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Reviving Artemis: The Making of a Huntress
Reviving Artemis is a provocative, often funny, and moving memoir about a middle-aged woman’s quest for the knowledge and skills necessary to fully inhabit the northern forest. The story chronicles writer Deborah Lee Luskin’s gradual metamorphosis from an urbanite with strong aversions to untracked woods, guns, and hunting, into a longtime Vermonter determined to “eat the landscape,” first as a homesteader and then as a deer hunter. She shares lively portraits of her mentors—a traditional Vermont woodsman and a hunter steeped in spirituality and myth—who educated and encouraged her to learn how to navigate the untracked forest by following the deer. Luskin challenges reader assumptions along with her own, about hunters and guns, by revealing their legacy and the discovered role they play in balancing ecosystems. Reviving Artemis tells a personal story of stepping off the obvious path of your life; accepting the challenges of learning skills outside your comfort zone; liberating yourself from a lifetime of learned limitations and fears; and aging fiercely in the face of mortality. Luskin’s story will bring readers face to face with where they stand in the natural world.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
280 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2025
2 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Lee Luskin
2 books10 followersDeborah Lee Luskin is a regular commentator for Vermont Public Radio and has been writing about life in the Green Mountain State since relocating from New York City in 1984. Luskin holds a PhD in English Literature from Columbia University and has taught literature and writing to diverse learners, from Ivy League undergraduates to prison inmates. She is a Visiting Scholar for the Vermont Humanities Council, a freelance writer, workshop leader, and editorial columnist.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 30, 2025
2 Self-Aggrandizing Stars 😞.
I was so looking forward to reading this account of a female "Vermonter" who takes up hunting at the age of 60, but what I got was more of a memoir by a privileged Ms. Gifted-in-Everything cock-a-doodle-dooing about whatever she's ever done. An unattractive style on anyone, but especially egregious on a fellow Vermonter 🧚♀️🙋🏼!
I was so looking forward to reading this account of a female "Vermonter" who takes up hunting at the age of 60, but what I got was more of a memoir by a privileged Ms. Gifted-in-Everything cock-a-doodle-dooing about whatever she's ever done. An unattractive style on anyone, but especially egregious on a fellow Vermonter 🧚♀️🙋🏼!
December 2, 2025
Goddess of the hunt & vegetation; chastity & childbirth; and, of course, of the moon, Artemis encapsulates many of the themes of Deborah Lee Luskin’s fascinating new book, Reviving Artemis: The Making of a Huntress. Turning 60, Luskin turned from the garden to the forest, from wife & mother to huntress—and she wrote a book about the transformation, interweaving her own story with larger concerns of environmentalism, responsible gun ownership, the standard American diet, and traditional images of femininity. Her descriptions of leaving home and entering the forest in the early morning hours, of learning to read the landscape, and of finally coming face to face with the deer she shoots are beautifully written and entirely compelling, even to readers who have never held a gun or rifle, who eat meat with an uneasy conscience, and who have never lived in Vermont. Even if you aren’t persuaded to take to the woods yourself, you’ll be intrigued by this unusual and powerful story.
November 17, 2025
Deborah Luskin has told a story unlike any other I have read. That should not be surprising, for it is a story of someone who sought to go off trail, into the untracked woods. Learning to hunt is the capstone, perhaps, but this book is about much more than hunting. I am reader who has not felt that call, as she did so deeply, to pick up a gun and walk into the woods in the dark in pursuit of deer. And yet it has much to teach me. About women reclaiming spaces that men have usurped for themselves. About not letting men tell our stories for us. About facing our fears head on – especially, the mother of all fears, the fear of death. After raising three daughters, after decades of producing her own food, having rooted herself in a community with its myriad social connections and deep and abiding friendships, having experienced just about every type of outdoor adventurism, having hiked the Long Trail end to end at the age of sixty – she still feels the need to belong more fully, to find her place in the natural world as humans have always done. Like any good novel – and Luskin is clearly a skilled novelist – Reviving Artemis is peopled with vivid and memorable characters and is rich in lively dialogue that, with her evocation of place, create a world for the reader. This is a brave and life- affirming book. In the autumn of her life, this writer has chosen to live “ablaze and gorgeous” and has left us this generous telling of her journey.
October 26, 2025
Reviving Artemis is a luminous and thought-provoking memoir that blends nature writing, feminist exploration, and personal transformation. The author’s journey—from a journalistic assignment at a camp for adventurous women to a life increasingly attuned to the rhythms of the land—unfolds with lyricism and candor. Following solar and lunar cycles, she offers a melodic and poetic lens on menopause, reframing it not as decline but as renewal—a time of reclaiming wildness and intuition.
Her experiences at women’s outdoor camps such as Doe Camp introduce her to a world where animal communication can serve both hunting and wildlife photography, where the act of learning itself becomes an act of empowerment. Through workshops that emphasize competence, skill building, and connection to nature, the author finds her footing in a community that values adventure as a form of self-discovery. One of the book’s most resonant insights is deceptively simple: the way to reach long-term goals is by meeting small, daily ones—a rhythm that mirrors both the natural world and the process of personal growth.
As the narrative deepens, the author is called to hunting—not as conquest, but as communion. She seeks to harvest healthy, wild food and understand the woodland landscape on a new, almost spiritual level. Her writing is strongest when she describes becoming more aware of the forest, learning to use her senses as a deer would—an evocative metaphor for empathy with the nonhuman world. The scenes of hunting are vivid and visceral; one particularly intimate description of slaughter and preparation may unsettle readers, yet it underscores the author’s respect for the life she takes. Her emphasis on proper training and safe gun practices grounds the memoir in responsibility and realism.
However, the book takes a turn when the author introduces a recovered memory of childhood sexual abuse, seemingly triggered by Christine Blasey Ford’s Senate testimony. While this thread may explain the deeper psychological currents behind her attraction to hunting—as a way to reclaim power or confront trauma—it feels somewhat under-integrated with the larger narrative. The symbolic link between killing and healing, between trauma and transformation, could have been explored more cohesively.
Still, Reviving Artemis ultimately succeeds as a story of awakening. It celebrates the freedom found in learning, in facing fears, and in tuning one’s senses to the world’s wild music. The closing passages, set in the author’s beloved Vermont woods, are especially poignant—her heightened awareness of scent, sound, and movement feels like a return to an ancient knowing.
A soulful, sensory, and skillfully written memoir, Reviving Artemis reminds readers that empowerment can come from listening—to the land, to one’s body, and to the rhythms that connect us all.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at
www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
Her experiences at women’s outdoor camps such as Doe Camp introduce her to a world where animal communication can serve both hunting and wildlife photography, where the act of learning itself becomes an act of empowerment. Through workshops that emphasize competence, skill building, and connection to nature, the author finds her footing in a community that values adventure as a form of self-discovery. One of the book’s most resonant insights is deceptively simple: the way to reach long-term goals is by meeting small, daily ones—a rhythm that mirrors both the natural world and the process of personal growth.
As the narrative deepens, the author is called to hunting—not as conquest, but as communion. She seeks to harvest healthy, wild food and understand the woodland landscape on a new, almost spiritual level. Her writing is strongest when she describes becoming more aware of the forest, learning to use her senses as a deer would—an evocative metaphor for empathy with the nonhuman world. The scenes of hunting are vivid and visceral; one particularly intimate description of slaughter and preparation may unsettle readers, yet it underscores the author’s respect for the life she takes. Her emphasis on proper training and safe gun practices grounds the memoir in responsibility and realism.
However, the book takes a turn when the author introduces a recovered memory of childhood sexual abuse, seemingly triggered by Christine Blasey Ford’s Senate testimony. While this thread may explain the deeper psychological currents behind her attraction to hunting—as a way to reclaim power or confront trauma—it feels somewhat under-integrated with the larger narrative. The symbolic link between killing and healing, between trauma and transformation, could have been explored more cohesively.
Still, Reviving Artemis ultimately succeeds as a story of awakening. It celebrates the freedom found in learning, in facing fears, and in tuning one’s senses to the world’s wild music. The closing passages, set in the author’s beloved Vermont woods, are especially poignant—her heightened awareness of scent, sound, and movement feels like a return to an ancient knowing.
A soulful, sensory, and skillfully written memoir, Reviving Artemis reminds readers that empowerment can come from listening—to the land, to one’s body, and to the rhythms that connect us all.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at
www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
July 4, 2025
Book Review: Reviving Artemis: The Making of a Huntress by Deborah Lee Luskin
Rating: 4.5/5
As a middle-aged woman who grew up hunting, trapping, and fishing, I found Reviving Artemis to be a deeply resonant and refreshingly honest exploration of one woman’s late-in-life journey into the wild. Deborah Lee Luskin’s memoir is not just about hunting—it’s about reclaiming agency, confronting fears, and forging a profound connection with nature at an age when many women are told their most adventurous days are behind them.
Luskin’s prose is lyrical yet grounded, weaving together personal reflection, humor, and reverence for the natural world. Her candidness about her initial ambivalence toward guns and the vulnerability of entering the forest alone in the dark makes her transformation all the more compelling. I found myself nodding along as she described the quiet thrill of reading the landscape like a text, an approach that felt intimately familiar to me as both an outdoorswoman and a reader.
What struck me most was Luskin’s refusal to romanticize hunting or herself. She grapples with ethical questions, acknowledges her mistakes, and embraces the learning curve with humility. Her invocation of Artemis—goddess of the hunt, wild nature, and childbirth—adds a mythic layer to her narrative, elevating her personal story into something timeless and universal.
If I had any critique, it would be that I occasionally wanted even more depth in certain moments—more sensory detail in the woods, more exploration of how her hunting journey intersected with her identity as a writer and educator. But these are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a beautifully crafted and deeply inspiring memoir.
Reviving Artemis is a testament to the idea that reinvention doesn’t have an expiration date. It’s a book for anyone who’s ever felt the pull of the wild, questioned their place in it, or dared to redefine themselves later in life.
Thank you to Ingram Publishing Services and Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Deborah Lee Luskin’s story is one I won’t soon forget, and I’ll be recommending it to fellow women who’ve ever felt the call of the forest—or the urge to answer it on their own terms.
Rating: 4.5/5
As a middle-aged woman who grew up hunting, trapping, and fishing, I found Reviving Artemis to be a deeply resonant and refreshingly honest exploration of one woman’s late-in-life journey into the wild. Deborah Lee Luskin’s memoir is not just about hunting—it’s about reclaiming agency, confronting fears, and forging a profound connection with nature at an age when many women are told their most adventurous days are behind them.
Luskin’s prose is lyrical yet grounded, weaving together personal reflection, humor, and reverence for the natural world. Her candidness about her initial ambivalence toward guns and the vulnerability of entering the forest alone in the dark makes her transformation all the more compelling. I found myself nodding along as she described the quiet thrill of reading the landscape like a text, an approach that felt intimately familiar to me as both an outdoorswoman and a reader.
What struck me most was Luskin’s refusal to romanticize hunting or herself. She grapples with ethical questions, acknowledges her mistakes, and embraces the learning curve with humility. Her invocation of Artemis—goddess of the hunt, wild nature, and childbirth—adds a mythic layer to her narrative, elevating her personal story into something timeless and universal.
If I had any critique, it would be that I occasionally wanted even more depth in certain moments—more sensory detail in the woods, more exploration of how her hunting journey intersected with her identity as a writer and educator. But these are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a beautifully crafted and deeply inspiring memoir.
Reviving Artemis is a testament to the idea that reinvention doesn’t have an expiration date. It’s a book for anyone who’s ever felt the pull of the wild, questioned their place in it, or dared to redefine themselves later in life.
Thank you to Ingram Publishing Services and Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Deborah Lee Luskin’s story is one I won’t soon forget, and I’ll be recommending it to fellow women who’ve ever felt the call of the forest—or the urge to answer it on their own terms.
December 9, 2025
Reviving Artemis: The Making of a Huntress is an insightful, bold, and deeply transformative memoir that merges personal evolution with wilderness immersion in a way that feels both intimate and expansive. Deborah Lee Luskin delivers a compelling narrative of a woman who defies her own long held fears, assumptions, and limitations in order to inhabit a life more connected to nature, self reliance, and inner strength.
The memoir stands out for its honesty and nuance. Luskin begins as an urbanite uneasy with untracked forests, uncomfortable with firearms, and unsure of her place within the rugged Vermont landscape she eventually embraces. Through mentorship, persistence, and a willingness to confront her discomfort, she evolves into a confident woodswoman and hunter one who understands the forest not just as scenery, but as ecosystem, teacher, and spiritual terrain.
Her portraits of her mentors a seasoned, practical woodsman and a hunter rooted in mythic and spiritual traditions add richness and depth. Through them, Luskin learns not only how to navigate forest trails and deer behavior but also how to navigate the terrain of courage, intuition, and embodied living.
What makes this memoir especially compelling is its dual narrative: the transformation of a woman stepping outside her conditioned boundaries, and the transformation of her understanding of hunting itself. Luskin invites readers to reconsider long-standing misconceptions about hunters, guns, and wildlife conservation by showing how hunting can be both ethical and essential to sustaining ecological balance.
The writing is thoughtful, often humorous, and emotionally resonant. Luskin’s reflections on aging, mortality, personal reinvention, and pushing past self imposed limits offer readers a powerful message: it is never too late to claim a more authentic, empowered life.
For readers interested in nature writing, feminist reinvention, ecological thought, spiritual connection to the land, and personal transformation, Reviving Artemis is a moving and meaningful contribution to contemporary memoir.
The memoir stands out for its honesty and nuance. Luskin begins as an urbanite uneasy with untracked forests, uncomfortable with firearms, and unsure of her place within the rugged Vermont landscape she eventually embraces. Through mentorship, persistence, and a willingness to confront her discomfort, she evolves into a confident woodswoman and hunter one who understands the forest not just as scenery, but as ecosystem, teacher, and spiritual terrain.
Her portraits of her mentors a seasoned, practical woodsman and a hunter rooted in mythic and spiritual traditions add richness and depth. Through them, Luskin learns not only how to navigate forest trails and deer behavior but also how to navigate the terrain of courage, intuition, and embodied living.
What makes this memoir especially compelling is its dual narrative: the transformation of a woman stepping outside her conditioned boundaries, and the transformation of her understanding of hunting itself. Luskin invites readers to reconsider long-standing misconceptions about hunters, guns, and wildlife conservation by showing how hunting can be both ethical and essential to sustaining ecological balance.
The writing is thoughtful, often humorous, and emotionally resonant. Luskin’s reflections on aging, mortality, personal reinvention, and pushing past self imposed limits offer readers a powerful message: it is never too late to claim a more authentic, empowered life.
For readers interested in nature writing, feminist reinvention, ecological thought, spiritual connection to the land, and personal transformation, Reviving Artemis is a moving and meaningful contribution to contemporary memoir.
November 30, 2025
My reading of Reviving Artemis is inevitably affected by my acquaintance with its author, Deborah Luskin, who also happens to be my neighbor. Like her, although much more recently than her, I moved to VT from a more urban/suburban environment, and have learned a lot about nature since, as Luskin obviously has.
Unlike Luskin, I have not taken up hunting, although my feeling about hunting has certainly changed since being a part of a state which so values it. And as Luskin was writing the book, and learning to hunt, I spent a considerable amount of thought on it. And I had the same kind of conversations she describes with my old urban friends, who are incredulous that I could be open to people deciding to shoot deer for food.
Luskin has impressively bared her soul and shared some difficult past experiences along the journey to taking up hunting, the past and lingering self-doubt arising, as they tend to, when one embarks on difficult and emotionally challenging new endeavors. The reader feels that she has taken on hunting with a great deal of integrity, honesty, and thought.
All that said, I am left with the feeling that she has not quite reached the moral issue which plagues me still in my struggles with eating or not eating meat: the right or wrong, or spiritual harm, in that bare act of taking another life, of using our human advantage in a very uneven contest between deer and human. Looking a buck in the eyes and pulling the trigger. There are books written on the morality of killing animals, and perhaps Luskin’s book was not the right place to delve into this. She does do an excellent job of covering the more practical reasons for deer hunting, e.g. keeping the population of deer, who have few natural predators left, from becoming so abundant that they starve and harm our forests in their quest to survive by chewing on maple and oak saplings.
Well written and thoughtful. I highly recommend the book.
Unlike Luskin, I have not taken up hunting, although my feeling about hunting has certainly changed since being a part of a state which so values it. And as Luskin was writing the book, and learning to hunt, I spent a considerable amount of thought on it. And I had the same kind of conversations she describes with my old urban friends, who are incredulous that I could be open to people deciding to shoot deer for food.
Luskin has impressively bared her soul and shared some difficult past experiences along the journey to taking up hunting, the past and lingering self-doubt arising, as they tend to, when one embarks on difficult and emotionally challenging new endeavors. The reader feels that she has taken on hunting with a great deal of integrity, honesty, and thought.
All that said, I am left with the feeling that she has not quite reached the moral issue which plagues me still in my struggles with eating or not eating meat: the right or wrong, or spiritual harm, in that bare act of taking another life, of using our human advantage in a very uneven contest between deer and human. Looking a buck in the eyes and pulling the trigger. There are books written on the morality of killing animals, and perhaps Luskin’s book was not the right place to delve into this. She does do an excellent job of covering the more practical reasons for deer hunting, e.g. keeping the population of deer, who have few natural predators left, from becoming so abundant that they starve and harm our forests in their quest to survive by chewing on maple and oak saplings.
Well written and thoughtful. I highly recommend the book.
January 2, 2026
I highly recommend this gripping, entertaining book, especially for those of us who have an immediate, negative reaction to guns and hunting. What I learned is that hunting is about so much more than guns and shooting animals. Hunting is learning about the natural environment and our relationship to the animals that live in it. The author chronicles her journey to learn about the woods and the deer and to conquer her fear of the wilderness. She makes a strong case that the welfare of the deer population depends on hunters, whose fees pay for the wildlife management infrastructure and who's hunting replaces the extinct predators that are necessary for a healthy deer population. On her path she confronts the highly patriarchal world of hunter but also finds generous mentors. An eye-opening read
December 1, 2025
I really loved this book. Such thougthful prose and real honesty about the insecurities, fear and doubts that all of us women face. I trusted this author completely as she led me in to the woods of Vermont. It was very well written. Her craft and good humor kept me hooked -I finished this book in 2 days!
December 27, 2025
I just finished Reviving Artemis! I loved it! The book ties up the intertwining narratives so beautifully- a book about killing a deer, but so much more. In many ways I found it a take on the classic quest genre, the same genre that saves many from post-trauma in early adolescence. And as a biologist listening to trees, ... well you can see what I loved!
December 28, 2025
I loved this courageous memoir. This book shows me another world and from the first page I trust what the author tells me about her inner journey, the history of Vermont and its land, and how this consequential animal affects the environment. A truly special book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews