Cabin Fever: Notes from a Part-Time Pioneer

by William L. Sullivan

Rich with humor and natural history, this memoir describes 25 summers of back-to-the-earth adventure as author William L. Sullivan and his wife Janell build a log cabin by hand along a roadless river deep in the wilds of Oregon's Coast Range. Along the way they confront beaver in the refrigerator, raise a family, and puzzle out a murder mystery that had haunted their homestead site. Cabin Fever takes readers to a warm world of kerosene lamplight, wood stoves, and ghost stories that may be true.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography

280 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

Sullivan completed his B.A. in English at Cornell University, studied linguistics at Germany's Heidelberg University, and earned an M.A. in German at the University of Oregon.
In 1985 he backpacked 1000 miles across Oregon's wilderness. His journal of that adventure, "Listening for Coyote", topped the New York Times' year-end review of travel books and was chosen one of the 100 most significant books in Oregon history.
Since then he has written many novels, hiking guidebooks, and historical works. His memoir, "Cabin Fever", describes the 25 summers he and his wife Janell spent building a log cabin by hand along a roadless river in the wilds of Oregon's Coast Range. Each summer he still lives and writes at the cabin.
Sullivan reads in seven languages, plays the pipe organ, undertakes backcountry ski expeditions, and volunteers to support libraries.

Reviews

[David Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cabin Fever accompanied my brother and I on our backpacking trip through the Wallowa Mountains. No doubt that added more gravitas to this autobiographical novel as he, his wife and his family return to the wilderness to live as pioneers. The book however is so much more than just a tale of building a cabin with hand tools on a remote forest property deep in the coastal rainforest of Oregon. It's a journey we take with Bill as he relentlessly pursue his passions. Coming out school with a masters degree in hand Bill and his wife begin dedicating their summers to building a cabin by hand using tools that his grandfather left him and other antiques that he collects along the way. When summer ends he returns to society to teach high school for the year. The experience is so depressing he cannot handle the thought of going back. So he embarks on a personal journey to become a published and profitable author. His wife gives him a 7 year time frame and for the next 7 years he writes free lance articles, novels and editorials all without finding his breakout moment. During that same time, Bill also recounts the tales of his family and their river valley. An unsolved murder looms large and Bill plays the role of detective. There are fascinating neighbors, rich in character. His family expands and we watch as his children grow along with the cabin. There is even a family feud that feels almost too real. When Bill finally get his big break I found myself standing up and cheering. When one of my favorite valley characters makes another appearance I couldn't suppress a wide grin from spreading across my face and a wicked laugh from springing up in my belly.

Bill's novel truly is heart warming and inspiring. It's focus is on the beauty of life and people and he captures it all with such a clear and honest lens. Highly recommend reading, especially if you have a camping trip coming up.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely memoir of a family and their cabin in the back of Oregon's beyond. Spanning 25 years, it covers both the ridiculous and the sublime. Pets and people come and go, there's a murder mystery simmering on the back burner, and conflicts arise and sometimes get resolved. The cast of characters is strong and the love between the author and his wife is the clear foundation of everything. These are people you'd like to know in real life.

Once again, I find myself in debt to one of the Burton sisters.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming, cozy, journal-style book about two young hippies building a log cabin in the Oregon Coast Range, and returning every summer--alone, then with babies, with toddlers, kids, young teens, young adults... you really feel like you're right there and part of this great family. Their nontraditional and often non-ideological approach to life is refreshing.

[Gus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes the ordinary extraordinary, and could inspire you to do something big.

[Marie Carmean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I begin? THIS BOOK was so wonderful...a memoir of the Sullivan family that struck so many chords in my heart, it's hard now to wrap up how I feel about it in a single paragraph review! In 1977 Bill and his young wife decide to build a log cabin with his grandfather's hand tools (no electric saws!) on his parent's property to use as a summer retreat. This is not only the journey of building a rustic cabin in the rainforest off the Oregon coast and learning to live in it each summer, it also the journey of the building and raising of Bill and Janell's family and the journey of a writer finding his longed-for success. The book also deals with the extended family, particularly Bill's parents and siblings, and the dynamic that makes families what they are, with joy and pain, trial and triumph. I laughed so many times at the misadventures as they unfolded; I also cried a few times. On top of it all, there is a tantalizing murder mystery (or two) and an Indian ghost spirit story. The chapters begin with quotes, some from Lewis & Clark (which I have recently been reading), some from Walden Pond, and even some from Wind In the Willows. The beautiful pen and ink drawings were all done by Janell. I found a new writer to love in Bill Sullivan, and am anxious to read his book about hiking across Oregon, called Listening for Coyote...the book that finally launched him as a successful writer. I bought this book as a used copy and was delighted when it arrived to see that it was likely to be the Oregon wilderness adventure I was hoping for. Another memoir I had tried to read earlier, I didn't even finish. This was the one. And lo and behold, as I opened the title page, I found the signature by the author. Yes! Now that I have read and loved this amazing story, I am more than thrilled I own a signed copy!

[Avidreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely memoir of an almost impossible dream: building a log cabin by hand in a remote area of the Coast Range in Oregon. Despite setbacks: leaking boats, animal invasions, thieves, William Sullivan, author, and wife, Janell, three months of year, slowly assemble the cabin while raising two children to completion, also adding an outhouse and a writing cabin. All done on a limited budget, it seems almost unheard of in today's kit loghomes costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Janell's pencil drawings add a nice touch to the cabin's and family's progress through the years.

Go back in time before TV, cell phones and appliances, and enjoy quiet moments before the world changed.

[Rose Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading a book about Oregon written by someone who clearly loves and knows the Pacific Northwest. I also really liked his writing style- it felt like he was simply telling his story well without a lot of fanfare and drama.

[Su Hodgson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content kept me reading, especially being a fellow Oregonian who enjoys the woods.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely memoir.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great memoir to read as I was snug, cozy and protected in my home! Spanning 25 years but mainly concentrating on the early years as the couple was building their primitive log vacation dwelling, this was a tribute to courage and persistence. Dealing with the elements, lack of money or help, any substantial knowledge of building and basically working only about four months a year during summer vacations, the author and his wife managed to construct a quite decent summer retreat. Interesting family interactions as well as a long-ago murder mystery made this a very interesting book indeed.

[Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really interesting story not only about building and living in your own cabin, but of William Sullivan's journey to become an author. The only thing that was kind of disappointing is that the names of the places in the book are made up to protect the location of his cabin. I understand why, but it left me wondering where this thing really is. Good book with interesting stories.

[Kathy Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this one, although a bit dates, it shows what a man and wife can do with a little determination. It reads like a journal, so you also get a chance to see what their day to day life is like and there is a murder mystery as well!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent antidote to the Game of Thrones series which I had devoured just prior to this. Bill Sullivan writes honestly, and clearly - while the story is basically a memoir over 25 years, it's also a lovely peek into a family life for better and for worse. A nice daydream.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift from my wife Kendel on our 28th anniversary.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and fun.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give it 5 stars except that I don't like the label "it was amazing" as applied to this book. It was sweet and uplifting and I read it in one day--it was that enjoyable.

[Suzanne Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sullivan and his wife build a cabin on his parent's property near the Sahalie River on the Oregon Coast and return to it every summer as their family grows. Sweet, simple, and true.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, but some chapters and bits were skimmable (the cat toy chapter?). I found so many parts of this memoir enjoyable due to shared experiences (living in the woods, Oregon history, self-sufficiency, etc.), but I'm not sure how that would translate to a non-Oregonian.