Threading the Currents : A Paddler's Passion For Water

by Alan S. Kesselheim, Marypat Zitzer (Illustrator)

An account of the author's different canoe trips--ranging from afternoon jaunts to year-long excursions--shows how these experiences have shaped his life

242 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Will Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness me hello goodreads this is my first review i am not much of a reader but aspire to be and i just finished this book today that took me way longer than it should’ve i think like a year or more. or less. honestly no idea. but i looooooooove it.

Kesselheim just KNOWS how to capture my feelings towards the natural world in such evocative imagery. Honestly feels weird to talk about this book since, strangely I have not to anyone since I started reading it. Just little things like “oh it’s about a paddler.” But I almost feel like not talking about it has made it feel more intimate. I feel closer to Alan and Marypat. They aren’t characters, just people who are somewhere doing something right now.

Kesselheim also has such a wonderful vocabulary for words to use on the water and i never get tired of it. Have added a lot of words in this to my banger words list.

That birds chapter is everything to me.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way this guy writes! I can smell the water, I can feel the portage, I can hear the quiet. Thank you Alan Kesselheim.

[Kelli]

The Story: "Threading" may look like a self-published outdoor diary, crammed unnecessarily with dates and gear details - i.e., boring to anyone who isn't a self-proclaimed "paddler." But what Kesslheim has written is, surprisingly, an approachable travel/adventure narrative that focuses on the elation and challenges of human movement. Unexpectedly relatable.

The Destinations: North America's river systems - from Rat River, over the Arctic Circle, down to the Rio Grande and Texas/Mexico border. The author has an impartial appreciation for water in all forms, and thus his canoe trips also cover Hudson Bay, Lake Superior and isolated outlets in Canada's Northern Territories.

The Review: While some folks make sense of the world in church, or at the bottom of a bottle, Kesselheim (American teacher, writer and father) has long found peace and understanding in water. His unfolding journey - more a series of intertwined reflections than a simple collection - comments on death and survival, human relationships, our interactions with the environment, and even parenthood.

There's almost a feminine quality of observation in his style - similar to Francis Mayes or Helena Drysdale. I'd say "poetic", but I don't want to scare you away. It's just so honestly described, I'm calling it my surprise favorite of the year!

[Heidi Bakk-Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's as much about paddling as it is about a partnership with his wife, rivers and adventures I'd never even contemplate. Well written, lovely passages.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong writing coupled with canoeing--doesn't get much better...