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Father Water, Mother Woods: Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods
Survival in the wilderness--Gary Paulsen writes about it so powerfully in his novels Hatchet and The River because he's lived it. These essays recount his adventures alone and with friends, along the rivers and in the woods of northern Minnesota. There, fishing and hunting are serious business, requiring skill, secrets, and inspiration. Luck, too--not every big one gets away.
This book takes readers through the seasons, from the incredible taste of a spring fish fresh from the smokehouse, to the first sight of the first deer, to the peace of the winter days spent dreaming by the stove in a fishhouse on the ice. In Paulsen's north country, every expedition is a major one, and often hilarious.
Once again Gary Paulsen demonstrates why he is one of America's most beloved writers, for he shows us fishing and hunting as pleasure, as art, as companionship, and as sources of life's deepest lessons.
This book takes readers through the seasons, from the incredible taste of a spring fish fresh from the smokehouse, to the first sight of the first deer, to the peace of the winter days spent dreaming by the stove in a fishhouse on the ice. In Paulsen's north country, every expedition is a major one, and often hilarious.
Once again Gary Paulsen demonstrates why he is one of America's most beloved writers, for he shows us fishing and hunting as pleasure, as art, as companionship, and as sources of life's deepest lessons.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1994
24 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
411 books3,999 followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 21, 2021
Some of Gary Paulsen's finest works are nonfiction. Woodsong, My Life in Dog Years, and Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers are fascinating explorations of the author's unique childhood and later life. In 1994, as a response to frequent fan inquiries about what inspired his classic junior novel Hatchet, Gary Paulsen released Father Water, Mother Woods: Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods. The book brims with specific fishing, camping, and hunting encounters that led Paulsen to create the gripping wilderness setting in Hatchet. Growing up in small-town Minnesota, Paulsen was one of many boys eager every year for fishing season. Winter seemed eternal, but all of a sudden spring would blossom and the icy river would thaw. Most fishing techniques the boys used were illegal, but an occasional threat from law officers couldn't deter Paulsen and friends from angling for fish near the town dam, a dangerous place. Walleyes, northern pike, and dogfish were caught to be sold or taken home and cooked, but the best part of the experience was the adrenaline of casting your fishing line "one more time", hoping for a monster catch you could brag about the rest of your life.
Fishing prior to the advent of modern rods and reels was a complicated art, Paulsen says. Some of his jargon is hard to follow, but we come away with appreciation for the mental and physical energy Paulsen and his buddies invested in catching fish. Different varieties called for different methods: sunfish, bluegills, and rock bass each have their own feeding patterns. Summer fishing follows spring, and with it the need for new techniques to catch fish not seen earlier in the year. Bullhead catfish are the poor man's delicacy, and an enterprising boy could make money catching and selling them. Walleyes and northern pike are aggressive, potentially dangerous to the novice angler. Paulsen and his pals sometimes even experimented with bobber fishing, though it seemed contrary to the spirit of the game. And then there were muskies, who roamed deep in the water and fought like no other freshwater fish. For years Paulsen fantasized of hooking a muskie but never did, lending mystique to reports of anybody who caught one. Winter's arrival brought ice fishing for those inclined to try it, in tiny huts on the frozen river. The cycle began again in spring, another year of the struggle between man and fish, a battle of will and wits memorialized in human culture since the dawn of time. Paulsen, whose mother and father were the town drunks, sought refuge in wildlife activities, and his bond with nature never faded.
At some point during summer one of Paulsen's friends would suggest a camping trip. Overloaded with supplies to sail down the river toward a makeshift campsite in the wilds, the boys usually ran into problems, but amid the chaos they found some primal part of themselves, satisfying a need for intimacy with nature that modern humans have forgotten. Mosquito attacks and capsizing into the cold river couldn't keep the boys from spending nights beneath the majestic ebony sky, pricked by stars from horizon to horizon. For Paulsen, camping as part of a hunting trip was even better. The boys yearned for the commencement of hunting season in autumn, waiting for legal permission to sneak through the woods with a .22 rifle cocked and ready. Paulsen and company designed elaborate plans for their hunting trips, but typically came home empty-handed. Bow hunting is a category unto itself, embracing the primitive side of the hunt as humans have done it since the Stone Age. For a group of boys with no money, fancy equipment was not an option, so they made bows and arrows themselves, committing enormous time and energy despite knowing that bow hunts rarely ended with success. Yet everything could change in a heartbeat for a boy who lucked into the perfect shot. Nothing could prepare him for the surprise of a wild doe walking right into his path, for firing the arrow and seeming to miss, but then the bloodied deer gracefully settling down to the quiet sleep of eternity. What is it like to rob a vibrant, living creature of its essence? That first kill would alter the boy permanently, turning the romance of hunting into something else: a sacred ritual, exhilarating and tranquil and torturously sad all at once. This overwhelming emotion is what guided Paulsen as he wrote of Brian Robeson, a boy lost in the wilderness doing whatever it took to survive. It's why Hatchet will always resonate.
There's no doubt that hunting deeply affected Gary Paulsen; but, he points out, as a teen he hadn't acquired the life experience to fully appreciate those moments in the woods with bow and arrow notched. "(I)t is not until later, until years and a life later, that it is understood. When it becomes known that the reason for hunting is not the deer, never has been the deer, never would be the deer; the reason for hunting is just that: to hunt. To hunt the sun, the wind, the trees—to hunt the beauty. In time, in memory, it all becomes more important than the deer, than the quarry. Than the kill." Father Water, Mother Woods provides young readers the chance to see that not just hunting but all of life is made up of moments that build us into who we are, creating internal complexities we may never apprehend. Life is an infinite mystery, and Paulsen writes with passion of the times he came closest to grasping it. His best fiction and nonfiction flows from that starting point.
Gary Paulsen's books have influenced me more than almost any author's, but Father Water, Mother Woods isn't among his more memorable. Particularly in the fishing section, the story gets bogged down by technical descriptions that meant little to me even though I love fishing. A lot of the camping and hunting sections are also dry; what saves this book from a one-star rating is the story of the first deer killed by the boy. That narrative is driven by naked emotion, and if the rest of the book were as good, it would be a masterpiece. Because of that story, I'd consider rating Father Water, Mother Woods two and a half stars. It doesn't do much to answer questions for fans of the Brian series—you're better off reading Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, first published in 2001—but there is value to these pages. It's part of Gary Paulsen's life story, as pieced together from all his memoirs, and I'm grateful it exists.
Fishing prior to the advent of modern rods and reels was a complicated art, Paulsen says. Some of his jargon is hard to follow, but we come away with appreciation for the mental and physical energy Paulsen and his buddies invested in catching fish. Different varieties called for different methods: sunfish, bluegills, and rock bass each have their own feeding patterns. Summer fishing follows spring, and with it the need for new techniques to catch fish not seen earlier in the year. Bullhead catfish are the poor man's delicacy, and an enterprising boy could make money catching and selling them. Walleyes and northern pike are aggressive, potentially dangerous to the novice angler. Paulsen and his pals sometimes even experimented with bobber fishing, though it seemed contrary to the spirit of the game. And then there were muskies, who roamed deep in the water and fought like no other freshwater fish. For years Paulsen fantasized of hooking a muskie but never did, lending mystique to reports of anybody who caught one. Winter's arrival brought ice fishing for those inclined to try it, in tiny huts on the frozen river. The cycle began again in spring, another year of the struggle between man and fish, a battle of will and wits memorialized in human culture since the dawn of time. Paulsen, whose mother and father were the town drunks, sought refuge in wildlife activities, and his bond with nature never faded.
At some point during summer one of Paulsen's friends would suggest a camping trip. Overloaded with supplies to sail down the river toward a makeshift campsite in the wilds, the boys usually ran into problems, but amid the chaos they found some primal part of themselves, satisfying a need for intimacy with nature that modern humans have forgotten. Mosquito attacks and capsizing into the cold river couldn't keep the boys from spending nights beneath the majestic ebony sky, pricked by stars from horizon to horizon. For Paulsen, camping as part of a hunting trip was even better. The boys yearned for the commencement of hunting season in autumn, waiting for legal permission to sneak through the woods with a .22 rifle cocked and ready. Paulsen and company designed elaborate plans for their hunting trips, but typically came home empty-handed. Bow hunting is a category unto itself, embracing the primitive side of the hunt as humans have done it since the Stone Age. For a group of boys with no money, fancy equipment was not an option, so they made bows and arrows themselves, committing enormous time and energy despite knowing that bow hunts rarely ended with success. Yet everything could change in a heartbeat for a boy who lucked into the perfect shot. Nothing could prepare him for the surprise of a wild doe walking right into his path, for firing the arrow and seeming to miss, but then the bloodied deer gracefully settling down to the quiet sleep of eternity. What is it like to rob a vibrant, living creature of its essence? That first kill would alter the boy permanently, turning the romance of hunting into something else: a sacred ritual, exhilarating and tranquil and torturously sad all at once. This overwhelming emotion is what guided Paulsen as he wrote of Brian Robeson, a boy lost in the wilderness doing whatever it took to survive. It's why Hatchet will always resonate.
There's no doubt that hunting deeply affected Gary Paulsen; but, he points out, as a teen he hadn't acquired the life experience to fully appreciate those moments in the woods with bow and arrow notched. "(I)t is not until later, until years and a life later, that it is understood. When it becomes known that the reason for hunting is not the deer, never has been the deer, never would be the deer; the reason for hunting is just that: to hunt. To hunt the sun, the wind, the trees—to hunt the beauty. In time, in memory, it all becomes more important than the deer, than the quarry. Than the kill." Father Water, Mother Woods provides young readers the chance to see that not just hunting but all of life is made up of moments that build us into who we are, creating internal complexities we may never apprehend. Life is an infinite mystery, and Paulsen writes with passion of the times he came closest to grasping it. His best fiction and nonfiction flows from that starting point.
Gary Paulsen's books have influenced me more than almost any author's, but Father Water, Mother Woods isn't among his more memorable. Particularly in the fishing section, the story gets bogged down by technical descriptions that meant little to me even though I love fishing. A lot of the camping and hunting sections are also dry; what saves this book from a one-star rating is the story of the first deer killed by the boy. That narrative is driven by naked emotion, and if the rest of the book were as good, it would be a masterpiece. Because of that story, I'd consider rating Father Water, Mother Woods two and a half stars. It doesn't do much to answer questions for fans of the Brian series—you're better off reading Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, first published in 2001—but there is value to these pages. It's part of Gary Paulsen's life story, as pieced together from all his memoirs, and I'm grateful it exists.
July 29, 2013
I was browsing through the nonfiction fishing and hunting section of my local library looking for literature on the topic, when this book literally jumped off the shelf and fell on the floor in front of me. I swear I did not touch anything and nobody was on the other side of the book rack to push it out. So I picked it up and looked at it. Noticed right away it was written by Gary Paulsen ("Hatchet," etc.), who was a selected author in Naperville's community reading program: Naperville Reads, several years ago. I had read some Paulsen at the time and really liked him. Always meant to go back and pick up some of his other works. Well here one had literally jumped into my lap. Now I'm an alcoholic, 18 months sober, so when I read the book jacket and it mentioned the book was about fishing, hunting, and alcoholism, the coincidence got even more weird. Like, this is not a coincidence. Somebody is telling me to READ THIS BOOK!
Gary Paulsen is a great writer. This book is part autobiography and part tales of fishing and hunting in the north woods. A quick read that packs a powerful punch. Connects the reader with the outdoor life of a boy in a simpler time. Forces you to wrestle with the struggle of growing up in an alcoholic house, and the morality of hunting. I liked the book right from the start, and by the end I just loved it and was whipping through it like a novel. If you like reading about nature, or have boys who might, this book and this author are great selections. The alcoholism is not a heavy theme in the book. It probably is more impactful to an alcoholic like me than a normal person, so don't let that hold you back from giving this book (and author!) a try. And be sure to let me know what you think!
Gary Paulsen is a great writer. This book is part autobiography and part tales of fishing and hunting in the north woods. A quick read that packs a powerful punch. Connects the reader with the outdoor life of a boy in a simpler time. Forces you to wrestle with the struggle of growing up in an alcoholic house, and the morality of hunting. I liked the book right from the start, and by the end I just loved it and was whipping through it like a novel. If you like reading about nature, or have boys who might, this book and this author are great selections. The alcoholism is not a heavy theme in the book. It probably is more impactful to an alcoholic like me than a normal person, so don't let that hold you back from giving this book (and author!) a try. And be sure to let me know what you think!
May 16, 2023
A good, easy read about childhood memories spent hunting and fishing.
April 18, 2020
One of my favorite Paulson books, you can see where he got the ideas for his other books. If you grew up running to the woods, you will appreciate the stories here.
November 18, 2018
This book was amazing. The plots changed from chapter to chapter. The book part was set in the mid to early 1900s in Canada. It follows poor children through their lives. the first part is about fishing, that was probably my favorite part. The book talked about how dangerous the dishing was. The second part was about the kids camping. The third part was about hunting.
January 14, 2019
This book is another reason why Gary Paulsen is one of my favorite authors. The book takes you into the woods with the boys swatting mosquitoes and telling stories. You feel a part of each adventure and understand the need to escape into a different world regardless of your stage in life. I didn't want it to end!
September 25, 2021
A great quick read of a boy growing up in Northern Minnesota and experiencing the joys and adventures of the outdoors as a early teen in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. Some comical stories around fishing, camping, and hunting and the realization of hunting large game and duck changing the innocence of youth to manhood.
May 1, 2023
This book was a great read and taught me so much about the north woods. Fishing, hunting, and camping are all things I was interested in, and taught me so much about them. There were lots of fun facts and history lessons about the north woods. If you are interested in primitive living this book is a great read for you.
September 21, 2018
First, I am not a fisherman, nor a hunter, but I( do love the out-of-doors, especially the forests and mountain meadows. 'Father Water, Mother Woods' is slow reading, nostalgic, thoughtful; I liked it.
January 5, 2023
I typically enjoy most everything Gary Paulsen writes, but this one was not my favorite. I think people who grew up fishing and hunting would probably appreciate it more than me. It's definitely for an older teen to adult audience. As always, though, Paulsen had wonderful descriptions.
March 24, 2024
Enjoyed the fishing stories but they were more of a "recounting" of old memories with not much of a spark to them. The camping chapter was delightful with 5 boys in an overloaded boat sinking 20 miles down stream and surviving snakes and mosquitos.
February 20, 2021
I may not have understood all of the technical aspects of the book, but always enjoy reading his books.
October 23, 2023
Love most of his books and this one had some great stories in it. However, there were some vulgar references that were not necessary.
July 8, 2024
Brings a feeling of nostalgia for a bygone era
October 8, 2024
I appreciated these essays- quick little reads about Gary Paulsen's experience as a teen, hunting and fishing.
May 5, 2012
"Survival in the wilderness -- Gary Paulsen writes about it so powerfully in his novels Hatchet and The River because he's lived it. These essays recount his adventures alone and with friends, taking readers through the seasons. In Paulsen's north country, every expedition is a major one, and often hilarious. Once again Gary Paulsen demonstrates why he is one of America's most beloved writers, for he show us fishing and hunting as pleasure, as art, as companionship, and as sources of life's deepest lessons."
~~back cover
I was lucky enough to grow up on the fringes of suburbia. The Alameda ended at the end of our block -- it was all oak parkland ecozone from there on south, until the next town. A perfect place for a kid and her dog to wander all day. And there was a creek nearby, where we all played cowboys and Indians on Saturday, when there was no school. And a area of eroded headlands that could easily be imagined as the badlands, where the bad guys hid out and the good guys hunted them down.
That's the kind of childhood that the author captures in these essays -- days of being out in the woods, or by the creek -- on your own, without adult supervision (& caution, and general killjoyness.) Those days seem to be gone forever, what with the proliferation of population, and houses, and the dangers of sick adults. Which is why I enjoyed this book so much -- it captures that sense of childhood freedom, and exploration, and learning about the natural world.
I was sorry to reach the end.
~~back cover
I was lucky enough to grow up on the fringes of suburbia. The Alameda ended at the end of our block -- it was all oak parkland ecozone from there on south, until the next town. A perfect place for a kid and her dog to wander all day. And there was a creek nearby, where we all played cowboys and Indians on Saturday, when there was no school. And a area of eroded headlands that could easily be imagined as the badlands, where the bad guys hid out and the good guys hunted them down.
That's the kind of childhood that the author captures in these essays -- days of being out in the woods, or by the creek -- on your own, without adult supervision (& caution, and general killjoyness.) Those days seem to be gone forever, what with the proliferation of population, and houses, and the dangers of sick adults. Which is why I enjoyed this book so much -- it captures that sense of childhood freedom, and exploration, and learning about the natural world.
I was sorry to reach the end.
Read
November 5, 2012This book takes place in a small town; the protagonists in this novel are a bunch of kids whose lives revolve around fishing. In the spring of the year the kids fish for certain species and as the summer goes on they fish for different species. The intelligent group of kids uses techniques they have been taught and learned over the years. They work hard for what they do, fishing is one of their passions and Gary Paulsen really shows that in this book. This book is perfect for anyone who has a passion for being on the water and or in the woods. The way the author portrays the scenes by putting an image in your head of a group of kids down by the river fishing for the whole summer. This is a good book to read because it puts a good image in your head and you really feel like you’re in the scene the author has written down on the paper. This novel will also make you wonder what life would be like back in this time period, how living really was.
December 30, 2016
I picked this one up because of Hatchet and because of my love for the Northwoods. Really, Paulson's particular small home town is what is featured. There are a couple of really lovely essays (the camping one was my favorite). They definitely evoke a certain time and place. For someone who is more into fishing than I am, this may be a fantastic read. I was not taken in by the minutiae of the descriptions of lures, arrows, and guns. But still a worthwhile read for me.
July 10, 2013
I picked this up because I'm moving to Minnesota and imagine myself getting into some fishing. The book is more a memoir - essays on a childhood spent fishing, camping, and hunting during a time when things could be bought for seven cents. It's clear how Paulsen's childhood (as explored in these essays) informed his later work, like Hatchet.
October 13, 2012
i really liked this book. if it was all just one story, it would get tiresome. but since it was all short stories focusing on one characters life, in was good. the book was simple, and explanitory. you could tell it was about a long time ago, because they were paid 7 cents a day.
July 14, 2013
Very disappointed! This book was in the young reader section so I got it for my son. Several instances of profanity, a discussion of Brazilian prostitutes, and "big ones" made it unsuitable for young readers.
November 30, 2009
A lovely collection of hunting and fishing essays that evoke a simpler time and place. His stories made me want to be a kid again. The camping essay is absolutely hilarious! I loved this book.
July 10, 2010
this was the most recent Paulsen book I read and along with guts give a good background knowledge of Paulsen's life and his inspiration for the Brian books
May 9, 2012
Beautifully written, often funny, and occasionally poignant. Though this is billed as a collection of essays, it really reads more as a memoir of a boyhood in nature.
Read
September 11, 2015Not as good as his novels. Pure narrative memoir without reflection
March 8, 2016
It was interesting and I enjoyed it, but it was not compelling. I could identify with the time period Paulsen wrote about because I grew up then as well.
May 1, 2017
This book brought back many memories of a similar childhood.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews