Lately I’ve been enamored with reading about the wild frontier, likely inspired by my surroundings and living in the woods. My environment is not nearly as harsh or brutal as in the stories I’ve read, yet I feel an affinity towards these stories as these men and women try to survive under the most extreme conditions.
It all began with Alaska State Troopers; I’m fascinated with stories of people who choose to live off the grid but in the case of this TV show, people also try to live without law. I’ve since moved onto Alaska Bush People and other similar shows that give a glimpse (albeit with TV camera attached) of the life of current day frontierspeople. By the way, Greg and I took a cruise to Alaska last year and LOVED IT! Alaska reminds me of the Adirondacks, except on steroids; this could explain my interest in these adventure shows. From there, I gathered enough courage to watch ‘The Revenant’ and was surprised how much I loved this movie. Leo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy notwithstanding, I was fascinated with the story of Hugh Glass and his life under extreme conditions: surviving a bear attack, abandonment by his friends, and subsequent arduous journey back to ‘civilization’. Even life in a frontier Army fort was none too comforting. I went further and read ‘Wilderness’ by Gerald Hausman and Roger Zelasny which ‘The Revenant’ is based on. There are two stories told in this book, the first of Hugh Glass surviving the bear attack and traveling on his belly with broken leg and critical wounds. In this retelling Hugh survives soley to revenge his abandonment by his foster son, Jamie. Hugh eventually finds Jamie dying of cholera but has by this time forgiven him his naiive betrayal. The second story is of John Colter who was chased 150 miles by Blackfoot Indians in the Yellowstone area. The frontier legend tells that John, a former guide for Lewis and Clark, allegedly ran 150 miles to elude his Native American pursuers in a story similar to ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ but set in the very early 1800’s and the whole of the American North West. I guess I am rather amazed that in this expansive area that people can actually stumble upon or track one another (whether they get scalped or not is another story).
Speaking of being scalped, I just finished ‘The Son’ by Philipp Meyer, a multi-generational story of life and legacy on the Texas frontier. Three stories tell of the same family as generations progress from the early 1800’s through current day. Of greatest interest to me is the story of Eli, who as a young boy survives the slaughter of his family by Comanches, is abducted and eventually becomes part of the tribe. After several years, the tribe disintegrates due to illness, drought, lack of food, and war, when Eli returns to Texas and becomes a Ranger, fighting with the Indians for the Confederacy before establishing a ranch and a family legacy in the cattle and oil industries. To see life through the perspective of the Comanche Indians, or any Native American at that time, is eye-opening. Although we would consider their behavior brutal and inhumane, in fact it could be considered pure and honest and without conceit or expectation; their beliefs are designed to ensure survival of the tribe under harsh conditions. Eli adopts behaviours learned as a Comanche that later carry over to his business and land dealings back in ‘society’. What is natural and reasonable for Native American survival seems immoral when ascribed to a white man’s behavior. How would this story differ if it were Al Qaeda and not the Comanches that abducted Eli? Hmmm. Something to consider…
A while back I read ‘Wilderness: A Novel’ by Lance Weller. It too is an historical fiction about frontier life. Specifically, it is the story of Civil War veteran Abel Truman seeking solitude in the Northwest. He undertakes one last journey with his beloved dog and encounters other broken souls, some evil, some desperate, which gives him yet another chance to establish a meaningful existence despite the brutalities he witnessed in the war. There is hope.
Other recent reads include ‘News of the World: A Novel’ by Paulette Jiles, the story of a former Civil War officer, now intinerant news-reader, entrusted to return a young girl to her family after rescue from her abductors, the Kiowa Indians. And a little closer to home, ‘The Adirondack Reader, Four Centuries of Adirondack Writing’ edited by Paul Jamieson. This collection of stories includes tales of the French and Indian wars and the American Revolution and excerpts from J.F. Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales, as well as stories of The Philosopher’s Camp, John Brown, and various guides and colorful locals and visitors as they experience the Adirondacks. This book gives local color, history and legend to the place I now call home.
I have other reading interests, to be detailed later perhaps. I am very excited that I figured out how to download books from the local library for e-reading as well as audible play; either that will make for more future book reports, or I’ll be too busy reading to report. Enjoy your summer!
My new reality 