her at her cabin on her beloved Black Bear Lake. Sitting around a crackling fire, drinking wine, we talked about book publishing, writing, and the acid rain that has devastated lakes like hers in the northeastern United States.

This book, while tamer than Woodswoman is a sensitive, intelligent, and compelling tale of five years in Anne's life in the Adirondacks. Those who, like me, read her books will be rewarded many times over. Those who haven't yet had the opportunity to explore her world will likely find this book a delight. No matter what the topic -- her self-publishing ventures, a hummingbird that landed on her hand to seek refuge from an overzealous suitor, the death of her beloved dog Chekika or her wild adventures in America's South -- Anne's skilled story telling will keep you entranced. You'll smile, you'll laugh, you'll shiver in fear, and you'll cry as you read this wonderful book. You'll no doubt want to go back to the beginning to pick up a copy of Woodswoman.

Rating:
Summary: Woodswoman? Not!
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: 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�.