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Iditarod
Marchez! -- A race for survival
When Rhodes Delaney challenged James Alderston Whitbury III to a grudge match she chose the most grueling of all tests -- the a lethal dogsled race across the perilous wastelands of barren Alaska.
Through life-sapping storms, howling blizzards, and deadly sub-zero temperatures, the racers must struggle over treacherous mountain passes where the sun's rays never reach, cross frozen rivers risking the icy torrents below, and pass enraged bull moose, ravenous bears -- and the world's largest, hungriest wolf pack.
In Iditarod , André Jute puts the reader's feet on the ice and on the runners for twelve hundred hazardous miles of the last great race across the last dangerous frontier as the exhausted bodies and hallucinating minds of the contestants battle towards the moment of truth -- when Man and Nature exact the ultimate reckoning from each other.
Iditarod is at once a love story, a great adventure, and a brilliant word portrait of the world's most spectacular and least-known land.
First published in the UK by Grafton Books 1990, Iditarod is fully revised for this 20th anniversary 2010 edition by CoolMain Press.
Now with a map of the race especially drawn to work with e-book tablets.
When Rhodes Delaney challenged James Alderston Whitbury III to a grudge match she chose the most grueling of all tests -- the a lethal dogsled race across the perilous wastelands of barren Alaska.
Through life-sapping storms, howling blizzards, and deadly sub-zero temperatures, the racers must struggle over treacherous mountain passes where the sun's rays never reach, cross frozen rivers risking the icy torrents below, and pass enraged bull moose, ravenous bears -- and the world's largest, hungriest wolf pack.
In Iditarod , André Jute puts the reader's feet on the ice and on the runners for twelve hundred hazardous miles of the last great race across the last dangerous frontier as the exhausted bodies and hallucinating minds of the contestants battle towards the moment of truth -- when Man and Nature exact the ultimate reckoning from each other.
Iditarod is at once a love story, a great adventure, and a brilliant word portrait of the world's most spectacular and least-known land.
First published in the UK by Grafton Books 1990, Iditarod is fully revised for this 20th anniversary 2010 edition by CoolMain Press.
Now with a map of the race especially drawn to work with e-book tablets.
324 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 1990
5 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Andre Jute
39 books29 followers André Jute was educated in Australia, South Africa and the United States. He has been an intelligence officer, racing driver, advertising executive, management consultant, performing arts critic and professional gambler. His hobbies include old Bentleys, classical music (on which he writes a syndicated weekly column), cycling, hill walking, cooking and wine. He designs and builds his own tube (valve) audio amplifiers. He is married to Rosalind Pain-Hayman and they have a son. They live on a hill over a salmon river in County Cork, Eire. There are around three hundred editions of his books in English and a dozen other languages.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 12, 2012
I bought this book to read for pleasure because I am already a fan of Andre Jute, as an author and as a human being. I'm very glad I did, as it was thrilling. Andre's deep research led to a stunningly intricate and fascinating tale of adventure with two appealing and admirable young protagonists. I really liked both Rhodes Delaney and James Whitbury, a woman and man with courage and integrity, ingenuity and athleticism, who are racing each other in the Iditarod as a way to resist their nigh-irresistable attraction to each other, an attraction that is fed by rivalry and danger in the greatest race on earth.
I was not initially convinced that the Iditarod would provide steady interest as the subject of a book. I didn't think there would be enough variety in the situations it presented to a reader. I changed my mind right away when the race began with a lively series of problems and challenges for the young people. There is not one possible threat they do not face and overcome, in an atmosphere so authentic that I can't help wondering if Andre took part in the race some time under a pseudonym and doesn't want to tell us...
The best praise I can offer this book is to compare Rhodes and James and their dogs Toots, Delilah, and General to beloved characters from my childhood in the 1970's: Alec and the Black, from Walter Farley's Black Stallion series. Those books, showing the union of a young person and a working animal through love and respect, defined a genre. Iditarod might be the best book of its kind since.
Thanks for a great read, Andre.
I was not initially convinced that the Iditarod would provide steady interest as the subject of a book. I didn't think there would be enough variety in the situations it presented to a reader. I changed my mind right away when the race began with a lively series of problems and challenges for the young people. There is not one possible threat they do not face and overcome, in an atmosphere so authentic that I can't help wondering if Andre took part in the race some time under a pseudonym and doesn't want to tell us...
The best praise I can offer this book is to compare Rhodes and James and their dogs Toots, Delilah, and General to beloved characters from my childhood in the 1970's: Alec and the Black, from Walter Farley's Black Stallion series. Those books, showing the union of a young person and a working animal through love and respect, defined a genre. Iditarod might be the best book of its kind since.
Thanks for a great read, Andre.
July 27, 2020
4,5 csillag
Szeretem a kutyákat, így annak idején, mikor megláttam a könyvet, egyértelmű volt, hogy megveszem. Nem bántam meg. Egy igazán jó kis kalandregény, egy pici romantikával fűszerezve… és sok-sok kutyával. A könyv jól bemutatja az Iditarod verseny kegyetlen és zord körülményeit, a versenyzők megpróbáltatásait és az emberségességet, vagy épp kegyetlenséget.
Szeretem a kutyákat, így annak idején, mikor megláttam a könyvet, egyértelmű volt, hogy megveszem. Nem bántam meg. Egy igazán jó kis kalandregény, egy pici romantikával fűszerezve… és sok-sok kutyával. A könyv jól bemutatja az Iditarod verseny kegyetlen és zord körülményeit, a versenyzők megpróbáltatásait és az emberségességet, vagy épp kegyetlenséget.
August 9, 2016
Disclosure: the author provided me with a review copy of Iditarod in exchange for an honest review.
I very much enjoyed this tale of adventure, romance, and danger on the Iditarod Trail. Set in 1985, the heart of the story is an impetuous bet between one Rhodes Delaney, a sled-dog racer from Colorado, and James Whitbury, an Olympic gold-medal skier who also happens to be an MIT-trained engineer and inventor with a trust fund. (Yes, James is a bit too-good-to-be-true, but I'm happy to let that slide. After all, I actually know a few young men who could satisfy at least some of these traits. Mostly it's the trust fund part that doesn't convince me.)
Jute carefully establishes the main characters, including a monstrous wolf pack, before the actual Iditarod race begins, deftly weaving in details with a light hand. Initially misunderstandings and unfamiliarity color the nascent relationship between Rhodes and James (they met by chance at the outset), who train for the race of a lifetime in very different ways. Rhodes, the daughter of a Colorado rancher, will eschew corporate sponsorship to keep her father's hand-carved wooden sled unspoiled with advertising; instead, she'll work 12-hour days in a salmon-processing factory to raise the $20,000 to compete. But at least she's bred and trained her own dogs and has half a lifetime's experience racing. James, on the other hand, can afford to train and race, but he accepts sponsorship from Frontier Construction, getting dogs, training, and other elite help in return for designing and testing a lightweight alloy sled. He spends the better part of his training-year prototyping and testing a sled for production, but that's okay. He's got an experienced dog breeder and coach, along with the best nutritionist and gear that money can buy.
Once the race begins, so too does the story. Jute skillfully paces the writing to match the events. Though it moves quickly, the story never gets ahead of itself. At first, the story is told from Rhodes's point of view, but at a critical, terrifying moment, it switches to James's and then to a third-person view of the wolf pack, a distant but clearly festering problem. As the two racers face growing dangers and challenges on the 1200-mile trail from Anchorage to Nome, the wolves circle just outside their awareness but never far outside the reader's. The viewpoints continue to alternate until settling down with Rhodes'. Jute ups the ante as the race draws to a close, heaping exhaustion and terrifying danger upon his two main characters. The final harrying sequence of events, while not nail-biting, does require sitting up straight, scooting to the edge of the seat, and paying attention very closely.
I particularly enjoyed the story because of its realistic, and thorough, description of the Iditarod race, its history, the trail, and what it takes to compete. For a brief (and irrational moment), I wistfully wished I could experience the thrill of riding on the runners behind a sled pulled by a dozen well-trained dogs. However, I'm not so keen on facing angry moose, bear, or wolves, nor do I wish to ride into the teeth of 40-mile-an-hour wind. And I'd prefer to sleep more than a few hours at a time, especially on a soft, warm bed.
I must also say that I found the romance between Rhodes and James both charming and a bit quaint (though I don't mean anything pejorative by this). James has a gentleman's manners from another era: he politely requests permission to be excused by an elderly woman at the beginning, and he gallantly charges into a blizzard to help Rhodes, then camps chastely with her.
It isn't simply the romance that calls to mind a different, more genteel, era. There is a clear sense of propriety and duty throughout, a stiff-upper-lip sort of stoicism in the face of grievous difficulty, the understanding that the race takes precedence over everything else for Rhodes and James because they have said that they will run it, and their honor and sense of self are bound up in completing it to the best of their abilities. I personally am attracted to such characters.
I very much enjoyed this tale of adventure, romance, and danger on the Iditarod Trail. Set in 1985, the heart of the story is an impetuous bet between one Rhodes Delaney, a sled-dog racer from Colorado, and James Whitbury, an Olympic gold-medal skier who also happens to be an MIT-trained engineer and inventor with a trust fund. (Yes, James is a bit too-good-to-be-true, but I'm happy to let that slide. After all, I actually know a few young men who could satisfy at least some of these traits. Mostly it's the trust fund part that doesn't convince me.)
Jute carefully establishes the main characters, including a monstrous wolf pack, before the actual Iditarod race begins, deftly weaving in details with a light hand. Initially misunderstandings and unfamiliarity color the nascent relationship between Rhodes and James (they met by chance at the outset), who train for the race of a lifetime in very different ways. Rhodes, the daughter of a Colorado rancher, will eschew corporate sponsorship to keep her father's hand-carved wooden sled unspoiled with advertising; instead, she'll work 12-hour days in a salmon-processing factory to raise the $20,000 to compete. But at least she's bred and trained her own dogs and has half a lifetime's experience racing. James, on the other hand, can afford to train and race, but he accepts sponsorship from Frontier Construction, getting dogs, training, and other elite help in return for designing and testing a lightweight alloy sled. He spends the better part of his training-year prototyping and testing a sled for production, but that's okay. He's got an experienced dog breeder and coach, along with the best nutritionist and gear that money can buy.
Once the race begins, so too does the story. Jute skillfully paces the writing to match the events. Though it moves quickly, the story never gets ahead of itself. At first, the story is told from Rhodes's point of view, but at a critical, terrifying moment, it switches to James's and then to a third-person view of the wolf pack, a distant but clearly festering problem. As the two racers face growing dangers and challenges on the 1200-mile trail from Anchorage to Nome, the wolves circle just outside their awareness but never far outside the reader's. The viewpoints continue to alternate until settling down with Rhodes'. Jute ups the ante as the race draws to a close, heaping exhaustion and terrifying danger upon his two main characters. The final harrying sequence of events, while not nail-biting, does require sitting up straight, scooting to the edge of the seat, and paying attention very closely.
I particularly enjoyed the story because of its realistic, and thorough, description of the Iditarod race, its history, the trail, and what it takes to compete. For a brief (and irrational moment), I wistfully wished I could experience the thrill of riding on the runners behind a sled pulled by a dozen well-trained dogs. However, I'm not so keen on facing angry moose, bear, or wolves, nor do I wish to ride into the teeth of 40-mile-an-hour wind. And I'd prefer to sleep more than a few hours at a time, especially on a soft, warm bed.
I must also say that I found the romance between Rhodes and James both charming and a bit quaint (though I don't mean anything pejorative by this). James has a gentleman's manners from another era: he politely requests permission to be excused by an elderly woman at the beginning, and he gallantly charges into a blizzard to help Rhodes, then camps chastely with her.
It isn't simply the romance that calls to mind a different, more genteel, era. There is a clear sense of propriety and duty throughout, a stiff-upper-lip sort of stoicism in the face of grievous difficulty, the understanding that the race takes precedence over everything else for Rhodes and James because they have said that they will run it, and their honor and sense of self are bound up in completing it to the best of their abilities. I personally am attracted to such characters.
May 25, 2011
Andre Jute doesn't give the reader much time to breathe between exciting, tension-filled scenes of adventure on the Iditarod Trail.
I admit I'm influenced by my recent trip to Alaska, but the heart-stopping descriptions of the misadventures and dangerous situations of two non-local entrants in a dog sled race billed as The Greatest Race on Earth kept me reading nonstop.
The well-researched history of the land; knowledge of moose, wolves, and bears; and precise information about weather conditions during the race; give this novel the seal of authenticity with heightened tension lacking in a documentary.
If you think the story gets a bit drawn out, imagine how John Baker, the winner of the 2011 Iditarod Trail sled dog race, felt just before he pulled into Nome
I admit I'm influenced by my recent trip to Alaska, but the heart-stopping descriptions of the misadventures and dangerous situations of two non-local entrants in a dog sled race billed as The Greatest Race on Earth kept me reading nonstop.
The well-researched history of the land; knowledge of moose, wolves, and bears; and precise information about weather conditions during the race; give this novel the seal of authenticity with heightened tension lacking in a documentary.
If you think the story gets a bit drawn out, imagine how John Baker, the winner of the 2011 Iditarod Trail sled dog race, felt just before he pulled into Nome
March 7, 2012
If you are in Alaska this week you are likely somewhere in the vicinity of one of the checkpoints for the Iditarod, the 1,049 mile dog sled race from Anchorage to Nome. The race is considered the toughest and most perilous race on earth and, as such, attracts a lot of interest from people who think damn-near killing yourself is good sport.
If you are not in Alaska this week you would do yourself a favor by picking up a copy of André Jute's Iditarod: A Novel of the Greatest Race on Earth. This book is one of those rare occurrences where I read the book, thought about for a couple days and then read it again. The first time I read it, I read it for the story – I was just dying to see what happened. The second time I read it was for the sheer beauty and intensity of the writing.
The story that forms the core of Jute's novel is a combination of adventure and romance. Rhodes Dealney grew up on a ranch in Colorado and she is an accomplished outdoorswoman who runs her dogsled team through the Rockies or into town to pick up groceries in the winter. James Alderston Whitbury III is a spoiled, rich kid who is also an enthusiastic outdoors adventurer. They meet and you know this is going to be fun. What romance doesn't start out with a brutal, 1,000 mile race through the Alaskan wilderness? Right from the beginning we know that these two were made for each other, now they have to make sure they don't get killed while figuring that out for themselves.
Jute has clearly done a tremendous amount of research. He knows his material thoroughly – everything the care and feeding of the sled dogs (who are as much characters in the story as Rhodes and James) to the preparations for the ordeal. James prepares by designing an ultra-sleek, hi-tech sled designed to give him significant advantages. Rhodes prepares by working long, brutal hours in a salmon processing plant in order to earn the money for the race.
Animal lovers question whether the Iditarod is horrible for the dogs but if the love and care that Rhodes and James lavish on their dogs is the norm, dog lovers need not worry. The dogs are keenly attuned to their “musher” and are rewarded with a diet that includes treats like lamb chops, blocks of cream cheese, and “stinkfish” which sounds awful but they love it. Jute also points out that dogs, unlike horses and other animals, won't be pushed beyond their limit. When they've had it they just lay down and don't get back up until they feel like it.
But the real joy of this book are the descriptions of the beauties and perils that line the trail. Everything from the beauty of mushing through a snow-covered crevasse under the shimmer of the Northern Lights to encounters with wild animals. Rhodes and her dogs meet up with a cranky bull moose who doesn't want them on his trail. There are meetings with musk ox and a very hungry bear and the final climactic encounter with a pack of starving wolves that literally found me sitting on the edge of my chair – both times.
Jute has done an extraordinary job of giving the reader as much of an experience of this perilous as one can find while sitting in a comfortable chair while safely at home. His attention to detail is exquisite. He brings to life, not only his human characters, but the personalities of the animals as well. Rhodes' lead dog Toots (a name that delighted me because I have a dog named Toots in my current WIP) is a delightful character and the grouchy moose and the hungry bear will stay with me for a long time. This is a thoroughly exciting and beautiful book. Highly recommended.
If you are not in Alaska this week you would do yourself a favor by picking up a copy of André Jute's Iditarod: A Novel of the Greatest Race on Earth. This book is one of those rare occurrences where I read the book, thought about for a couple days and then read it again. The first time I read it, I read it for the story – I was just dying to see what happened. The second time I read it was for the sheer beauty and intensity of the writing.
The story that forms the core of Jute's novel is a combination of adventure and romance. Rhodes Dealney grew up on a ranch in Colorado and she is an accomplished outdoorswoman who runs her dogsled team through the Rockies or into town to pick up groceries in the winter. James Alderston Whitbury III is a spoiled, rich kid who is also an enthusiastic outdoors adventurer. They meet and you know this is going to be fun. What romance doesn't start out with a brutal, 1,000 mile race through the Alaskan wilderness? Right from the beginning we know that these two were made for each other, now they have to make sure they don't get killed while figuring that out for themselves.
Jute has clearly done a tremendous amount of research. He knows his material thoroughly – everything the care and feeding of the sled dogs (who are as much characters in the story as Rhodes and James) to the preparations for the ordeal. James prepares by designing an ultra-sleek, hi-tech sled designed to give him significant advantages. Rhodes prepares by working long, brutal hours in a salmon processing plant in order to earn the money for the race.
Animal lovers question whether the Iditarod is horrible for the dogs but if the love and care that Rhodes and James lavish on their dogs is the norm, dog lovers need not worry. The dogs are keenly attuned to their “musher” and are rewarded with a diet that includes treats like lamb chops, blocks of cream cheese, and “stinkfish” which sounds awful but they love it. Jute also points out that dogs, unlike horses and other animals, won't be pushed beyond their limit. When they've had it they just lay down and don't get back up until they feel like it.
But the real joy of this book are the descriptions of the beauties and perils that line the trail. Everything from the beauty of mushing through a snow-covered crevasse under the shimmer of the Northern Lights to encounters with wild animals. Rhodes and her dogs meet up with a cranky bull moose who doesn't want them on his trail. There are meetings with musk ox and a very hungry bear and the final climactic encounter with a pack of starving wolves that literally found me sitting on the edge of my chair – both times.
Jute has done an extraordinary job of giving the reader as much of an experience of this perilous as one can find while sitting in a comfortable chair while safely at home. His attention to detail is exquisite. He brings to life, not only his human characters, but the personalities of the animals as well. Rhodes' lead dog Toots (a name that delighted me because I have a dog named Toots in my current WIP) is a delightful character and the grouchy moose and the hungry bear will stay with me for a long time. This is a thoroughly exciting and beautiful book. Highly recommended.
October 29, 2011
A while ago, I read something about the concept of 'setting as character'. I didn’t understand it until I read ‘Iditarod’ by Andre Jute. The book has two main characters, Rhodes and James, both skilled athletes, both determined to better the other in the Iditarod, an annual sled race across Alaska. At first, I presumed that James was the antagonist. With his fame and wealth and slightly arrogant approach, he was the obvious candidate to be the baddy of the piece. It soon became obvious though, that the real antagonist is the place, Alaska itself. Both Rhodes and James, while competing with each other, face this wild, desolate landscape alone and it throws everything it has at them to stop them succeeding.
As in all good books, though, the antagonist is a three-dimensional character with enough goodness about it to draw the reader in. Even when Rhodes and James were fighting the worst Alaska could muster, I was in awe of the spectacular beauty of the place so clearly described. It was not hard to understand why people would pit themselves against the place in such a dangerous way.
This is a determined adversary that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Hardly a page goes by without the potential for disaster being raised. At times, I must admit, I was a little annoyed at Jute’s use of chapters written from the point of view of a pack of wolves. It took me some time to understand the significance of these chapters and-- as he tended to put them in just as one or other of the characters was in dire straits-- I became impatient with them for a while. In truth though, they gave chance for the reader to have a rest from the fast paced action* whilst they quietly developed the setting as a character. By the end of the story, I felt sympathy for those wolves (who epitomised Alaska) despite their actions.
This is a book that has obviously been the subject of detailed research. Everything, from the history of the Iditarod to the detail of the landscape along the way, is meticulously described. It’s an old-fashioned, beautifully written adventure story that won’t disappoint any modern reader who enjoys fast-paced action. I highly recommend it.
*If I have any criticism of the story, it would be that perhaps sometimes the action scenes were so fast that I couldn’t quite picture what was happening. However, that could have been more to do with the fact that I know nothing about sleds, snow, ice etc., rather than the writing itself.
As in all good books, though, the antagonist is a three-dimensional character with enough goodness about it to draw the reader in. Even when Rhodes and James were fighting the worst Alaska could muster, I was in awe of the spectacular beauty of the place so clearly described. It was not hard to understand why people would pit themselves against the place in such a dangerous way.
This is a determined adversary that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Hardly a page goes by without the potential for disaster being raised. At times, I must admit, I was a little annoyed at Jute’s use of chapters written from the point of view of a pack of wolves. It took me some time to understand the significance of these chapters and-- as he tended to put them in just as one or other of the characters was in dire straits-- I became impatient with them for a while. In truth though, they gave chance for the reader to have a rest from the fast paced action* whilst they quietly developed the setting as a character. By the end of the story, I felt sympathy for those wolves (who epitomised Alaska) despite their actions.
This is a book that has obviously been the subject of detailed research. Everything, from the history of the Iditarod to the detail of the landscape along the way, is meticulously described. It’s an old-fashioned, beautifully written adventure story that won’t disappoint any modern reader who enjoys fast-paced action. I highly recommend it.
*If I have any criticism of the story, it would be that perhaps sometimes the action scenes were so fast that I couldn’t quite picture what was happening. However, that could have been more to do with the fact that I know nothing about sleds, snow, ice etc., rather than the writing itself.
October 20, 2011
What can I say? This book is an immense story. My finger nails are no more.
The Iditarod is a race across the Alaskan countryside of well over a thousand miles. Easy you may think, but it's a dog sled ride in temperatures of minus stupid and winds of way past gale force with snow getting everywhere you don't want snow. This is no winter wonderland.
Andre describes this utter whiteness so well you can feel you are there. Also the loneliness of the competitors makes you want to go hug the nearest person (not if you are reading it on public transport !!!!!!)
The way the side story of the wolves is written made me think of David Attenborough doing the narration. There was a definite shift in the writing that made you realise that this is a seperate part of the story and built it up to the climax of the finale.
I believe most of this story is true, just the two main characters with their "sub-race" is the fictional part.
I can really imagine this as a film. But in a made-for-TV movie kind of way If it was a blockbuster it would be all about the stars, but on "Real Stories TV", the dogs and the landscape would be the bigger stars.
The Iditarod is a race across the Alaskan countryside of well over a thousand miles. Easy you may think, but it's a dog sled ride in temperatures of minus stupid and winds of way past gale force with snow getting everywhere you don't want snow. This is no winter wonderland.
Andre describes this utter whiteness so well you can feel you are there. Also the loneliness of the competitors makes you want to go hug the nearest person (not if you are reading it on public transport !!!!!!)
The way the side story of the wolves is written made me think of David Attenborough doing the narration. There was a definite shift in the writing that made you realise that this is a seperate part of the story and built it up to the climax of the finale.
I believe most of this story is true, just the two main characters with their "sub-race" is the fictional part.
I can really imagine this as a film. But in a made-for-TV movie kind of way If it was a blockbuster it would be all about the stars, but on "Real Stories TV", the dogs and the landscape would be the bigger stars.
November 22, 2011
Make sure your hands and feet are inside the sleigh, and your seat belt is fastened cause you're in for a wild ride. Also be sure to take any and all breaks as they come available, they are short lived, few and far between. This book starts out fast and furious and just keeps going, for 1200 grueling miles over the unforgiving Alaskan terrain.
I have followed the Iditarod for many many years, dreaming of actually being in Anchorage for the start and Nome for the finish. This year I have read three books about this great race, this one being the latest. I read this one at the pace set by the story, fast and furious.
There was only one drawback that I found in the book the kinda irked me, and that was the way Mr. Jute portrayed the wolves. About 98% of what he wrote about the wolves in this book is pure fiction, and unfortunately many will believe it. I have a thing for wolves and really don't like them being portrayed as ruthless, devilish beasts, which they are not. Aside from that it was a great ride, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I have followed the Iditarod for many many years, dreaming of actually being in Anchorage for the start and Nome for the finish. This year I have read three books about this great race, this one being the latest. I read this one at the pace set by the story, fast and furious.
There was only one drawback that I found in the book the kinda irked me, and that was the way Mr. Jute portrayed the wolves. About 98% of what he wrote about the wolves in this book is pure fiction, and unfortunately many will believe it. I have a thing for wolves and really don't like them being portrayed as ruthless, devilish beasts, which they are not. Aside from that it was a great ride, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
December 10, 2011
Rhodes and William take on the wilderness of Alaska during the Iditarod, the 'Last Great Race.'
A very good read - the imagery was wonderful. I found myself yearning to see Alaska, in spite of my better judgement (I hate snow and cold.)
I got a very real sense of the depth of the dangers Rhodes faced. I found it hard to believe she would go on the race without being armed to the teeth. That's just me. I get the creepy crawlies from listening to coyotes howl and yap. I'd want a high-powered rifle if there was a rumor of wolves.
The other characters were also well-drawn, everything fitted together very well.
I found it curious the characters hallucinated during the race. I didn't understand that at all. However that didn't detract from the story.
A very good read - the imagery was wonderful. I found myself yearning to see Alaska, in spite of my better judgement (I hate snow and cold.)
I got a very real sense of the depth of the dangers Rhodes faced. I found it hard to believe she would go on the race without being armed to the teeth. That's just me. I get the creepy crawlies from listening to coyotes howl and yap. I'd want a high-powered rifle if there was a rumor of wolves.
The other characters were also well-drawn, everything fitted together very well.
I found it curious the characters hallucinated during the race. I didn't understand that at all. However that didn't detract from the story.
October 7, 2013
Loved this book. I couldn't put it down. Please see my full review and interview with the author at Cookie's Book Club
April 23, 2011
See my full review at http://librariansquest.blogspot.com dated April 22, 2011
March 25, 2012
This review is going to be a little different than most of my reviews. Just hang with me and we’ll see how it goes.
What I liked about the book:
The author apparently did quite a bit of research about the race. I knew next to nothing about the Iditarod, and I learned several fascinating facts from this book.
The author did a great job of putting the reader in the story and making us wonder and worry about a racer getting eaten by wolves or trampled by a moose.
(This one is a bit of a spoiler. Sorry.) I liked that Rhodes and James acknowledged that although they had developed feelings for each other, they realized that they needed to spend some time together under normal conditions before declaring their undying devotion.
There was a bit of humor in the story. It wasn’t just dry facts and drama. Although there was plenty of drama.
What I didn’t like about the book:
The back story on the wolves was thrown in haphazardly between chapters of the main story, and while I could see where it was going, and it eventually tied in, it was confusing. And kind of weird, really.
The whole storyline of James and Rhodes erstwhile relationship, especially before the race didn’t seem realistic to me. I think part of it was the dialogue. I have a thing about dialogue in books. Theirs just didn’t seem right.
There were some things that didn’t make sense or weren’t wrapped up. Like who was sabotaging Rhodes’ dogs. She thought it was James, but it didn’t seem like something he would do. We’re never told what happened or where the distraction came from.
The bottom line:
This is a nice little adventure/romance if you don’t take it too seriously. You can learn a little about the Iditarod, while staying warm and cozy in the comfort of your favorite reading chair.
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked about the book:
The author apparently did quite a bit of research about the race. I knew next to nothing about the Iditarod, and I learned several fascinating facts from this book.
The author did a great job of putting the reader in the story and making us wonder and worry about a racer getting eaten by wolves or trampled by a moose.
(This one is a bit of a spoiler. Sorry.) I liked that Rhodes and James acknowledged that although they had developed feelings for each other, they realized that they needed to spend some time together under normal conditions before declaring their undying devotion.
There was a bit of humor in the story. It wasn’t just dry facts and drama. Although there was plenty of drama.
What I didn’t like about the book:
The back story on the wolves was thrown in haphazardly between chapters of the main story, and while I could see where it was going, and it eventually tied in, it was confusing. And kind of weird, really.
The whole storyline of James and Rhodes erstwhile relationship, especially before the race didn’t seem realistic to me. I think part of it was the dialogue. I have a thing about dialogue in books. Theirs just didn’t seem right.
There were some things that didn’t make sense or weren’t wrapped up. Like who was sabotaging Rhodes’ dogs. She thought it was James, but it didn’t seem like something he would do. We’re never told what happened or where the distraction came from.
The bottom line:
This is a nice little adventure/romance if you don’t take it too seriously. You can learn a little about the Iditarod, while staying warm and cozy in the comfort of your favorite reading chair.
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 19, 2011
The Iditarod race has always fascinated me so I was intrigued by this book from the moment I saw the illustrious cover. It did not disappoint, having all the elements of a great adventure story.
And what a captivating adventure it was, featuring wild animals, a race against the elements and the clock, an underlying love story and tension.
The main characters were likeable, solid and real. One was attracted to them right away and couldn’t wait to hear how they resolved the dilemma in which they’d found themselves. The love story was poignant – as is often the case where the author is male, they simply recognized one another and the inevitability of their love and rolled with it.
A great deal of research went into the animals, the wilderness setting and the race. The animals featured are all indigenous to my area of the world and being an outdoors person I have had the privilege of seeing in the wild each of the creatures portrayed. The author was at a disadvantage here as the terms in North America for moose, elk and deer are different from those used in Europe, but in all cases their depiction was a fascinating part of the adventure. The sled dogs were wonderfully wrought and heroic.
But it was the story of the wolves which was most compelling. Well imagined and chronicled, one followed the story with suspense.
All in all a wonderful adventure. The ending was perfect for the story and satisfactory for the reader.
One can’t help but feel it would make a good movie...
And what a captivating adventure it was, featuring wild animals, a race against the elements and the clock, an underlying love story and tension.
The main characters were likeable, solid and real. One was attracted to them right away and couldn’t wait to hear how they resolved the dilemma in which they’d found themselves. The love story was poignant – as is often the case where the author is male, they simply recognized one another and the inevitability of their love and rolled with it.
A great deal of research went into the animals, the wilderness setting and the race. The animals featured are all indigenous to my area of the world and being an outdoors person I have had the privilege of seeing in the wild each of the creatures portrayed. The author was at a disadvantage here as the terms in North America for moose, elk and deer are different from those used in Europe, but in all cases their depiction was a fascinating part of the adventure. The sled dogs were wonderfully wrought and heroic.
But it was the story of the wolves which was most compelling. Well imagined and chronicled, one followed the story with suspense.
All in all a wonderful adventure. The ending was perfect for the story and satisfactory for the reader.
One can’t help but feel it would make a good movie...
October 18, 2012
I picked up this book because I had read an interview with Andre' Jute at Cookie's Book Club and he sounded fascinating. Although, this is not the genre of book that I normally read, the Iditarod sounded interesting.
The research and facts in this book are outstanding. You can tell the author took great pride in getting all of his facts right. The history and side stories about some of the Iditarod heroes are fascinating.
I never realized reading a book could be so emotionally exhausting, this story will never let you go! The elements that the participants endure, the foreshadowing of things to come literally scared me to death.
The relationship that grows as we learn about the two main human characters is realistic, fascinating and encompassing and a far cry from what this book is really about.
This book is truly worth more than 5 stars. This is an adventure of a lifetime that I will highly recommend no matter what genre you read, you will not be disappointed. The editing and formatting are pristine.
BRAVO, Andre'! You would be welcome at my dinner table anytime. You will have to excuse me now; I need to go read something light and fluffy. :)
The research and facts in this book are outstanding. You can tell the author took great pride in getting all of his facts right. The history and side stories about some of the Iditarod heroes are fascinating.
I never realized reading a book could be so emotionally exhausting, this story will never let you go! The elements that the participants endure, the foreshadowing of things to come literally scared me to death.
The relationship that grows as we learn about the two main human characters is realistic, fascinating and encompassing and a far cry from what this book is really about.
This book is truly worth more than 5 stars. This is an adventure of a lifetime that I will highly recommend no matter what genre you read, you will not be disappointed. The editing and formatting are pristine.
BRAVO, Andre'! You would be welcome at my dinner table anytime. You will have to excuse me now; I need to go read something light and fluffy. :)
Want to read
June 29, 2017too early to say
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