Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America

by Amy E. Butcher

The true story of two women who found meaning, strength, and friendship in one of the most punishing and magnificent landscapes on earth.

Amy Butcher was an accomplished college professor, mentor, and writer, but in her own home, she was embarrassed and emotionally burdened by an increasingly abusive relationship. Exhausted and terrified of the ways her partner’s behavior could escalate, Amy reached out to Instagram celebrity Joy “Mothertrucker” Wiebe. Joy was a fifty-year-old wife and mother and the nation’s only female ice road trucker, a woman who maneuvered big rigs through the Alaskan wilderness along the deadliest road in America. Joy was everything Amy wanted to be: independent, fearless, and in charge of her life in a landscape dominated by men. Invited by Joy to ride shotgun, Amy found her escape on a road that was treacherous, beautiful, and exhilarating—an adventurous ride through the Alaskan wilderness that was profoundly life changing.

Mothertrucker is the story of that bracing four-hundred-mile journey navigating snow-glazed overpasses, ice-blue curves, and near plummets. It’s also the stories that led them both to Alaska—an interrogation of the reality of female fear, domestic violence, and how to overcome—and an exploration into just how galvanizing friendships between women can be.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel, Biography, Book Club, Biography Memoir, Feminism

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2021

About the author

Amy E. Butcher is an award-winning essayist and author of Mothertrucker (Little A/Topple Books, 2022), which in July 2019 was acquired by Makeready Films for film development with Primetime Emmy-winning Jill Soloway directing and Academy and Golden Globe-winning actress Julianne Moore in a starring role. In February 2020, the Ohio Arts Council awarded excerpts of Mothertrucker an Individual Excellence Award, calling the book "well researched," "very well-written," and "a positive antidote to the trauma of violence against women." Her first book, Visiting Hours (Blue Rider Press/Penguin-Random House, 2015), earned starred reviews and praise from The New York Times Sunday Review of Books, NPR, The Star Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and others. Most recently, her January 2019 essay "Flight Path" was awarded grand prize in The Sonora Review's flash prose contest, and her May 2018 essay, "Women These Days," was thrice nominated for a Pushcart Prize and twice nominated for inclusion in the Best American Essays series by the editors at Brevity. Her work has been featured on National Public Radio and the BBC, anthologized in Best Travel Writing 2016, and awarded grand prize in the 2016 Solas Awards' "Best of Travel Writing" series and the 2014 Iowa Review Award as judged by David Shields. Her essays have also been awarded notable distinctions in the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 editions of the Best American Essays series. Additional essays have appeared in

Granta, Harper's, The New York Times "Modern Love," The New York Times Sunday Review, The Washington Post, The Denver Post, The Iowa Review, Lit Hub, Guernica, Gulf Coast, Fourth Genre, The Rumpus, The Paris Review online, Tin House online, and Brevity, among others. Her 2016 op-ed, "Emoji Feminism," published in the New York Times Sunday Review, was cited by Google as the inspiration for eleven new professional female-empowered emojis, accepted by the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee in July 2016 and incorporated in January 2017 in all iOS software packaging internationally. Additional writing appears in The Best of Brevity, Advanced Creative Nonfiction: A Writer's Guide and Anthology, The Best Travel Writing 2016, The Soul Of A Great Traveler, Writing True: The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction, The Best of Vela,and Beautiful Flesh: A Body of Essays. She earned her MFA from the University of Iowa's Nonfiction Writing Program and is the 2012-2013 recipient of Colgate University's Olive B. O'Connor Creative Writing Fellowship in nonfiction, as well as grants and awards from the Vermont Studio Center, the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, the Academy of American Poets, the Ohio Arts Council, Word Riot Inc., and the Stanley Foundation for International Research. She is the Director of Creative Writing and an Associate Professor of English at Ohio Wesleyan University and teaches annually at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival and the Sitka Fine Arts Camp in Sitka, Alaska. She lives in Ohio with her three rescue dogs, beautiful beasts.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 2 out of 5]

The James W. Dalton Highway is the most dangerous road in America, 414 miles of gravel and occasional pavement that extends north from Fairbanks, Alaska, to the industrial town of Deadhorse and the oil fields of Prudehoe Bay. More drivers die on that road annually than anywhere else in our America, in no small part because its miles are subjected to the worst of Mother Nature. It is built on desolate, remote terrain that often gets washed out or slicked with ice or glazed so thoroughly by late-spring snow that the path ahead disappears, obscuring what is ground and what is air, what is road and what is tundra, and in that difference, sometimes, a life disappears, as well.



The mother trucker in this book's title was Joy Wiebe, the nation's only female ice road trucker, who often drove the Dalton highway 2-3 times a week. Though I don't agree with her religious beliefs or her politics, she was a vivacious, enthusiastic individual whose upbeat spirit is infectious.

"There is no beauty," she says to me, "like the beauty of that road."

It's too bad this book really isn't about Joy. It's actually all about Amy Butcher, the author, and the angsty, soul-searching time she spent trying to decide whether or not to leave an abusive relationship. If you know this going into the book, perhaps you'll enjoy it more than I did.


Joy Ruth Wiebe, 1967-2018

"Me? I try to help everyone I can whenever I can," she continues. "Like a guardian angel of the highway."

Here's to you, Joy. Someday, I'd love to read a book about you .

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I suspect the target market for this book is women and domestic abuse survivors (of which I am neither), I found this true-life account absorbing, thought-provoking, and ultimately moving enough to inspire tears. This is one of the best books I've read put out under an Amazon imprint. Chronicling the author's experience with Joy Weibe, dubbed "Mothertrucker" because she was one of the only female truckers to make runs on Alaska's most dangerous highway in her big rig. The story, like Alaska's wilderness, is one of survival and of coming to terms with what we embrace and what we must discard in life to survive. Highly recommended.

[Marianne Diericks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had more to do with examining one's faith in God and relationships than about Alaska. From the title and cover I expected more about the landscape, challenges and beauty of Alaska, but I was disappointed. It would appeal most to religious readers.

[Corinne · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seemed to me that the story of Joy in this book serves only as a vehicle (no pun intended, but I'll embrace it) for Butcher to analyze her own life. Joy is constantly pushed aside so Butcher can focus on herself. That is perfectly fine. This is her book. I would prefer less picking at the scab of a flawed relationship and more analysis and experience of the flawed and strong woman the book seemed to be about.

[Janice Woodson · Rating 1 out of 5]

More about Amy than Joy.

Sorry, I was interested in a story about a woman who made a life in Alaska and found her strength and calling driving a truck over one of the most challenging roads in the world. Instead Amy Butler rants about her own abusive relationship ad nauseam, I couldn’t stay long enough to see if there was a positive outcome,

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the story and learning about Joy, this seemed a bit melodramatic coming from a woman who knew Joy for 2 days. The book is more about the author than Joy, and while I empathize with her domestic abuse problem and am glad she got out of the situation, I thought I’d be reading more about being in a big rig with Joy. The book just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. Two days in a pick up truck isn’t the big adventure I expected.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a budding friendship that began online between Amy Butcher, and Ohio college professor/writer, and the woman known as “MotherTrucker”, Joy Wiebe. When Amy needs to bail out of her relationship as she begins spiraling down from Dave becoming ever darker and more dangerous to her, she decides to bolt. She flies to Fairbanks, Alaska and joins Joy on a 400 mile trip on the Dalton Highway. It’s a risky prospect, but she trusts Joy, as she’s the only female ice road trucker. She hopes to have Joy’s strength and courage rub off on her. The writing is moving and thoughtful and I really enjoyed this one.

[Provin Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mother trucker is a hard book to review. On one hand I give five stars to the story of Joy Wiebe, An all American woman working as a truck driver on the dangerous Dalton highway in Alaska. Joy was a gift to this world always encouraging and supporting others and gently laying the word of God upon them. A five star story all the way!

Then there was the authors story. Amy Butcher is an associate professor of English at Ohio Wesleyan University. She hates men and doesn’t have a good view of religion either. At least that’s what I got out of her story which took up 75% of the book. A one star here

Throughout the book the author also talks about all the pictures she takes yet there are none in the book. I would’ve loved to have seen the smiling face of Joy, the epic portraits of Alaska, and the photos memorializing the trip that they took together on the Dalton Highway. But alas there were none.

So I’ve added the five star and the one star reviews of the story and come up with a compromise that this was a three star book for me.

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A misleading description

Presented as Joy's story, this book really is about the author's personal struggles and journey to self discovery. It has a heavily religious focus. I had hoped to learn about Joy, about the road she traveled literally, and instead leaned about Amy's figurative one.

[LeeAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't awful, but it's not a spectacular read either. If you're today's feminist, one of the "vagina hat" wearing variety, you'll probably enjoy all of the "man blaming". There are some moments and passages that are very emotional and totally on point that will speak to anyone. Those pages probably account for only 10% of the book though.

If you are expecting to read about Joy Weibe, aka Mothertrucker, there isn't much about her in this memoir. Even though the author seems to dote and fawn over Joy, to a somewhat disturbing degree at times, it always comes back to a rather self-centered aspect of self-realization for the author, rather than the self-actualization she truly needs to live a happy and fulfilling life. In other words, she realizes she too is to blame for her circumstances but never takes responsibility for being in those circumstances, and will NOT act to get herself OUT of said circumstances. I believe she looked to Joy as her own personal "savior" and toward the end acts like a spoiled child when said savior doesn't have all the answers, or offers answers the author didn't like. Boo hoo.

It's focus, ad nauseum, is the author's 1st hand experience with domestic abuse - as an adult. She doesn't even have the excuse of "learned behavior" or "conditioning" from a crappy childhood. She identifies as a strong feminist and is seemingly intelligent, as she is supposedly a college professor; however, she isn't smart enough to see how she allows herself to be manipulated and abused by men. The dichotomy makes me wonder how she survives with such little common sense.

Please don't take this to mean I have no compassion for those who are abused. I've been in that position, ONCE, and quite forcefully pulled the plug on that relationship. THIS memoir simply perpetuates the "victimization" of women instead of calling them out on their unwillingness to STOP being a victim. There is NO resolution to the abusive relationship described in this book as her boyfriend ends up leaving HER. So much for "girl power" - eye roll. I think she should have her feminist card revoked.

The author is very much a liberal and approaches every life aspect from that viewpoint, including her dislike of Donald Trump, religion, pipelines, immigration, and how women are nothing but victims. So, if you are a conservative, as I am, who appreciates hard work, blue collar workers, oil production in our own country, and taking personal responsibility for your actions, this book isn't for you. Yes, the author indeed goes off on several rants regarding how "horrible" it is to have oil production in the US - again, complete with statistics from only liberal sources, of course.

Having been written by a professor, this reads like a term paper, complete with statistics and very proper citations at the end, lol! I can tell because, I too, have been a professor. This memoir concentrates on:

*Domestic abuse, both verbal and physical.
*Abuse of indigenous women.
*Feminism.
*Liberalism and hating Trump - eyeroll.
*The wrongness of Industrialization and free trade - another eyeroll.
*Ruination of the marginalized.
*7th Day Adventists belief systems.
*Her own skewed "understanding" of Christianity.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a budding friendship that began online between Amy Butcher, and Ohio college professor/writer, and the woman known as “MotherTrucker”, Joy Wiebe. When Amy needs to bail out of her relationship as she begins spiraling down from Dave becoming ever darker and more dangerous to her, she decides to bolt. She flies to Fairbanks, Alaska and joins Joy on a 400 mile trip on the Dalton Highway. It’s a risky prospect, but she trusts Joy, as she’s the only female ice road trucker. She hopes to have Joy’s strength and courage rub off on her. The writing is moving and thoughtful and I really enjoyed this one.

[Celeste Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

'"Half the time, he terrifies me, but the other half, I swear, it's like he's the only person in the world who matters. Isn't that insane?" It wasn't, she said, insane. She told me of a study in which scientists determined that domestic abuse lights up the same neurotransmitters as gambling.'

As soon as I finished this book I messaged Amy to say that I felt honored to read such a personal story. I know her through my partner, but I didn't know anything about the story she tells in this book. 

She interweaves the already incredible story of meeting Joy Mothertrucker and riding with her on the Dalton Highway, with her own story of an abusive relationship, all while very thoughtfully and poignantly discussing domestic abuse, violence against women, and the tension between the oil rig economy and Indigenous land in North Alaska. If this sounds like too many topics - believe me, it's not.  It's very well done,  and her writing is so clear and personal, you feel like you are riding along in the truck with her and Joy. I'm not surprised at all that this is being made into a movie. Congratulations Amy!

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book except when the author turned it into a political/social lesson. Several times I was just getting into a really good story Joy was telling, then the author in her author voice butted in and ruined it by preaching her brand of politics. I also do not believe Joy would of been ok with her spilling all the family dirt after her death, specifically about Joy's husband, James.

[Coffeedog · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m confused. Why does the author refer to Joy’s daughter as Samantha, and Joy’s husband as James? If you read the obituary, their names are actually Caroline and Greg. What’s up with this?
Secondly, Joy was convinced this author was sent by God to “write her story.” Amy Butcher did no such thing. Instead, she self-servingly wrote a whiny, overly dramatic account of her own life living with a boyfriend who was a piece of s**t. Ugh. I did NOT even manage to feel sorry for her.
Also- the book/Joy was VERY religious. I don’t mind reading of a person’s faith, and in fact I even share her faith, so I’m not criticizing as an atheist or something - but I had to stop and reread the book description to see if it was marketed as a “Christian” book. I finally decided it was actually the author’s fault it came across that way, because ultimately it read like she literally put into her book every. single. word/conversation she had with Joy to make up for lack of any other real content. I definitely did not enjoy that aspect.
I THOUGHT I was going to be reading an interesting book about Joy’s life as an ice road long haul trucker. Nope. Definitely not. Wish I had.
Again, interested in what someone else thinks of this book/author??

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

As others have noted, the reader has to calibrate their expectations a little from what the title and description might indicate. I picked up with book because it seemed to be about Alaska and trucking. In truth, because of an injury Joy had sustained, they make the drive in a pickup truck rather than a semi, and it's just one trip up and back... a couple of days.

But once I accepted that this book wasn't fully what I thought it would be, I became more open to what it is: a potent recounting of the impact of (male) violence in the lives of women. It was illuminating to read how this played out in both Joy and Amy's lives, and the fact that sometimes just the threat of violence is enough to shape and degrade a person's psychological well-being. The book also delves deeply into religion, showing the ways religion can justify patriarchy (with its ever-present threats of violence), as well as a be a lifeline for some, like Joy. The author wrestles with religion in a pretty honest and nuanced way, neither dismissing nor blindly accepting its offerings.

In the end, I stayed for the compelling stories of the two women and how they (and others) support each other. Along the way, I did learn about Alaska, the Dalton Highway, and the lives of the people who live and work along it.

[Lesleigh Pendery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not what I was expecting, I thought this book would be more about the adventures of Joy and the Alaskan highways, less about religion and violence against women. It was a well written book, but definitely not how it came across in the preview. Definitely a lot of religious undertones in this book. Some creepy.

[Valleri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The power of female friendship!!

My emotions ran the gamut as I read Mothertrucker! Parts of the book made me laugh and other parts made me nearly cry. Mothertrucker (real name Joy) was a fiercely independent and fearless truck driver, who drove the John W. Dalton highway in Alaska. The author, Amy Butcher, was involved with an abusive boyfriend. After a particularly disturbing episode, the author felt the perfect temporary escape would be Alaska. She contacted Mothertrucker about coming to Alaska to go on a six-day run with her, interviewing Joy as they journeyed the John Dalton highway. Joy was all for it!

When Amy and Joy met, their connection was immediate. They even referred to each other as Soul Sisters. During their treacherous drive from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, Butcher and Mothertrucker discussed their lives, finding commonality in their experiences with love, bad relationships, and controlling men. It was an amazing look at the power of female friendship!!

[Brandon Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Connections

A look at connections we make or don't make. The Good and the bad. How the people in our lives for any amount of time shape us and our impact on them.

In this case how some have a connection to belief, religion, and God. Even our connections with food, alcohol, and love.

It is a heartfelt story but it won't be for everyone and thats ok.

[Cherise Wolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upfront, a book that centers Christian faith, having it, seeking it, isn't of interest to me. But this is an affecting memoir, and hard to sum up. Butcher, an essayist and a creative writing professor who taught/teaches feminist texts to her college students, was in a verbally abusive relationship with a man she loved, the abuse entirely focused around his deep faith, his Christianity, his wanting her to be as much a believer as he, as well as to accept the subservient, submissive role that Christianity insists upon for women. She stays despite the escalation of his abuse. When she finds Joy "Mothertrucker" Wiebe on Instagram, one of the very few female long haul truckers on the John W Dalton highway in Alaska, known as the most dangerous highway in America, she reaches out. Joy is openly Christian, with a spiritual view of God, a woman who also endured domestic violence, who imagined herself living in Alaska from the time she was a young girl, wanting the snow and wide open space. The two women connect and Butcher flies to Alaska to drive the highway with Joy from Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay. A sobering reflection about the ubiquity of men's verbal and psychological abuse of women, female friendship, along with other issues - Indigenous rights, religious hypocrisy, capitalism, and environmental concerns.

[Kathy Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about two women with different views on life and God who find each. They share commonality in their struggles with relationships. It made me think about God, the unique struggles women face and how women supporting women is so important. I also learned a lot about the Alaska, the Dalton Highway and the people who work and live there.

[Melissa Wiggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as advertised. I was ready for an adventure/life story about an amazing woman driving a big rig in Alaska. I felt like the author focused way too much on her own abusive relationship and feminist views. I can empathize with both, but I really just wanted to hear more about Joy and her life on the Dalton highway. Having only spent a few days with Joy, not even in the big rig, I’m not sure the author was the right one to tell the story of this pretty amazing woman who was loved by so many. I gave 3 stars because there were a lot of parts I really did enjoy.

[Rita · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointment.

A true story supposedly about a woman who drives a big rig on the most dangerous ice roads in Alaska. Instead, a long autobiographical book about the author who was living with an abuser, and her trials at justifying her life decisions. She hopes (hopes!) for an epiphany after spending 2 days with a woman she views as a role model. I would rather have read a biography about the trucker, not the justifier.

[Kristi Lamont · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Joy's eyes form small, wet tears."

Oh Good Lord. As opposed to what? Small, dry tears?

Self-indulgent cis white lady privilege at work all over the place in this one, my friends.

All. Over. The. Place. Both in terms of life choices and the writing proper.

Regret making Mothertrucker my selection of the free Kindle read for whatever month.

Onward!

[SarahJessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intimate partner violence, the power of women's friendship, problems with a faith modeled on a man, finding God, Alaska, and one amazing women. Highly recommend, especially for women who date men.

[Bonnie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough, but something just didn't quite gel for me. I think it's that the book is more about the author than about Joy. And while Amy's journey is interesting I actually felt it took away from Joy's story. Although there is a lot of intimate conversation and a strong bond between the women it somehow still seems superficial.

[Frosty61 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sad to have to file this one under DNF as it wasn't at all what was expected. The story focuses much more on the author than Joy, the Mothertrucker. There's a heavy focus on spirituality/religion, the author's abusive relationship with her husband, and just two days on the Alaskan highway with Joy (in a pick-up truck, not her big rig). Disappointed as I wanted much more Joy.

[Mollie Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book genuinely snuck up on me. I started and thought I knew how it would go and how much I’d like it (not that much), but it was shockingly refreshing. I admire the way both women had open hands and could talk about spirituality and their relationships with openness and nuance.

I also loved that there wasn’t a resolution. Just an appreciation for everything Joy is and was, while acknowledging how knowing her made the author different.

[Jeriann Sabin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and provocative this book surprised me. An interesting subject, the infamous super dangerous Alaskan highway and an amazing woman that regularly drove it. But the book is really about the pandemic of abuse of women, including the author and her subject. Horrifying how common and accepted abuse is and how easily women are manipulated and eased into abusive situations.
Tragic and triumphant, don't read if you are faint of heart but definitely read if you know of or suspect abuse within your circle.

[Kaddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars are way to less for a story about a woman like Joy Wiebe. But i am not judging the story about Joy but the way it was told with this book. I really liked her - she seemed like a very tough woman and a idol. but: it was way to much about Amy and her toxic relationship to Dave than about Joy. In addition to that there were to many bible verses and the faith to god which I can't identify with.
After finishing this one i will do a research on my own about Joy - one of few women driving trucks on the road that links Interior Alaska with the North Slope oil fields.

rest in peace Joy.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Difficult themes but interesting story. I was expecting a lot more about Joy and Alaska rather than the author. I wanted to like it more than I actually did. I think it just felt a little too heavy and dark without quite enough hope to even it out, even though l think the author was trying for hopeful. But those are her life experiences so it's hard to poo poo on how she relates what she's lived through.