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Let Them Paddle: Coming of Age on the Water
A beautifully woven travel narrative describing the river adventures undertaken by Alan Kesselheim's family to recognize and celebrate the coming of age of each of his three children. The rivers paddled include the Kazan River in Nunavut, Canada, the Yellowstone River in Montana, and the Rio Grande in Texas and Mexico.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 2, 2023
Finally a paddling memoir that met all my expectations. Kesselheim does a fantastic job of immersing the reader into some true paddling adventures with his family. The concept of a 'coming of age' trip for each of his children on the rivers they traveled down while in the womb is absolutely brilliant, and I loved reading about each and every experience. Kesselheim also included just the right amount of natural history, human history, and naturalism to make this an immersive and educational read, while still keeping it light-hearted. There were only a select few moments of pretentiousness, which are typically abundant in outdoor memoirs, but they were equally balanced with several moments of humbleness. I highly recommend this if you love paddling, especially with your family! (Or if you love reading about a good adventure!)
February 23, 2021
This book was exactly what I needed. It is equal parts parenting resource, adventure story and philosophical grappling with the problems of the 21st century. I can't recommend it enough to ourdoorsy parents of young children.
And, to make it even better, the author is a WONDERFUL human being, full of advice and encouragement. I recommend reading all his books.
And, to make it even better, the author is a WONDERFUL human being, full of advice and encouragement. I recommend reading all his books.
March 30, 2023
A new kind of travel adventure book for me. It didn’t grab at me to finish it quickly, but I enjoyed the family connections, history and adventure, not to mention the path of a different way of being as a family. Much enjoyed!
March 7, 2020
Another great read by Alan Kesselheim. These kids are pretty lucky to have parents who take them on extreme wilderness adventures. Talk about family bonding!
April 12, 2014
In middle age the notion of doing what you love and then figuring out how to make a living at it gets ever more attractive. I cringe at the notion of my old business buddies calling and asking how my new publishing biz is going. They listen politely and if feeling dismissive say it sounds more like an expensive hobby and if expansive that it must be a labor of love. It is about the land for me, and I do love it. And I do intend to make it into a business.
Al Kesselheim is making a living as an avid outdoorsman, as in look it up in the dictionary and it says "see Kesselheim." He met and fell in love with his wife in the backcountry of southern Utah. She may be even more intense about living in natural places than he is. They were into big expeditions, including two year long canoe trips in Canada. They bought a Pakboat canoe, folded it up, packed their gear, hired a float plane, and in they went. Along the way, after numerous heartbreaking failed pregnancies, all three of their children ended up on their first canoe trips, in the womb. His wife, Marypat Zitzer, knows that it is not good science to speculate, but the fact that she was out in her beloved wilds when she first was able to take a pregnancy to term she thought was not a coincidence.
As a writer, Kesselheim makes hay out of his experiences in this memoir. I hope he is still able to make a living this way. As a close observer, as good writers are, he more deeply enjoyed the growth of his kids than many of us might do. The backbone of the book is three river trips with his young adult kids on the rivers they first ran in Mom. The places and people are observed, the wildness indulged, and the kids grow up natural citizens of their environment. It was a chuckle how often the Kesselheims enjoyed being in outback nature au naturale.
Kesselheim is a naturalist who knows his flora and fauna. It is part of the pleasure of going along for the ride. As a guy who enjoys looking up at night, I do have to point out that a sliver of moon seen in the evening is setting, not rising, and that a bright star in the morning is Venus. There.
And nice paperback treatment by Fulcrum Publishing. I like the French fold cover leafs. Very classy. But enough with the deckle edges! -Mark Bailey
Al Kesselheim is making a living as an avid outdoorsman, as in look it up in the dictionary and it says "see Kesselheim." He met and fell in love with his wife in the backcountry of southern Utah. She may be even more intense about living in natural places than he is. They were into big expeditions, including two year long canoe trips in Canada. They bought a Pakboat canoe, folded it up, packed their gear, hired a float plane, and in they went. Along the way, after numerous heartbreaking failed pregnancies, all three of their children ended up on their first canoe trips, in the womb. His wife, Marypat Zitzer, knows that it is not good science to speculate, but the fact that she was out in her beloved wilds when she first was able to take a pregnancy to term she thought was not a coincidence.
As a writer, Kesselheim makes hay out of his experiences in this memoir. I hope he is still able to make a living this way. As a close observer, as good writers are, he more deeply enjoyed the growth of his kids than many of us might do. The backbone of the book is three river trips with his young adult kids on the rivers they first ran in Mom. The places and people are observed, the wildness indulged, and the kids grow up natural citizens of their environment. It was a chuckle how often the Kesselheims enjoyed being in outback nature au naturale.
Kesselheim is a naturalist who knows his flora and fauna. It is part of the pleasure of going along for the ride. As a guy who enjoys looking up at night, I do have to point out that a sliver of moon seen in the evening is setting, not rising, and that a bright star in the morning is Venus. There.
And nice paperback treatment by Fulcrum Publishing. I like the French fold cover leafs. Very classy. But enough with the deckle edges! -Mark Bailey
October 7, 2012
Alan Kesselheim is one of my favorite contemporary writers, a fact not diminished by his also being a friend here in Bozeman. Alan's writes in beautiful, tight prose. His powers of observation and reflection reveal great insight, whether applied to the natural world or the human condition. Alan's (and family's) love of all things wild and all things canoe pulsates off the pages of the book.
LET THEM PADDLE speaks to coming of age trips for each of Al and Marypat's three kids, a type of celebration mostly lost in today's civilization. Each child was conceived on a canoe trip; each coming of age trip returns the family to that child's natal stream. And each trip has a ceremony celebrating the kid's passing from childhood into whatever comes beyond. Here's a snippet of Alan's beautiful writing, focused on daughter Ruby's coming of age ceremony after days of canoeing through remote Big Bend National Park (a current subtheme of the chapter is the concept of church):
*** pg 310 ***
For the third time, our family takes up the compass points. Ruby straddles a small pool in gray rock. I think what a small girl she was when we circled around Eli....It is the most dramatic spot yet, held together in the clasp of flood-polished rock, with canyon wrens echoing in the background and the immensity that ripples outward from our knot of family in a palpable hum. Mother Earth....
Here, this day in the desert, surrounding Ruby, we honor the forces that surround us--sun wind, water, earth. We honor this girl, her flame, her blood, her future, her birth. Marypat steps forward with her engraved bracelet. They kiss. Ruby slips it on. We clasp in a family embrace of bad hair and river grit and goose-bumped skin.
If this isn't church, nothing is.
***
LET THEM PADDLE speaks to coming of age trips for each of Al and Marypat's three kids, a type of celebration mostly lost in today's civilization. Each child was conceived on a canoe trip; each coming of age trip returns the family to that child's natal stream. And each trip has a ceremony celebrating the kid's passing from childhood into whatever comes beyond. Here's a snippet of Alan's beautiful writing, focused on daughter Ruby's coming of age ceremony after days of canoeing through remote Big Bend National Park (a current subtheme of the chapter is the concept of church):
*** pg 310 ***
For the third time, our family takes up the compass points. Ruby straddles a small pool in gray rock. I think what a small girl she was when we circled around Eli....It is the most dramatic spot yet, held together in the clasp of flood-polished rock, with canyon wrens echoing in the background and the immensity that ripples outward from our knot of family in a palpable hum. Mother Earth....
Here, this day in the desert, surrounding Ruby, we honor the forces that surround us--sun wind, water, earth. We honor this girl, her flame, her blood, her future, her birth. Marypat steps forward with her engraved bracelet. They kiss. Ruby slips it on. We clasp in a family embrace of bad hair and river grit and goose-bumped skin.
If this isn't church, nothing is.
***
August 14, 2014
absolutely enjoyed this read so much- loved all the family, loved the humor and the sharing of a truly special family- would love to know where the kids are now as they are grown ups and how Mary Pat and Al are doing- this story makes you feel a part of the family and a part of the great canoeing adventures they had-thank you, Al, for a truly special book- Johanna Rase, Deer Lodge, Montana
February 14, 2015
What a great story of a family rooted to the earth and "real" experience, even in today's world. Al and Marypat raise their 3 children to be independent, adventurous and curious. Each child spent part of their womb time on a river, and as they come of age, they return to those rivers to acknowledge their roots. A great read on living by your own wits, skill and experience.
November 26, 2013
This is a great (and true) story of a family that finds time to spend some real quality time together. It tells the story of this couple from dating through the coming of age of each of their three children. It is well written, with journal notes from various family members, to start each chapter.
January 6, 2013
I thought this book was great. I didn't know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. Wish all kids in America had this kind of opportunity.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews