Tales from Jackpine Bob

by Bob Cary

Imagine sitting near a crackling fire in a clearing surrounded by tall pines. A mug of hot coffee warms your hands. All that's needed is a tale from Jackpine Bob. Despite Bob's years as a woodsman, somehow the joke's always on him. Bob applied deer scent; his wife, Lil, applied perfume-guess who got the deer? Bob ignored the advice of his Indian guide-guess who swamped the canoe?

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

First published April 15, 2003

Reviews

[Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 bk 239. The subtitle is Life in the North Woods. Since I was heading to eastern Canada and Maine earlier this summer I thought "North Woods" meant that area of the country. Nope - tis the north woods of Minnesota that this book describes. I'm not into hunting, fishing, or camping but over the years have fallen in love with the humor of Patrick McManus and I thought I would give Bob Cary a try. This man can write, and he does a great job with both humor and pathos. I could almost smell the skunk odor when the young Bob shoots a skunk, thinking in the dark that it was a raccoon. His wife appears with him in all of his stories about his adult life - and he does well at showing us the episode from both his wife and his points of view. If you are in the mood for a break from fiction, the business or motivational reads, the books about things, give this volume from Bob Cary a chance.

[Sean Sexton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garrison Keillor meets Sigurd Olson.. This book is a collection of true stories told by Mr. Cary, spanning over 60 years. He tells stories of hunting, fishing, canoeing, or just stories about family and friends, which all have a sweet charm and a gentle humor to them. Throughout all of them, Bob remains the gentle butt of many of his own jokes. And the stories range from hilarious to incredibly poignant. Unforgettable reading, whether or not you know anything about hunting or fishing.

[Britnyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this collection of tales. Cary managed to keep my interest (despite my complete lack of fishing & hunting knowledge) and made me smile and even chuckle aloud. Northern Minnesota is mostly unexplored by me but the times I have been there have been good. These stories make me yearn for future adventures and wish I was as adept at catching my own dinner so they could last even longer.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories from Bob Cary. My Grandpa was in one of the stories, which was wonderful to read. I really liked reading about him fly fishing, which I have never done.