Edges of the Earth: A Man, a Woman, a Child in the Alaskan Wilderness

by Richard Leo

The author recounts his experiences homesteading in the Alaskan wilderness with his young son and his growing acceptance and love of the land

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Survival, Biography Memoir

303 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1991

Reviews

[Tirza]

I am not finished with this book yet, but it is a page turner. For anyone who has wished to escape to a remote part of the world even briefly should read this book. A very young and lucky man stumbles into a wild frontier that could have easily brought death to him and his family. The book is a testament to his pre-destined movement through life. He was truly meant to be where he was at the that particular point in life; he felt the tug and made it happen. Richard Leo is honest when writing about how selfish and driven he was to follow his life's calling. Even though I found myself siding with his wife's feelings, I found his sincerity refreshing. I'm looking forward to finishing this well written book and reading more from Richard Leo.

[John Shedd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading the book, but Leo's selfishness to pursue his own dream at the expense of supporting his family is incredulous. He attempts to validate his behavior and excuse the pain he is causing by pointing to the benefit of his son's happiness in the wilderness. It obviously was his own happiness that he was seeking.

[Lisa Kearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books you will find yourself thinking of long after you have finished it. Rick's escape to the wilderness is better than most accounts because he appears so human. As a city boy, he makes mistakes and he admits he had no idea how to do many of the tasks their survival depended on. He learns, through trial and error, and in the process becomes the wilderness man you read about in other books (as if they came shrink-wrapped with all the instincts and skills already installed). You also feel very bad for Rick and his girlfriend, as their relationship unravels and they ultimately split up. I'm sure Melissa comes out looking worse since Rick is telling the story, but I did want to slap her for being so selfish. Then finally you love the story of a man and his son - it's so obvious that Janus is the center of Rick's world. I loved this book and look forward to reading it again. I highly recommend this book to anyone who dreams of ditching their suburban life and taking off for the wilderness.

[happydog]

This is in my pile of books to read. It is a non-fiction story about a man who left his life in NYC to homestead in Alaska. This was one of my romantic fantasies when I was younger- so it should be interesting to read about someone who really did it!

[Alyse Liebovich]

My mom went to school with Rick Leo and I got to meet him in Talkeetna, AK 9 years ago. I've been meaning to read his book ever since. Sounds fascinating.

[Mandi Grasmeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick’s story is incredibly interesting, and I love his complete honesty the whole way through. Between what he chose to share and how he shared it, he made my heart alternately swell and ache. Though I was surprised by how his relationship with his girlfriend, Melissa, played out, I was captivated by his friendship with Alexander and the storyline there, and I was impressed by his relationship with his son, Janus.

For someone who both longed for and felt comfortable with such isolation, it’s obvious he still so highly valued relationships and human interaction. The homesteading side of his story was adventurous and lust-worthy. The relational side of his story was special yet common.

I can’t recommend this book to everyone, but if you like adventure, Alaska, or even just examining relationships through everyday hardships, this is a great read. If you love Alaska, it’s a must read.

View full review at: http://mandigrasmeyer.com/book-review...

[Reba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this after spending a summer in Alaska. I love this author's journey.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent the first half of the book vicariously living the dream of a life of absolute freedom. Richard Leo gave up a successful career in New York to take advantage of an Alaskan homestead act. Many of us dream of getting away from society: no more telemarketers, tps reports, or red lights. Richard Leo made the dream a reality.

In the second half, his focus shifts to the trials and joys of raising a son in the wilderness. I wouldn't be surprised if the writers of Hannah (the action movie) read this book because Leo faces a great burden of responsibility in raising his son far from civilization. He can't blame video games, tv, or public schools for any fault in his son. All preparation lies with him. Will his son know how to react to others having been alone? Is he monster for forcing such an isolated existence on his son?

Ultimately, though he lacks the literary finesse of Thoreau, Richard Leo makes up for it in his book by actually living the ideals of which he speaks, and I recommend it to anyone who wonders what it would be like to be a modern day pioneer.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

An educated, dreamy dude quits his job in the city and goes to Alaska with zero money and zero idea of how to live off the land, then he convinces his girlfriend she wants to come along, first to a remote village and then to a homestead. He spends most of the book chafing at the fact that she is super freaked out about living in the wilderness (not surprising, given that she is pregnant and then has a newborn) and is not reassured by his assurances that things will work out -- possibly because he has NO IDEA what he's doing. The number of times he nearly gets himself killed through sheer lack of understanding of his surroundings is mind-boggling.

Eventually, Leo begins to figure out what his place is in this world, and I did love some of the descriptions of life with his child, but his whole attitude toward humankind is repellingly self-righteous. There's very little self-awareness in the way his writes about his own reactions.

I have to admit, I was basically hate-reading this during my lunch breaks.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having resided in Alaska in the 1980’s, (although not as a homesteader), I enjoyed the read. I found it entertaining and interesting, and it brought back memories of the sheer beauty and grandeur of Alaska. Leo was surprisingly honest about his relationship with the mother of his child. He did not endear himself to me there, he seemed selfish. But his driven determination to homestead in the wilderness makes a good story. He also has a way to describe the spiritual beauty of the place. I would love to know the "sequel" but Rick Leo was apparently killed in a car accident on an icy road in 2013. From the obituary I could find on line, it looks like he continued his homesteading and became an environmental advocate for the area he loved so much.

[Brian_From_Neenah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Enjoyable writing style. As someone who's dreamed of such things- he made it obvious you need to be either single or have a partner who shares the same dream. He came across in a poor light for putting his wants before his responsibility to his wife & family. None the less - I read eagerly.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about family, friendships and life in the Alaskan wilderness. Simply written, this book chronicles a father's journey from the great heights of Denali to the depths of his human heart. Great book.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was... different. It's a fairly typical AK homesteading story as far as the events go but the writing was too over-the-top for me. I won't read it again.

[Sheila rood · Rating 1 out of 5]

Typical wilderness,back to nature,find the "meaning of life" adventure.

A bit too maudlin for me.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read by a decent author. A good story about moving to the Alaskan bush -- the how's and the why's and the impact it had on him.

[Lynn Bonelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read!

[Nancy Schroeder flannery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Sadly Mr. Leo died in a car accident right before Christmas 2013.

[LInda L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful exciting story about living off the grid in Alaska -- almost made me want to try it. Almost. Maybe when I was 60 years younger.

[Toesnorth's mom]

a strange man, about Alaska