Reading the River: A Voyage Down the Yukon

by John Hildebrand

“John Hildebrand sets out in a canoe . . . to explore the great riverway of northwestern Canada and Alaska. . . . The geography is closely rendered and the characters especially sharply drawn. The country is filled with mad dropouts at river fish camps, good-hearted girls in the towns, sullen natives in tumbledown villages, cranky old-timers, terrible drunks and worse moralizers who live off the wild landscape and its abundant resources. . . . This is a fine work, and Hildebrand is a fine writer.”—Charles E. Little, Wilderness

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Adventure

260 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1988

Reviews

[Bruce Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the River: A Voyage Down the Yukon, by John Hildebrand (1988, 241pp). This is a somewhat sad, wistful reflection on the author’s life, told through his description of a solo canoe journey down the Yukon River. In the 1970s he had moved to a small cabin in Alaska with his new wife, but their marriage soon broke apart, as did his connection to the wilds of Alaska, when he left shortly thereafter. Going back years later, he spent three months floating the 2,000 mile river, interacting with innumerable people along the way (including some old friends and acquaintances), and looking at their lives and the life and lifestyle he had walked away from. Through his encounters with natives, settlers, tourists, and others he reflects on the changing cultures, populations, and lives of people along the river. His observations are from decades ago, and made by an outsider, but are interesting nonetheless. Quite enjoyable.

[Zane Hesting · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author scheduled for the October book festival. John and first wife build a cabin in the Alaskan wilderness in the 60's. After their first child dies when born prematurely, they divorce. John returns to the cabin, closes it, and goes down the river. He stops to talk with families who live along the way and shows us life in Alaska.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good account of floating the Yukon River. The book does a great job of tying the past, present and future together of life along the mighty river.
Although, it should be noted that the book originally appeared in the late 1980's, and some of what was written is already well past.
A great read on what would be a wonderful trek.