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Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living
In the bestselling tradition of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Helen MacDonald’s H Is for Hawk, Karen Auvinen, an award-winning poet, ventures into the wilderness to seek answers to life’s big questions with “candor [and] admirable courage” (Christian Science Monitor).
Determined to live an independent life on her own terms, Karen Auvinen flees to a primitive cabin in the Rockies to live in solitude as a writer and to embrace all the beauty and brutality nature has to offer. When a fire incinerates every word she has ever written and all of her possessions—except for her beloved dog Elvis, her truck, and a few singed artifacts—Karen embarks on a heroic journey to reconcile her desire to be alone with her need for community.
In the evocative spirit of works by Annie Dillard, Gretel Ehrlich, and Terry Tempest Williams, Karen’s “beautiful, contemplative…breathtaking [debut] memoir honors the wildness of the Rockies” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). “Rough Beauty offers a glimpse into a life that’s pared down to its essentials, open to unexpected, even profound, change” (Brevity Magazine), and Karen’s pursuit of solace and salvation through shedding trivial ties and living in close harmony with nature, along with her account of finding community and even love, is sure to resonate with all of us who long for meaning and deeper connection. An “outstanding…beautiful story of resilience” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Rough Beauty is a luminous, lyric exploration, “a narrative that reads like a captivating novel...a voice not found often enough in literature—a woman who eschews the prescribed role outlined for her by her family and discovers her own path” (Christian Science Monitor) to embrace the unpredictability and grace of living intimately with the forces of nature.
Determined to live an independent life on her own terms, Karen Auvinen flees to a primitive cabin in the Rockies to live in solitude as a writer and to embrace all the beauty and brutality nature has to offer. When a fire incinerates every word she has ever written and all of her possessions—except for her beloved dog Elvis, her truck, and a few singed artifacts—Karen embarks on a heroic journey to reconcile her desire to be alone with her need for community.
In the evocative spirit of works by Annie Dillard, Gretel Ehrlich, and Terry Tempest Williams, Karen’s “beautiful, contemplative…breathtaking [debut] memoir honors the wildness of the Rockies” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). “Rough Beauty offers a glimpse into a life that’s pared down to its essentials, open to unexpected, even profound, change” (Brevity Magazine), and Karen’s pursuit of solace and salvation through shedding trivial ties and living in close harmony with nature, along with her account of finding community and even love, is sure to resonate with all of us who long for meaning and deeper connection. An “outstanding…beautiful story of resilience” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Rough Beauty is a luminous, lyric exploration, “a narrative that reads like a captivating novel...a voice not found often enough in literature—a woman who eschews the prescribed role outlined for her by her family and discovers her own path” (Christian Science Monitor) to embrace the unpredictability and grace of living intimately with the forces of nature.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2018
72 people are currently reading
1992 people want to read
About the author
Karen Auvinen
3 books64 followersKaren Auvinen is poet, mountain woman, outlier, life-long westerner, writer, and the author of the memoir and COLORADO BOOK AWARD FINALIST ROUGH BEAUTY: FORTY SEASONS OF MOUNTAIN LIVING, chosen by The Christian Science Monitor as a top 10 Book of June (2018).
Karen's writing traverses the intersection of landscape and place, and examines what it means to live deeply and voluptuously, and has appeared in The New York Times, Real Simple, Westword, LitHub, The Rumpus, and numerous literary journals. Awards include two Pushcart Prize nominations, a Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Imagination Award, two Academy of American Poets Awards, and a Jentel residency.
Karen earned an MA in poetry from the University of Colorado and a Ph.D in fiction from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and presently teaches film, popular culture, and storytelling to freshman at the University of Colorado – Boulder.
Past gigs include Writer-in-Residence for the State of Colorado, editor, book-buyer, rural postal route driver, caterer, clinic assistant, landscaper, summer camp director, and guest chef. She lives in the mountains of Colorado with the artist Greg Marquez (www.artquez.com), their dog Yuki, and Dottie the Cat.
For weekly meditations on All Things Wild, join Karen's Substack @AWomansPlaceIsIntheWild : www.karenauvinen@substack.com
Karen's writing traverses the intersection of landscape and place, and examines what it means to live deeply and voluptuously, and has appeared in The New York Times, Real Simple, Westword, LitHub, The Rumpus, and numerous literary journals. Awards include two Pushcart Prize nominations, a Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Imagination Award, two Academy of American Poets Awards, and a Jentel residency.
Karen earned an MA in poetry from the University of Colorado and a Ph.D in fiction from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and presently teaches film, popular culture, and storytelling to freshman at the University of Colorado – Boulder.
Past gigs include Writer-in-Residence for the State of Colorado, editor, book-buyer, rural postal route driver, caterer, clinic assistant, landscaper, summer camp director, and guest chef. She lives in the mountains of Colorado with the artist Greg Marquez (www.artquez.com), their dog Yuki, and Dottie the Cat.
For weekly meditations on All Things Wild, join Karen's Substack @AWomansPlaceIsIntheWild : www.karenauvinen@substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
May 14, 2018
Well, I just cried for two hours straight.
"Anything you do deeply is very lonely."
Oh God!
So lately, while contemplating leaving my job, and faced with the "what next" questions, I've been longing for some peace and quiet. I've always enjoyed the pleasure of my own company more than the pleasure of other people's company, and a lot of that comes from a people pleasing mentality that makes the company of others burdensome. Lately, I've needed to be on my own. I don't want to be around the internet or TV or any outside distractions, because they obscure inward searching and meditation that I need to get myself back on track.
That's why, when I saw this book come up on Edelweiss I jumped all over it, eager to read something by a woman who lived the kind of life that I'd been feeling tugged towards in recent years.
I read this book in two days, taking a break three- fourths of the way through, because there were a lot of people in my house, and I knew I was going to dissolve into a puddle of my own tears.
I didn't just cry. I fucking sobbed. The only other time I was moved to cry like that from a book was when I read Where the Red Fern Grows; so now you know, so be warned.
From the synopsis I wasn't expecting to be so moved. I thought this was going to be about a woman who was trying to get her mojo back after twenty years worth of writing burned in a fire. That's what I was expecting, but what I got was so much more. A meditation on femininity, life, nature, and love. And most especially- the spiritual connection we feel towards the animals in our lives.
After reading this book I think I'll have to find my own mountain.
October 28, 2020
Reading the covers, the trailer, the author's bio, I thought this was going to be about the 8,500 feet above sea level Colorado mountain cabin natural world beauty and mindset contemplation.
It's mildly that, on a tangent.
It's really far more about her own memoir experiences of numerous tragedies and her core introverted desires. And a dog book.
The farther I got, the less I enjoyed it. It is entirely self-initiated and self-rotating to relevance in perceptions.
I would suggest this book for dog people, care takers of long years or dire illnesses who like to read about others in such straits, and the Academia world worries and creative writing process loss dynamics.
It's mildly that, on a tangent.
It's really far more about her own memoir experiences of numerous tragedies and her core introverted desires. And a dog book.
The farther I got, the less I enjoyed it. It is entirely self-initiated and self-rotating to relevance in perceptions.
I would suggest this book for dog people, care takers of long years or dire illnesses who like to read about others in such straits, and the Academia world worries and creative writing process loss dynamics.
June 14, 2018
Warning: this is secretly a dog book
August 22, 2018
This gets two stars for deceptive advertising.
From the publisher's summary, I was gleefully anticipating communing with nature in some rustic cabin in the Rocky Mountains - very few amenities, just basic supplies, lots of solitude. Sure she lost all her worldly goods in a fire and sure she would be lonely, but she would eventually come down off the mountain with a true understanding of what was really important in life and a deep appreciation of nature.
Well, that was a fairytale.
This was a memoir written by a poet whose somewhat new-age life was upended by a tragic fire. She indeed lost everything including all of her writing which was stored locally on a now melted laptop. However, it appears to me that she manages to pull herself together without excessive mental devastation, and goes on to tell us all about her scarred childhood, ailing mother, one failed love affair, a love-hate relationship with the nearby town, some worthy prose on landscape blooms and changing precipitation, and . . . oh. The dog. Mostly about the dog. Yes, this is mostly a dog story.
Now I am a dog lover too. And I am not complete with a dog in my life either. But that is not the story I signed up for. Reader beware.
From the publisher's summary, I was gleefully anticipating communing with nature in some rustic cabin in the Rocky Mountains - very few amenities, just basic supplies, lots of solitude. Sure she lost all her worldly goods in a fire and sure she would be lonely, but she would eventually come down off the mountain with a true understanding of what was really important in life and a deep appreciation of nature.
Well, that was a fairytale.
This was a memoir written by a poet whose somewhat new-age life was upended by a tragic fire. She indeed lost everything including all of her writing which was stored locally on a now melted laptop. However, it appears to me that she manages to pull herself together without excessive mental devastation, and goes on to tell us all about her scarred childhood, ailing mother, one failed love affair, a love-hate relationship with the nearby town, some worthy prose on landscape blooms and changing precipitation, and . . . oh. The dog. Mostly about the dog. Yes, this is mostly a dog story.
Now I am a dog lover too. And I am not complete with a dog in my life either. But that is not the story I signed up for. Reader beware.
March 8, 2018
The story of a woman who truly takes the "road less traveled". The adventures, struggles, and triumphs of a person who, by her own definition, "never been someone who takes the easy road. Something in my body gravitates toward rocks and sharp edges, toward storms and umbrage". We've all known people like that, folks that just don't seem to follow societal norms, always choosing to be the "outsider".
I found her to remind me somewhat of Cheryl Strayed ( Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail), however Auvinen seems more personable. I think she was born two hundred years too late, as I can really imagine her being a female "gunslinger" in the Wild West age. I think she would have excelled at that!
This book will make you FEEL! You can feel her despair, her pain, and her joy. She's a very good writer, and has a very good story to tell.
I found her to remind me somewhat of Cheryl Strayed ( Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail), however Auvinen seems more personable. I think she was born two hundred years too late, as I can really imagine her being a female "gunslinger" in the Wild West age. I think she would have excelled at that!
This book will make you FEEL! You can feel her despair, her pain, and her joy. She's a very good writer, and has a very good story to tell.
June 19, 2018
I loved this book. Powerful prose, powerful story. Beauty abounds in this memoir about love and hope and loss and determination. If you love the wilderness, you will connect deeply with this book. If you are like me and your enjoyment of wilderness could be best termed "vicarious," then this is also the book for you. AND there is a dog.
April 4, 2018
Rough Beauty is a gorgeous journey into the wilderness of the heart. Written by award winning poet and storyteller Karen Auvinen, this book is everything a memoir should be: intimate, honest, courageous. After a house fire destroys all her writing and the life she struggled to build in wilderness, Auvinen embarks on a beautiful—if brutal—exploration of loss and solitude, community and family, and finally love. Season by season, Auvinen renders the jagged ecstasy of a decade spent attuned to the mountains—to bears and blizzards, hawks and hummingbirds. A gourmet cook herself, Auvinen's exquisite prose also tantalizes as she feeds herself, her beloved dog, a wayward fox, her friends, and artist boyfriend Greg Marquez whose lovely watercolors grace the book. Rough Beauty is is a feast of the senses.
January 23, 2018
This was a beautiful story of a strong, independent woman trying to find her place in the world. Ironically, she does just that by retreating from the chaos of civilization to carve out her own place in the harsh environment of the Colorado mountains. I was captivated by her descriptions of nature, and by her pure and heartfelt relationship with her closest companion - her husky, Elvis. Definitely a wonderful book!
August 2, 2018
I had no idea this book would impact me so much, being a loner by nature this book was easy to slip into her life. I spend many hours daily tending my garden, audiobooks are my companion, I always get an extra thrill when in dawns early light I may be listening to a book about they very nature I am standing in.
If you are an animal lover I challenge you to a dry eye, I have been in her position many times, but she went beyond my limits and I crumbled face sodden under the canopy of three oaks wondering how I could get up to face the rest of my morning. It's easy for me to empathize, but she just cut me to the quick.
She talks of the harbinger of spring, the hummingbirds in the mountains, on my daily watering excursions over our property i see dozens, this morning while listening one came straight to my hose, sat down three feet from me and bathed in the waters spray as I soaked a sapling, it was a magical moment in and of itself, but coupled with her memoir it was astonishing.
If you are quiet, introspective, deeply in tune with your surroundings I would highly recommend this, we all have stories to share, be them simple or grand, i always appreciate those that are willing to share. I felt like I was just listening to a new friend share her life, it's a quiet humble life, but I was listening intently.
If you are an animal lover I challenge you to a dry eye, I have been in her position many times, but she went beyond my limits and I crumbled face sodden under the canopy of three oaks wondering how I could get up to face the rest of my morning. It's easy for me to empathize, but she just cut me to the quick.
She talks of the harbinger of spring, the hummingbirds in the mountains, on my daily watering excursions over our property i see dozens, this morning while listening one came straight to my hose, sat down three feet from me and bathed in the waters spray as I soaked a sapling, it was a magical moment in and of itself, but coupled with her memoir it was astonishing.
If you are quiet, introspective, deeply in tune with your surroundings I would highly recommend this, we all have stories to share, be them simple or grand, i always appreciate those that are willing to share. I felt like I was just listening to a new friend share her life, it's a quiet humble life, but I was listening intently.
May 29, 2018
Wonderful. This is the sort of book where you and yourself shaking or nodding your head but also always appreciating the language. Auvinen's decision to go more or less off the grid with only her loyal dog Elvis for company might seem impulsive but it was the right thing for her. Reminiscent of other books about women on quests to find themselves, this is distinguished by the writing. Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC. For fans of self exploration.
October 7, 2018
A fascinating and moving coming-of-age memoir - not in the usual sense (that of a child becoming a young adult) but of an adult becoming more and more truly herself. Auvinen's inner and outer relationship with her surroundings (her cabin, the small mountain community, her beloved dog) are explored with grit and honesty. Highly recommended.
July 1, 2018
4.5 Stars. I love this book in so many ways, the poetic descriptions of the landscapes, the strong female friendships, the way it broke my heart.....Please read this book, but be aware that you will be sobbing in all the best ways...
February 25, 2018
Was fortunate to get an advanced reader. I loved it. I cried. I laughed and I marveled at the prose and imagery! Beautiful.
February 9, 2025
Like a 7/10. I really enjoyed certain passages but I read a similar book at the same time that I enjoyed more so it was tough constant comparison. RIP Elvis
May 17, 2018
Karen Auvinen’s memoir is a gift to the reader. She is a keen observer of the natural life in the Front Range of Colorado. Here she has lived through fire and flood, from season to season. During that time she has tried to make peace with her past and forge a path forward. Her writing is exquisite whether describing her unique friends (a mountain support system), Elvis (her canine companion) or observing the natural world surrounding her home. Through hard times, family drama and attempts to join in the community, the reader is firmly on Karen’s side. You want to be her “wing woman.” You want to be in her sphere. And, if you cannot at be there, at least you want to learn how to be present within your own environment….to appreciate the now, and those who surround you with love. No, this is not a New Age type of book. It is an all age type of book. It empowers and connects. Buy a copy for yourself and then another one to leave behind when you are a houseguest of a dear friend. Readers who appreciated Gretel Ehrlich will find a welcome here. And readers who enjoyed the illustrated Beloved Dog by Maira Kalman will find the words here that make Elvis the most faithful friend. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
February 11, 2018
Rough Beauty is aptly named in that it is both a rough beautiful story that takes place in a rough beautiful area of the country that is beautifully told in its roughness. Karen Auvinen has allowed the reader to live with her in the often barren, often dangerous, but always beautiful mountains of Colorado.
We experience her despair of losing her home, her resilience of starting over, her learning from mistakes both in wilderness living and in relationships. We take a seat at the local water hole for some poetry reading. We wonder why she lives the way she does when it appears she could have been living a much easier life.
Through her experiences, we meet the townspeople, her family and her dog. The central character of the book though for me was not Ms. Auvinen or any of the others. It was the rough beauty that is the Rockies of Colorado.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and Scribner in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.
We experience her despair of losing her home, her resilience of starting over, her learning from mistakes both in wilderness living and in relationships. We take a seat at the local water hole for some poetry reading. We wonder why she lives the way she does when it appears she could have been living a much easier life.
Through her experiences, we meet the townspeople, her family and her dog. The central character of the book though for me was not Ms. Auvinen or any of the others. It was the rough beauty that is the Rockies of Colorado.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and Scribner in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.
March 16, 2020
Karen Auvinen's story takes place just two mountains over from mine, so I was inclined to like it from the start. I know of the places she writes and the people she describes. I've spent more than a few nights drinking and dancing at the Merc. And I lived through the Four Mile Fire and the 100-year flood. Here's the thing -- I would have enjoyed this book just as much if I wasn't so familiar with the subject. (And I'm not really that much of a dog person.) What makes this piece so strong is the quality of the writing. I dog-eared many pages so I can go back and remember some of her beautiful turns of phrase. Although this is written in the format of a memoir, it is clear throughout that Karen Auvinen is a poet.
February 11, 2021
There is something tangibly raw and electric about living far from civilization, but this book doesn't capture it for me in the way Gretel Ehrlich or other authors do. I don't feel dropped into Karen's life, but like a way outsider with a lot of questions. Except about her dog, Elvis. She covers that relationship without sparing a detail. I think this is really more of a secret dog story lovers book written by a foodie. She finally finds a boyfriend after over a decade, but her dog gets more airtime. I'd call it "Elvis and Experiments with Baked Alaska in a Town Where People Don't Appreciate Fancy, but Have your Back". I needed some digging deeper here.
August 11, 2018
I read a quote from this book on a page in Real Simple magazine. I was so intrigued, so I read this book. I was so captivated by the people in this book that I didn't want it to end and I wonder how they are. Highly recommended!
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April 16, 2018This book was fantastic! I won it in a giveaway and I am so happy that I did! It gives a lot of great detail and such a great story! I would recommend this to anyone!
July 15, 2024
The book I've been waiting for this year! Some of the writing took my breath away and other parts I wept. Absolutely beautiful.
January 30, 2018
A lovely story, poetic writing. I couldn't put it down.
March 28, 2019
I did not love this book, I found it was hard to keep my attention and honestly not sure what the story was. It was not what I thought it would be.
January 18, 2019
This book is a gem and a tribute to a life lived with eyes and heart wide open. Auvinen's poetic and authentic voice made me see the flowers and clouds, taste the food she describes, and feel like I was right inside the small cabin, along with beloved Elvis. This book will break your heart wide open and send you out into the world to see for yourself how beautiful it is. Thank you, Karen, for the gift of this book, and your singular voice.
May 2, 2020
This book enthralled me, moved me, and broke me. Such wonderful writing and truly a unique perspective.
January 21, 2020
I loved this memoir. I’ve always liked the company I keep when I’m alone. I’ve dreamt of a solitary remote life at times. Karen’s love of nature and rhythms of ritual also drew me in.
June 16, 2018
I received Rough Beauty by Karen Auvinen for free through Goodreads' giveaways program.
This is a hard book to classify. Parts of it are memoir-like-- we get some information on Auvinen's unpleasant childhood-- but it doesn't go into a huge amount of detail. It's mainly used as the springboard to get to the current story, which is how she came to live a pretty solitary life in a small town in Colorado with her dog Elvis. Auvinen talks about her love of remote places, the wilderness, etc. She doesn't want to live a "regular" life with a regular 9-5 job-- she wants to live her own way and not be accountable to anyone. She talks about both the struggles and joys with this type of life.
Part of what made this book so good was the honesty Auvinen displayed when writing it. She points out some of her "quirks" and doesn't apologize for them. There is no bullshit in this book, and I think that's why I liked it so much.
Highly recommended.
This is a hard book to classify. Parts of it are memoir-like-- we get some information on Auvinen's unpleasant childhood-- but it doesn't go into a huge amount of detail. It's mainly used as the springboard to get to the current story, which is how she came to live a pretty solitary life in a small town in Colorado with her dog Elvis. Auvinen talks about her love of remote places, the wilderness, etc. She doesn't want to live a "regular" life with a regular 9-5 job-- she wants to live her own way and not be accountable to anyone. She talks about both the struggles and joys with this type of life.
Part of what made this book so good was the honesty Auvinen displayed when writing it. She points out some of her "quirks" and doesn't apologize for them. There is no bullshit in this book, and I think that's why I liked it so much.
Highly recommended.
November 5, 2018
I’m not a memoir person; I wouldn’t call myself a nonfiction person in general. I have a proclivity for the fantastical, for stories about dragons and starships and people blasting fireballs from their palms. What drew me to Karen Auvinen’s ROUGH BEAUTY: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living, then, was not interest in a change of pace from my usual reading fare. You see, Auvinen is a writer, like me. And so I selfishly figured that in reading her memoir --- the first I’ve read since Jeannette Walls’ THE GLASS CASTLE at my ex’s suggestion a few years ago --- I’d find writing advice. I found none, because that’s not the kind of book this is. It’s something far richer, and I have zero regrets in my choice to pick it up, misaligned though I was.
Similar to THE GLASS CASTLE in its opening chapters, it isn’t long before ROUGH BEAUTY comes into its own, Auvinen proving how unique of a writer --- and person --- she is. The title is, without an iota of a doubt, the perfect way to describe her writing: gorgeously and carefully rendered, yet brimming with a sort of wildness that can’t be entirely tamed. This two-sidedness pervades everything in Auvinen’s life: her father, at once charming and volatile; the Colorado mountain setting, as awe-inspiring as it is perilous; her connections with others, often tense but always essential. Her words are laced with wisdom --- not the preachy kind, thankfully, but the hard-won kind that prompts you to reconsider your own surroundings as Auvinen considers hers.
Of course, I wasn’t captivated by everything Auvinen had to say, even though it was consistently well said. Some sections dragged on a little too long for my taste; whether or not that has to do with me not being accustomed to memoirs, I cannot say. For the most part, the way she splits things up keeps the book from becoming monotonous, but I can’t help but feel that Auvinen never escapes a certain repetitiveness. The cycle of seasons is integral to her story, so you could say that the repetitions serve a thematic purpose --- you could call them motifs, even. There aren’t many, but every time I read about another bear coming up to her cabin, for instance, it lost its “oomph” for me.
What never lost its “oomph,” and what was far and away the best part of ROUGH BEAUTY, was Auvinen’s bond with her dog, Elvis. More than any person in her life, Elvis is the tether that keeps her grounded, a constant reminder to always look at life with fresh eyes, and a fierce friend. He is easily among the most well-written animal companions in literature, imbued with a humanity that vibrates off the page. Don’t be surprised if you leave the book jealous of the nearly mother-son relationship he and Auvinen share. As she herself says, “The love of a dog is no small thing.” I’ve never had a dog, so I would not have agreed before reading her account of such a companionship, but her love for Elvis spun my perception around 180 degrees.
With my self-centered entry into the world of ROUGH BEAUTY in mind, I have only one last thing to say: do not go into this book with expectations of any kind. Regardless of who you are or where you came from, regardless of whether you internalize the insight on hand or not, Auvinen is a woman who will hold your attention with the many, many things she has to say. She won’t force you to nod your head in agreement with her, but she’ll direct your gaze to places you may not have looked before. As a woman who has lived in nature for so long, it’s an understatement to call Auvinen an astute observer. She is someone worth listening to, and, when you’re done listening, someone you’ll thank for causing you to notice what you may not have noticed before.
Reviewed by Benny Regalbuto
Similar to THE GLASS CASTLE in its opening chapters, it isn’t long before ROUGH BEAUTY comes into its own, Auvinen proving how unique of a writer --- and person --- she is. The title is, without an iota of a doubt, the perfect way to describe her writing: gorgeously and carefully rendered, yet brimming with a sort of wildness that can’t be entirely tamed. This two-sidedness pervades everything in Auvinen’s life: her father, at once charming and volatile; the Colorado mountain setting, as awe-inspiring as it is perilous; her connections with others, often tense but always essential. Her words are laced with wisdom --- not the preachy kind, thankfully, but the hard-won kind that prompts you to reconsider your own surroundings as Auvinen considers hers.
Of course, I wasn’t captivated by everything Auvinen had to say, even though it was consistently well said. Some sections dragged on a little too long for my taste; whether or not that has to do with me not being accustomed to memoirs, I cannot say. For the most part, the way she splits things up keeps the book from becoming monotonous, but I can’t help but feel that Auvinen never escapes a certain repetitiveness. The cycle of seasons is integral to her story, so you could say that the repetitions serve a thematic purpose --- you could call them motifs, even. There aren’t many, but every time I read about another bear coming up to her cabin, for instance, it lost its “oomph” for me.
What never lost its “oomph,” and what was far and away the best part of ROUGH BEAUTY, was Auvinen’s bond with her dog, Elvis. More than any person in her life, Elvis is the tether that keeps her grounded, a constant reminder to always look at life with fresh eyes, and a fierce friend. He is easily among the most well-written animal companions in literature, imbued with a humanity that vibrates off the page. Don’t be surprised if you leave the book jealous of the nearly mother-son relationship he and Auvinen share. As she herself says, “The love of a dog is no small thing.” I’ve never had a dog, so I would not have agreed before reading her account of such a companionship, but her love for Elvis spun my perception around 180 degrees.
With my self-centered entry into the world of ROUGH BEAUTY in mind, I have only one last thing to say: do not go into this book with expectations of any kind. Regardless of who you are or where you came from, regardless of whether you internalize the insight on hand or not, Auvinen is a woman who will hold your attention with the many, many things she has to say. She won’t force you to nod your head in agreement with her, but she’ll direct your gaze to places you may not have looked before. As a woman who has lived in nature for so long, it’s an understatement to call Auvinen an astute observer. She is someone worth listening to, and, when you’re done listening, someone you’ll thank for causing you to notice what you may not have noticed before.
Reviewed by Benny Regalbuto
February 17, 2020
I've been living solo at the top of a Colorado mountain for 28 years (112 seasons ;})--even more remote than the setting of this excellent memoir. So I know the life and have "been there, done that." Karen Auvinen does, too, which really resonates throughout this excellent, heartfelt memoir. One of the reasons I enjoy reading memoirs by poets is they have such a magical way of describing the world about them, and so many times while reading this memoir I thought, "she nailed it," whether the descriptions of the landscape, the people populating it, or the many details such as snow filtering in on her when she sleeps in her unheated bedroom, or driving to work and tossing her boots into her truck. Midway through, I'd started googling about Jamestown, the "Merc," and the surrounding area--as "my" mountain is about 2 hours' drive from hers. That's when I read about the historic Colorado 2013 floods, and I remembered watching videos online from my region of Colorado, which wasn't affected at all. I felt sad for Jamestown, the loss of life, loss of history, so much of what Auvinen describes was washed away, although the area is currently under reconstruction.
Other readers have criticized the memoir for its heavy focus (or so it seems) on her dog Elvis, and I think there's some fairness in that viewpoint. It's tough, I know, as my canine companions have been my only real source of companionship--unlike Auvinen, I don't have or make friends, and am much less involved in the nearby small town (okay, I'm not at all involved). I also don't care for the dysfunctional family discussions, although I certainly understand the importance as a foundation for the memoir. I would have preferred more on the floods, as Auvinen can write with such intensity as she does in the brilliant opening chapters about the fire (not a spoiler--this is how the book starts). I could go on, but sum it up to say this is a very intense book, and a beautiful one, an inspirational narrative, if you can get to and stay with the core of her solitary days in the log cabin and its environment. The author as presented in the memoir is plucky and scrappy, intensely intelligent and strong, and I just admired her for all that she went through and the beauty she creates for us, every bit as lovely as the many gourmet meals she describes. Truly this memoir is a feast for the soul.
Other readers have criticized the memoir for its heavy focus (or so it seems) on her dog Elvis, and I think there's some fairness in that viewpoint. It's tough, I know, as my canine companions have been my only real source of companionship--unlike Auvinen, I don't have or make friends, and am much less involved in the nearby small town (okay, I'm not at all involved). I also don't care for the dysfunctional family discussions, although I certainly understand the importance as a foundation for the memoir. I would have preferred more on the floods, as Auvinen can write with such intensity as she does in the brilliant opening chapters about the fire (not a spoiler--this is how the book starts). I could go on, but sum it up to say this is a very intense book, and a beautiful one, an inspirational narrative, if you can get to and stay with the core of her solitary days in the log cabin and its environment. The author as presented in the memoir is plucky and scrappy, intensely intelligent and strong, and I just admired her for all that she went through and the beauty she creates for us, every bit as lovely as the many gourmet meals she describes. Truly this memoir is a feast for the soul.
August 3, 2018
What I wouldn't give for my own cabin in the woods!
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