North Country: A Personal Journey Through the Borderland

by Howard Frank Mosher

Howard Frank Mosher embarked on a journey following America's northern border from coast to coast in search of the country's last unspoiled frontiers. What he discovered was a vast and sparsely settled territory largely ignored by the rest of the United States and Canada; a harsh and beautiful region populated by some of the continent's most independent men and women. Mosher brings the remote North Country vividly to life, and reflects on the powerful characters he has encountered in his own life and how this land has shaped his life and his books.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature, Travelogue, Biography Memoir

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Howard Frank Mosher was an American author. Over the course of his career, Mr. Mosher published 12 novels, two memoirs and countless essays and book reviews. In addition, his last work of fiction, points North will be published by St. Martin's press in the winter of 2018.

Mosher was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1979. A Stranger In the Kingdom won the New England Book Award for Fiction in 1991, and was later filmed by director Jay Craven. In 2006, Mosher received the Vermont Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. In 2011 he was awarded the New England Independent Booksellers Association's President's Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author says along the US Northern “frontier” as he calls it, people have a long tradition of individualism and personal liberty.” He also claims those traits are strongest along this Northern border. I guess you could take him for his word but there is more in this book.

Mosher has written more fiction than non-fiction, primarily set in his state of Vermont. He claims his neighbors are known to be surly to testy. Do you still want to accompany him on his travels? He may not be actually testy but is grumpy now and then. Sometimes he makes friends along the way but often brings out the worst in people with intrusive questions such as “do people like living here,” “What do you do here?” etc., etc. He starts out a real Debbie Downer talking about abandonment, the end of something great, the anachronism of family farms, end of tradition, brook trout have fallen off, the bottom has fallen out of the sardine market. He does pick up somewhere along his trip, but at the age of 50 I think the autumnal time of life colors his view. It is also end of summer and full autumn during his six weeks on the road. His trip was taken before publishing this book in January of 1997. What would he think now? I don’t know.

It turned out to not be the travel book I was expecting, but maybe a good idea for a less talky and opinionated author. He starts at the Canadian/US border on the Atlantic Ocean and proceeds westward. His questions of residents are “leading,” he often has an answer in mind before asking. He forms opinions first. He met an airman in Minot, ND at an active missile site. The airman came up to him while he was looking into a restricted area (close and deliberately provocative on the part of the author) and got cranky and harassed the man who was just doing his job. Guess what, he didn’t enjoy the experience.

He finally reaches his goal, the Canadian/US border at the Pacific Ocean, where he is disappointed that the border guard didn’t have time to be interviewed.

It’s not always a bad thing for the author of a travel book to introduce himself as a character. He better be a good character though. This guy could be a real bore.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so wanted to like this book, but it was a real eye-roller. That's honestly the best way to describe it. And it's sad, because it is a travelogue of a trip that I'd love to take, basically following the US/Canadian border all the way from Maine to Washington state. And there are some interesting moments from Howard Frank Mosher's life woven into the narrative. All well and good. He introduced me to some historical tidbits that I didn't know.
But somehow, every place he goes in this book he manages to meet the single most ideal representative of that place, and they say conspicuously perfect things about the places they live. It starts in the first chapter and never lets up. He goes to Lubec, a dying little fishing village on the Maine coast that used to be filled with sardine canneries, and somehow runs into an elderly gentleman named 'Elisha', who says things like this: "...in me own lifetime I've seen Lubec go from a prosperous seafaring port to a dying fishing village. I hopes for the best, me b'y. But I expects the worst...."
Right.
Then next he's in extreme northern Maine, in Madawaska, and who should he run into but a French Canadian named Ernest Chasse, who says: "Come in sir, come in! Welcome to the 'Louisiana of the North', as I like to call the Republic...."
Hoo boy.
This never ends in this book. Mosher talks about how much he hopes to see a wolf in Northern Minnesota. Spoiler! He sees one on the next page. I started audibly groaning about halfway through and never stopped. He even meets a cowboy who takes him on a cattle drive and tells him stories about Sylvie, his lost love, whose " ol' man whisked her back east in his Cadillac car with nary a goodbye a-tall...."
Maybe Mosher figured he could just approximate what characters said, but what he came up with rings fake fake fake.

[James Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

a bit too... i dont know.. yearning. but a good series of mini stories about mosher wandering across the border between canada and the US. best for seasoned mosher readers. offers insight into his early career and life, which is interesting, but only if you give a shit about his early career and life.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a few months to work my way through this book. It's like a series of vignettes from the author's six week car trip west along the U.S.-Canada border from the Atlantic to the Pacific, through the "North Country," documenting life in the wilderness, farmland and small towns that were disappearing along the border. I liked his adventurous spirit and the stories he heard from a whole range of people you wouldn't meet in New York City.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

To celebrate his fiftieth birthday, author Howard Frank Mosher embarks on a journey along America's northern border from coast to coast. He finds a vast and wild territory, home to some of the most independent and self-sufficient people in the country. In this book, he sheds light on the region, its stories, its people, and also reflects on his own life and experiences.

This novel reads like a travel journal. Each chapter details that particular leg of his journey including the sights, accommodations, previous experiences with the area, and people he meets. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this book were the personal stories Mosher relates. Along his journey, he seeks out long-term residents to talk to them about their lives. Many live off the land and have for generations. Their stories of the changes over time were fascinating. However, many of these stories were quite brief. In many ways, I wish Mosher had given us more from several of these people.

Overall, my take on this book was that it closely resembled his journey: meandering and lacking a clear focus. The narrative was just too scattered and fragmented for me. I loved the images of the wild terrain and hard-working outdoorsman that Mosher shared, but I do wish the writing had felt more cohesive.

3.5 stars

[Claire Livezey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to get swept away in Mosher’s adventures across the US/Canadian border, but something felt missing. There was abundant talk of Mosher’s love of the outdoors and excitement for the journey, without much actual action (lack of interesting hikes, run-ins with animals, struggle around unique landscapes/climates, description of the natural world around him, etc.) Mosher’s accounts of the people he met on his travels were interesting and his historical insights offered further understanding of their communities. However, each story felt half-told. Mosher’s experiences with each town and individual were vaguely described and the historical blips seemed to barely scrape the surface of the issues faced by each community. I also did not love the anti-government overtones present in this novel, though I did gain a fuller understanding of why those who live along the border may ascribe to this way of thinking. A pleasant read, but not particularly engaging or impactful. I found it difficult to stay focused on each chapter and ended up skimming the last few pages. Life is too short to read books that never pick up!

[Tim Blackburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good travelologue. The author recounts his personal journey across the US/Canada border from Maine to the Pacific Ocean. The trip was in conjunction with his 50th birthday Good stories of encounters with locals all along the border. I love North American travel books but I always end up comparing that particular book with John Steinbeck's "Travels with Charlie". For comparison, i didn't enjoy this one as well as Steinbeck's however I did enjoy it much more than Kerouac's "On the Road".

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mosher's writing style is beautiful; but although I enjoyed this book I prefer his fiction. Provides an interesting insight into the author though, and those who are particularly interested in the US-Canada border would be especially advised to seek this book out if only for the scary story in the second half.

[Darrell Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts slow, as the reader gets to know the author and his travel rhythms. Well worth sticking to it.

I believe though, getting to know the people that live and work around an arbitrary line on a map, would reveal not much difference between the people on the US/Canadian border, or those that live along other arbitrary lines on a map: I-90, I-80, I-70, I-40, I-10.

[Jared M Feinberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. I liked everything the author was relating to me about the North Country. Mosher was a fisherman, outdoorsman much like myself and seeing the world through his eyes was very refreshing and enjoyable. I was sad to learn that he has passed. It just motivates me to read other books he wrote.

[vicky e patten · Rating 5 out of 5]

any day fishing is a good day

So many stories to be told. The visual pictures of the north country is rooted in my DNA. Hard working paper mill worker was my grandfather in Groveton NH. He took me fishing up to camp Stratford bog. A magical place to a little girl. Mr Mosher captured the respect of the land, the mountains, animals but most of all the people.

[David H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book about the travels along the United States/ Canadian border from Lubec, Maine to Blaine Washington. Wonderful stories about the people who populate often remote places now and in the past. Both are fiercely independent holding on to tradition and personal freedom.

[Roy Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

fly fish community read this to be envious

Only essential words for his story
Contrasts nicely with southern boulder
Leaves you wonder about some travel details like fishing licenses but would detract from story if included

[Charles Forseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating travel memoir.

Thoroughly enjoyed the personal stories he uncovers on his travels. I also googled the towns, some of the parks, and several of the people as I vicariously traveled with Howard on his northbound ramble.

[G. Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors takes the trip I wanted to take. Describing the landscape and the people on the Northern border of US and Canada. Much better read than anticipated!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and well written travelogue plus memories and interviews.

[Pamela Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A roadtrip along the US and Canada border (more or less) from ME to WA / BC with all sorts of interesting characters along the way! Good job capturing the spirit of the people of North Country!

[Richard M. Robidoux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing

It was an armchair trip across the North border of the US. It has very interesting portraits of the people in their habitat.

[Bob Rapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining account of life along the border region that tends to be forgotten.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our 61th Retirement Read Aloud, found at the library book sale.

[Chris Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting this to be as interesting as it was. I was pleasantly surprised and I took it slow, one or two chapters a night before bed, to let it soak in.

[Philip C. Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this about about the borderland between Canada and the US. Gave an interesting history of the various areas and people he met.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of Mosher's I read since his death in January, and it was the perfect read. A fascinating travel book/memoir that also studies the lives of the people who live along the US-Canada border from coast to coast. Written in Mosher's usual easy-to-digest brief chapters, it is nevertheless a lengthy book that takes you slowly across the country, dipping in and out of Canada (and American exclaves), and introduces you to a wide range of interesting people. Only problem is the book will make you miss the author and feel the sting of his loss even more.

[MattA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started out agreeing with other reviewers that some of the characters presented were too on the nose to be believable as real people. Especially the first one the author meets, on the waterfront at Lubec. But as the book progressed, I more and more found myself pulled into the author's worldview and that I liked it. By the end I came to the understanding that this is a book, not a transcript. One relies on the author to communicate the essence of his encounters, the general truth of them and not just the strict truth of them. I came to trust the author's judgement that the people he presented were worth knowing, or at least learning a bit about. Overall, a worthwhile read.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started slowly for me--but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. Particularly fascinating were some of the incredibly astute comments from some of the individuals the author met. The lifestyles of many who live along the North Country boundary are amazing. A very interesting read for me, especially since the author passed through Pembina, North Dakota--a town we drove through every week on our way to church when we lived there.

There is some occasional swearing, including one instance of a very strong expletive.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure I can put my finger on it, but the book came off as a bit dry to me, more like reporting, with the constant interviews, than observation (although there is a fair amount of that). I also sensed a whiff of self-congratulation as well. Still, not a bad read if you can get ahold of a cheap (free!) copy, and are interested in the border region, although these days I'm sure Border Patrol isn't nearly as laid back as it was a generation ago.

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting but somewhat flawed travelogue/historical journey of a writer from Vermont who travels the 3,000 mile border between Canada and the United States; heavy on nature, workin' people like longshoremen, fishermen and loggers and light on culture and history. It was enjoyable, nonetheless.

[Norah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great insight into Mosher's past, and the Northern regions that shape him. It's interesting to follow him across the northern border between the US and Canada and witness the similarities in people and geography that he finds.

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant meandering travelogue; as much about the people he meets as the geography of the North Country. Doubt the dialogue with people he meets is verbatim but allows him to bring in local history etc. Fishermen would definitely appreciate his experiences on rivers and lakes.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful journey across the Northern border of the US/Southern border of Canada. I enjoyed Cumings style of short chapters focusing on one moment in his roadtrip. Kind of reminded me of Salt.