Alone in the Wilderness by Mike Tomkies

by Mike Tomkies

Classic of wilderness writing by well known author - still sells

Genres: Memoir, Travel, Nature

Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

Reviews

[fanka · Rating 5 out of 5]

for someone who has always been in awe of nature and how wildlife seems to work in such harmony, reading this book felt like going home after a long day at work.

the writer has an amazing way of describing wildlife– something one would be much more interested in watching than just imagining. if it's even possible, this book has made me love the world of wildlife more.

what i love about this book is how it touches about the way wildlife works. nothing is ever taken more, nor less. everything is proportionate, everything is how it's supposed to be. no over exploitation, no over consumption.

aren't we as human, an animal that has evolved so far beyond that we have become special among others, not feel ashamed by this fact?

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good "going it alone" in nature book.

[Lisa Kearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the story of Mike Tomkies, who built a small plywood shack on a Canadian wilderness shoreline and lived there for more than a year. He arrived with some camping skills and some general carpenter skills, but really no idea how to build a house to withstand the winter weather. An elderly neighbor, who happened to be a skilled carpenter, helped him build his small house. This friend also advised him on his water supply and how to deal with bear attacks. Otherwise Mike was pretty much on his own.

His mood goes from the early summer euphoria of finally getting there and working on his house, to the melancholy of fall and the animals and his friend leaving, to the depths of dispair and loneliness in winter. He writes manuscripts for publication and has them rejected. He receives a Dear John letter from a woman he had hoped would join him in his cabin. He wrecks his boat, which is his main way to go for supplies, and also rolls his old truck down a gully. Life looks pretty grim at one point, and I expected him to pack up and leave. Then he is adopted by a stray dog he names Booto. He and Booto bond, and live together happily. They spend the following summer hiking, camping and backpacking through the beautiful Canadian wilderness, encountering bears and other wildlife and scenery beautiful beyond description.

He also learns that several of his manuscripts were accepted for publication, and the money they bring eases his worries about buying food.

At the end of this book I was expecting to read that it was written recently. Instead, I find out that then-40-year-old Tomkies wrote this book in the 1960s. He was a Scot who went on to live in the Scottish wilderness for 20 more years, and wrote many articles on the wildlife found there. It's hard to believe he is now over 70 years old. His book has a timeless feel to it, and deals with the emotions, fears and growth any of us would experience if we were able to take off alone to live in a small hut in the woods.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given to me by my mother, who, along side my father built a log cabin on a lake in the wilderness of Ontario, Canada over 60 years ago with only hand tools. There is still no electricity or running water there. Neighbors have it, but we don't yet.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. Amazing that so many things that were important almost a century ago are still applicable. "The great outdoors with its woods and sea and sunshine and fresh air is the real road to health. Nature is indeed the great physician."