Day 28
Just a gal in the wild
Most outdoors-person books I’ve read and “vibed with” have lacked one significant detail: femininity. Some of my favorites include: My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, The Optimist by David Coggins, and Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan.
In early June, after signing up for a library card in Boulder, I read Eye of the Wild by Nastassja Martin - a haunting memoir about a woman attacked by a bear while living in the Siberian wilderness and Dogs on the Trail by Blair Braverman - a book about mushing and a woman’s relationship with her team of sled dogs. These two books were unique (to me) in their relationship to the wild without the presence of a man.
If you’ve found yourself in a similar position - wanting a book with a feminine, independent relationship with the wild - I would love to hear your suggestions and would recommend all the books mentioned above.
-C
Many thanks for these additions to my Goodreads “to read” list 🙌
Susan Butcher was a hero to me during the 80s winning the grueling Alaskan sled dog race, the Iditarod — which was male dominated , four years in a short span in 1986, ’87, ’88 and ’90. She finished second in ’89, just as she had in ’82 and ’84.
Her success was so significant that tshirts were Sold saying, “Alaska - skeeter men are men but women win the Iditarod.” I loved it.
Sadly, she succumbed to cancer too young, but if she was still alive, that gal would still be breaking records.
She’s my hero.