North of Hope by Shannon Huffman Polson
Shannon Polson bravely shares her story of grief and healing in the wilderness of Alaska. After her parents are killed by a grizzly bear on a river in the far reaches of Alaska, Polson searches for ways to heal. She turns to the music and the wilderness and eventually goes to raft the river where he parents died to find peace. This is a raw and beautifully written memoir of searching for meaning after loss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paddlenorth by Jennifer Kingsley
Kingsley and five companions were looking for adventure when they decided to paddle the Back River in the northern reaches of arctic Canada. It was a 54 day journey and they battled high winds, stubborn ice, and for some, their haunting pasts. The history of the river’s exploration is weaved throughout the book and a more current story is uncovered when they find an abandoned camp, canoe and backpacks. Meanwhile the team is constantly on the lookout for migrating caribou and grizzlies as they navigate the river and the relationships of the team. This compelling adventure memoir is raw, satisfying, and impossible to put down.

 

 

 

 

The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko
This is a true, fast-paced wild ride of a story through the Grand Canyon. In 1983, a massive flood on the Colorado River presented challenges unimaginable. While the engineers were dealing with how to manage the Glen Canyon Dam, a man in a rescued small wooden dory named “The Emerald Mile” went out to run the entire river in record time and almost lost his life in the seemingly impossible feat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Riverwalking by Kathleen Dean Moore
I’ve just recently discovered Kathleen Dean Moore’s work and she is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. In this collection of essays, she ruminates on spending time on a river with stories of getting lost in a boat and finding her way in the dark, a harrowing river crossing, rafting rapids and simply walking the shoreline. Moore is a philosopher and nature lover and her provocative writing always leaves me feeling satisfied and thinking about life’s big questions.

 

 

 

 

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
Annie Dillard is a queen of nature writing. She was in her 20’s when she published Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and it gained wide praise and won her a Pulitzer Prize. The book is comprised of her wanderings and thoughts throughout the year along Tinker Creek near where she lived in Virginia’s Blue Mountains. She includes her observations, thoughts on religion, solitude and nature in beautiful and thought-provoking metaphors. This is a classic that every nature-lover should read. Already read this one and want more? Dillard’s newest collection of essays, The Abundance, is now out in hardcover.

 

 

 

 

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
This is the charming children’s story we all read as kids. It begins with Mole giving up on his spring cleaning and going out for a walk. He discovers the nearby river and meets Rat, who lives and plays there. Rat teaches Mole how to row a boat and ultimately sows the seeds of a friendship. They go to visit Badger in the Wild Wood and are always trying to keep their reckless friend Toad out of trouble. This warmhearted tale of friendship, nature and adventure was published in 1908 and drew from Grahames own experiences growing up on the River Thames in England.