A Place in the Woods

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Summary: Helen Hoover was a gifted writer
Review: Anyone who has ever experienced the damp cool of forest shadows, heard the russle of leaves as a wild occupant gathers food, or stood in awe while listening to the forest breath high in the tree tops upon a gentle breeze, will immediately be transported back to that magical place through the words of Helen Hoover and the wonderful illustrations of her artist husband Ade. Fleeing the city of Chicago to risk making a life in the far northern woods of Minnesota, seeking virgin timber and solitude, Helen writes of their struggles with near poverty and the anxiety of isolation. Through it all they find peace of mind and spirit, and advocate for the preservation of wild natural places to the greatest degree possible. Once you read one of her books you will collect them all, and like another reviewer has so stated, you read them over and over and over again. Dr. Daniel Baney

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Summary: An inspiring tale of a couple's struggle to live near nature
Review: Helen Hoover and her husband, Adrian, were trailblazers in the American back-to-the-land movement. Well ensconced in their professional lives in Chicago, they made the decision to follow their dream of a simple existence, pulling up their stakes and plunging into the wilds of northern Minnesota.

A Place in the Woods, first published in 1969, describes how the Hoovers gradually adapted to the rigors of wilderness survival. This book relates events that occurred prior to those Hoover writes about in her bestselling Gift of the Deer. This is a tale of starting out, of the pitfalls of beginning a new life-one punctuated by near disasters but also by moments of rare beauty.

A Place in the Woods is enlivened by warm, humorous anecdotes showing both the struggle and reward involved in joining this small community of rabbits, deer, and distant neighbors. This volume, now available in paperback for the first time, conveys the special joy of each small victory in the wilderness.

"Helen Hoover is one of those rare writers who can describe the natural world warmly, intimately, and affectionately without being in the least sentimental or childish. A lot of north woods writing is in the boys' adventure story vein, telling of a romantic land in which the sunsets are always glorious, the wolves are always howling, and nobody ever heard of black flies or mosquitoes. Helen Hoover offers a grown-up's version of the same world; not surprisingly, it lingers longer in the memory." Paul Gruchow, author of Journal of a Prairie Year and Boundary Waters: The Grace of the Wild

Rating:
Summary: Thought Provoking Book
Review: I loved this sequal to The Gift of the Deer. I really think these two books are one of the main reasons that we have a cabin in the woods. We enjoy the forest so much. Each time we go into the deep woods I think of the Hoovers. They were a real inspiration to me. I never realized that I was a lover of wildlife until I read Helen Hoover's books. I have ordered two more of her adventrous books , and can't wait to get started

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Summary: At only 18 years of age this book made me cry.
Review: I stumbled upon this book when I was lazily searching for something to read on my parent's bookshelf. I doubt if they have read it, or even know they own it. That is too bad.

I was changed by this book. The tales of the animals encoutered and the trials and mistakes the Hoover's make are heart stirring. I believe they affected me because they are true stories and they triumph in the end. I have never forgetten this book and I reccomend for any attempts to restore lost faith in human nature. I was delightedly surprised to find her books listed here. Enjoy.

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Summary: Northwoods Escape
Review: This book has been in my family for decades, and to a person, all who read of Helen and Adrian's sorrows and triumphs find it to be one their all-time favorite reads. I have read the book a dozen times, and never lose interest in its capacity to instantly transport me to another time and place. Having spent many of my summers as a young boy in the Northern woods of Minnesota, this book brings back to me the scent of resin from the pine and birch, the fleeting glimpse of a black bear, and the natural curiosity of deer and other woodland creatures. You cannot help but be touched by this book.

Rating:
Summary: Northwoods Escape
Review: This book has been in my family for decades, and to a person, all who read of Helen and Adrian's sorrows and triumphs find it to be one their all-time favorite reads. I have read the book a dozen times, and never lose interest in its capacity to instantly transport me to another time and place. Having spent many of my summers as a young boy in the Northern woods of Minnesota, this book brings back to me the scent of resin from the pine and birch, the fleeting glimpse of a black bear, and the natural curiosity of deer and other woodland creatures. You cannot help but be touched by this book.

Rating:
Summary: Thought Provoking Book
Review: This book was very comforting and therapeutic for me. Being in a world of mainly material importance, it is pleasant to find a book that lets you retreat to a place, were tangible significance is not important. The Hoovers found the courage to begin a new life in the wilderness, without electricity and the modern conviences of city life. They found a much more satisfying way of life for them,although having to struggle everyday to persevere the wilderness. They found great compensation for there struggles. Anyone who appreciates, and respects wildlife will enjoy the great rewards the Hoovers gained while interrelating with the animals, and how the animals in the wild became there friends. I am looking forward to reading The Gift of the Deer also by Ms Hoover.

Rating:
Summary: A Comforting Book
Review: This book was very comforting and therapeutic for me. Being in a world of mainly material importance, it is pleasant to find a book that lets you retreat to a place, were tangible significance is not important. The Hoovers found the courage to begin a new life in the wilderness, without electricity and the modern conviences of city life. They found a much more satisfying way of life for them,although having to struggle everyday to persevere the wilderness. They found great compensation for there struggles. Anyone who appreciates, and respects wildlife will enjoy the great rewards the Hoovers gained while interrelating with the animals, and how the animals in the wild became there friends. I am looking forward to reading The Gift of the Deer also by Ms Hoover.