Canoe Country

by Florence Page Jaques

The classic and gorgeous accounts of two legendary naturalists’ journeys through summer and winter in the north country—in two new stand-alone paperback editionsWhen Canoe Country and Snowshoe Country were first published, in 1938 and 1944, respectively, readers were charmed by their enchanting portrayal of the wilderness of northern Minnesota. Florence Page Jaques and her husband, Francis Lee Jaques, became celebrated champions of the Boundary Waters and its majestic environs. Now, these classic books are both back in print as paperback editions. A well-traveled New York sophisticate, Florence Page Jaques fell in love with northern Minnesota during her first trips to the region, and she recounted those early experiences in Canoe Country and Snowshoe Country . She writes of the excitement of traveling by foot, canoe, snowshoe, and dogsled. Weeks of solitude canoeing through the Boundary Waters are interrupted by encounters with the denizens of the north country. In these two volumes, her vivid stories are matched by her famous husband’s spectacular drawings; Francis Lee Jaques captures the delicate power of Minnesota’s seasons, from the cascading falls of summer to the frozen lakes of winter.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Travel

78 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1938

Reviews

[Mike Zyskowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Canoe Country” is nothing short of a lyrical and poetic gift. Written eighty years ago, it's transport and time capsule to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area via the journaling of a wide eyed narrator. She beautifully shares the sights, sounds, smells, taste and touch of her and her husband's three week excursion, and his illustrations add a hint of visual flavor. Highly recommended if you can find one of the early publications

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

—"I got up and slipped out of the tent to see what midnight was really like. Under an ink-black pine, looking out over the dim water, I felt strange and small."—

In 1927, Florence Page and Francis Lee Jaques set out on a three-week honeymoon canoe trip through the Minnesota-Ontario border lakes. This is the journal kept by Florence Page Jaques.

It took me a little bit to get used to the voice, but once I did, all was good. This is a journal, and so of course it doesn't dive as deep as I might like, but it does present place with authenticity. I left this text wanting more, and that's always a good thing in my mind.

And how cool would it be to spend a honeymoon canoeing and hiking in the wilderness, icy waters washing away all that sweat, wind through timber lulling sleep, learning to work together, and of course all those lingering salted huckleberry kisses planted over throat navel and thigh in open wild air scented by cedar pine and spruce.

—"When I woke, the wind was more boisterous than ever, and the waves were storming in, so I went wading down the shore. Of course I got drenched, but it didn't matter; I simply went in swimming. It was glorious! The lake glittered darkly blue, the pines were emerald sequins flashing in the wind. Long tangles of water grass wavered in gold-brown streamers about me, and then the brilliant sand shone clear again through the surge."—

4.25/5

[Markie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely, succinct work, mostly for the gorgeous black-and-white drawings which dot its pages.

Florence Page Jaques' accompanying text is a sweet memoir (published in 1938), a diary of the three weeks she and her husband, Francis Lee Jaques, spent in the boundary waters of Minnesota's northwoods and Canadian territory. A land unto itself and a world away from her home in New York, she is swept up in the boundary waters' wild beauty as she portages, paddles, and camps her way from one lake to another. Florence rather glosses over what must have been a steep learning curve for all of these activities foreign to her before they set out, but her romantic descriptions and attitude toward the flora and fauna of the land is beguiling.

Read around my own most recent trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (82 years after the publication of Canoe Country), this was a marvel to me that in all that time much remains the same inside that space even though so much has changed outside of it.

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would you dare to spend three weeks out in the back country? No people. No cell phone (This is 1940.). Everything must fit into the canoe that carries you from lake to lake in Minnesota.
Florence Jaques had never been canoeing when her husband Frances proposed this trip. Her friends thought she would never make it the three weeks. She not only survived, but relished this time out in the wilderness.
"Canoe Country" is from the diary the author kept for this trip. It tells of the scenery, the animals, the weather and being alone encountered. The descriptions are wonderful, but seem inadequate as the beauty of the Minnesota lake country at that time seemed beyond description. The illustrations are perfect.
This is a short book, long in enjoyment. It is a relaxing read.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Florence Jacques captures with exuberance and wonderment the experience of a northern Minnesota wilderness canoe trip with her husband in the 1930s. Her brief, beautiful journal entries are accompanied by husband Lee's impressive ink drawings.

This book takes me back to my own BWCA trips, and the joy, peace, and awe inspired by that place.

Very highly recommended!

[John Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars only because its such a short little book but it's a wonderful little book. Wonderfully written with terrific drawings. If you like the north country, especially northern Minnesota Boundary Waters area, then I highly recommend checking out this nice little first hand account of a couple's three week canoe trip through the lakes of Minnesota's Boundary Waters.

[Bob Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful quick read with beautiful illustrations on almost every other page. It was created by a husband and wife team, the wife writing and the husband illustrating. They certainly captured the beauty of the boundary waters canoe area in this book.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of my childhood made even better as it is a crisp 7th printing 1967 copy. Reminiscent of everything I remember in our family trips to Canoe Country.

[Rachael Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight, she’s very cheeky and fun.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story about a new couple's experiences in the Boundary Waters. The illustrations are exceptional.