Gumboot Girls: Adventure, Love & Survival on the North Coast of British Columbia

by Lou Allison (Editor), Jane Francesca Wilde

Forty years ago, droves of young women migrated away from urban settings and settled in rural areas across North America. Many settled on the north coast of British Columbia, on Haida Gwaii or around Prince Rupert. GUMBOOT GIRLS tells the stories of thirty-four women, through their own eyes, as they moved from their comfortable city-dwelling surroundings to the rugged north coast. Part back-to-the-land, part adventure, heartbreak and love, this collection of stories edited by Lou Allison and compiled by Jane Wilde was inspired by the book GIRLS LIKE US by Sheila Weller. Wilde, the creator of the collection, encouraged, prodded and cajoled her friends (and some of their friends) to tell the story of a generation of young women who flocked to the north coast of BC in the 1970s.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

220 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2013

Reviews

[Iona Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the stories are basically the same. Move to the north coast, learn how to (garden, can, deliver babies, make quilts) until the money runs out then get a job as a (nurse, teacher, fish processor). Change partners. Change cabins. The first couple of stories were interesting but after 2 or 3 they're interchangeable.

[Kayla Ayn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, light read for me. There were some stories I enjoyed more than others. I particularly liked the one with ‘Jacques’ because it was hilarious. I give this book 4 stars because it was relatable to my own experience living in northern BC. I also appreciated the strong, independent, rebellious women’s voices it represented.

[Gail Amendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy books about pioneers, and while this collection of memoirs is from a more recent time than is usually considered pioneering, the stories read like pioneer stories. This collection is written by 34 women who lived in either Haida Gwaii or Prince Rupert, BC, during the 1970's, when most were in their late teens or early 20's. Some lived a hippy, back-to-the-land lifestyle, and some were working girls looking for adventure. All lived a fairly minimalist lifestyle without amenities like electricity, plumbing, heating or phones, at least at the beginning of their stay there. Many tried to be largely self sufficient, growing or collecting their own food, canning, cutting their own wood and building their own cabins. Many were squatting on land that did not belong to them. Relationships were formed and ended, and many children were born, some without medical aid. Most of the women have now left the area, but they all seem to have positive memories of coming of age in this wild setting. The book is divided into two sections, the first being written by women who resided in Haida Gwaii, and the second those from Prince Rupert, and I found it interesting how different the two groups were. The Haida Gwaii residents tended to be what I would call hippies, and more naive and idealistic as a whole, I felt I related much less to them than I did to the Prince Rupert women, who tended to be working girls. They all had something interesting to say. My only complaint is that this book could have used some editing. It's great that the women told their stories in their own words, but there are many instances where they just didn't tell the story clearly enough. A bit of feedback from an editor would have made the stories so much better and easier to follow.

[Eryne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but I didn't. I was expecting tales of adventure, forging a new path, and celebrating fierce independence. Instead, I was surprised that many of these women were escaping their lives of privilege and education for daring careers as nurses and teachers in BC's wilderness. Maybe it's a testament to their success as feminists that I can't recognize adventure and innovation in what I view as a typical opportunity for women. Maybe their paths were less commonly followed in the early 1970s?
Despite that, these are the stories of brave, lovely women who did want to live their lives on their own terms. All women should read their stories to understand why it is important to build community and support one another to create homes in the wilderness.

[Nancy Gillies · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing in this collection of stories is lacklustre for the most part, and after a while, there is quite a bit of repetition in the circumstances of the narrators, but the women sharing details about their experiences living in the Pacific Northwest are truly admirable. They are adventurous, resilient, resourceful and supportive, surviving and often thriving in an environment that poses challenges on a daily basis. Although their reasons for moving to the Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii areas vary greatly, their deep connection to the land and the water, no matter how long they stayed there, is a shared experience.

[Josianne Haag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this while living in Haida Gwaii was so much fun! It was exciting to hear about the journeys these women went through to arrive here, and especially what made them stay. Even though a lot has changed here since the seventies, piecing together their journeys from locations that I have been to was lovely.

The book did drag on a bit, with many of the stories feeling repetitive. I didn't quite get as invested with the stories from Prince Rupert, but I loved reading about the Charlottes.

[Amber Turnau · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had the option, I would give it 3.5. Similar to what others have written, I found that towards the latter half of the book, it did become quite repetitive. Some of the vignettes are more well written than others. That said, I did love the resilience, independence and will of these women. A few of the stories are actually pretty harrowing! It’s still worth a read as it does give some interesting context to the the boom of the fishing and forestry industries in the North. It’s hard to imagine that kind of limitless opportunity for young people in BC now.

[Peter Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring collection of North Coast stories edited by Lou Allison and compiled by Jane Wilde.
The voices of the Gumboot Girls storytellers are honest, confident and experienced. Enhanced by diligent editing and compilation the Gumboot Girls comes to life on the page giving readers insight into the lives of a generation of women who looked adventure, hardship and romance square in the eye, did not flinch and lived passionate lives in a the rough and tumble ever-changing North Coast environment.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 Stars
This was a book club read, and not my favorite. The stories could be interesting, however most of them are fairly similar, rinse and repeat, making them run together after a time. The writing quality varied and some things were inconsistent between stories, some of which shouldn't have been, likely down to the inconsistency of humane memory. It does makes me curious though. It was interesting to read about places nearby, and what they were like years ago, and the type of people who moved their and enjoyed it, and the thought process.

[Sarah Frey · Rating 5 out of 5]

My parents bought this book for me on a trip to visit me in the Yukon. I had just moved there and they were taking the opportunity to ferry up South East Alaska. I flew through it, and connected so deeply with the stories of all these women. This book came to me at a time in my life where I needed reassurance that moving North, being closer to the land, slowing down, and ultimately rejecting the values of the south - was the right move.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is awesome to read the stories of so many different life journeys, there was so much strength, adventure, loss, and courage. Above all great determination and will to survive! I did find the different writing styles from Storey to Storey difficult to navigate, and would have liked to have understood more in how the women’s lives connected, if they ever did.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories of woman facing the hardships of their back to nature movement. Though the stories started to sound similar as I got near the end, I love the descriptions of these out of the way places set in British Columbia's north coastlines

[Kara of BookishBytes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable stories, but they do run together. I enjoyed reading about the women's choices for moving to Haida Gwaii, and the adventures they had. Lots of inspiration here if you're looking for stories of "leaving it all behind" and starting your own homestead-style adventure.

[Leah Gasparovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful stories of women moving to haidi or prince Rupert. I wish I would have read this book over more time and split up the short stories. I ended up reading it quite quickly because it was for a book club and the stories often melded together and became repetitive.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging personal stories from 34 brave women who thrived in a challenging and relatively unknown part of Canada. Haida Gawaii has moved higher on my life list.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories of adventurous women who settled in the Canadian Coast. Each story is 2-3 pages long and all are interesting starts in how they arrived in the area.

[Jan Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories by women who lived in NW BC. Many of the stories were similar.

[Carlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So inspiring! I love the concept of this book and found the author's varying perspectives very motivating and genuine. Looking forward to the second book!

[Maggie H]

A nostalgic look back to the craziness of the '70s. I may have been living in geodesic domes in California, but many of the experiences related in this book were very familiar to me.

[caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

« the trees like a silent army, seemed to link arms »
finished this on the solstice…fitting :)

[Kael Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are my type of women.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I attended a reading from this anthology at the local library (Courtenay, BC, a branch of Vancouver Island Regional Library). I loved the atmosphere at the reading-- several adventuresome women, peers of mine, who have remained connected (often via email alone) over the decades since their living 'alternate' lifestyles in BC's Northern Coastal area.

Their individual stories are unique to their own life views and experiences, but they also intertwine in experiences and the draw of the Northern Coast. I liked how the stories were "memoirs" looking mainly at a particular time in their lives as the focus, and moving out from there to tell a little of their backgrounds and their current lives. The styles of writing varied. The outcomes are definitely different for each of the writers-- some still live in the North, most have moved back to some degree of the "South". I allowed myself to read three stories a day, not to over-indulge. I have passed this book of stories on to an adventuresome younger cousin of mine.

[Emmkay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of memories by women who came to Haida Gwaii (then the Queen Charlotte Islands) and the Prince Rupert area in the 1970s. Don't expect high literature or a lot of variety, but I found them a pleasure to read in any case. They gave a real sense of the area and the atmosphere - I had no idea the area was such a hippie, back-to-the-land magnet at the time. I especially liked the pieces that had a lot of detail of daily life, often without electricity or running water. It would have been nice to also read pieces by non-white women, but this is about a very specific demographic group.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book left me dreaming about living off the land, wishing I could be one of these ladies ... or rather one of their offspring (based on my age). A few themes permeate the stories in this book. The greatest being having an adventurous spirit (despite their various background none had experience living off the land) as they learned how to operate boats, build homes, living and raising children without electricity or running water.

[Carol Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, enjoyable and entertaining stories about adjusting to life in coastal north-west BC in the '70s. Since I live close to this area and love it dearly, and even have known 2 of the women, it was fascinating to read these stories (and realize what a comparatively staid life I've lived!). But I think the book would appeal to any reader who likes these kinds of memoirs.

[stephoto604 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book to introduce me to life up on the North Coast of BC. Life stories from a bunch of different women -some I have now had the privilege of meeting! Neat part of reading this anthology is having all the different writing styles/ individual voices share their similar experience in their own unique way.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

34 writers, each one with a tale of going up north in the 70's. some were interesting some not. some could write some could not. I found it hard to read.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Amazing stories of adventurous women living in one of the worlds most remote and special places.

[Ctrent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greta book of women's stories of pioneering in the 70's and 80's.