Ballad of the Northland is the story of a young boy who grows up in the bush country of south- central Alaska, where his adoptive family lives a poverty stricken, hand-to-mouth existence, eking out a livelihood from the muddy banks of the wild Yentna River. He and his two younger cousins grow up hungry, hard, and tougher than nails; they learn to hunt, trap, mush, and just get by in a harshly beautiful world where survival is accomplished day-by-day and never taken for granted-- Until one day he learns of Alaska's Great Race, an 1100 mile sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome, and his odyssey begins...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
This Ballad moved me deeply. There is a vastness in Jason's writing, a depth that captivated me, and I was swept up in the tale, but also in the prose. I kept hearing moving music, seeing the Northland as a protagonist, unable to put the book down. I just finished the read, and I am only sad the experience is over. I was left feeling complete, and wanting to have more: more poetic descriptions of the transformative landscape, more intense episodes of seemingly insumountable challenge, more visions! This book left me feeling thrilled to be alive, grateful for the experiences I have had, and inspired to be as unstoppable as The Boy. This is a story for the ages.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I finished this book over a month ago. This novel affected me in such a way it has left me speechless, which is difficult to do. The artwork (which I simply cannot refer to as 'illustrations') accompanying the prose brings it all together for me. My dreams are full of visions from this book from digging out of muck with 12 or however many dogs to images of walking into the dog yard with all but the "puppies" left for company. Looking forward to more!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Josey Weik
Is a wonderful story that helps one understand sled dogs, their connection to the northland, and a true musher's love for his dogs and the wilderness. It is a book about the mysterious pilgrim, not the perfect hero.
It follows a very interesting and well written format. The prologue is him in the present, the main part is him remembering everything, and the epilogue connects the two, concludes the book, and continues the story. However there is no past tense and everything is in third person. The interesting part is it skips from time to time, mentions personalities instead of names, highlights things of importance using finer detail, mostly express's through emotion, and adds probable reactions from characters to the persona as a afterthought. Just like the human brain remembering it all, without interrupting the flow of the story.
Jason does a wonderful job of capturing one boy's journey, desires, attraction to the northland, and above all, the burning determination to survive. It is truly a ballad of the northland.
Josey, 14 year old, Homeschooled kid
It follows a very interesting and well written format. The prologue is him in the present, the main part is him remembering everything, and the epilogue connects the two, concludes the book, and continues the story. However there is no past tense and everything is in third person. The interesting part is it skips from time to time, mentions personalities instead of names, highlights things of importance using finer detail, mostly express's through emotion, and adds probable reactions from characters to the persona as a afterthought. Just like the human brain remembering it all, without interrupting the flow of the story.
Jason does a wonderful job of capturing one boy's journey, desires, attraction to the northland, and above all, the burning determination to survive. It is truly a ballad of the northland.
Josey, 14 year old, Homeschooled kid
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spectacular Book
This is the first time I have ever been moved enough by a book to get on here and write a review for it. Read more
Published 20 months ago by T.N.
5.0 out of 5 stars
13th reviewer agrees with the first 12
As reviewer #13 I agree with the 12 preious reviewers. Jason's story is so captivating that I couldn't put it down. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Betty Eiler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Like Alaska and adventure--definate read!
This is a great book! I enjoyed the way Jason gave descriptive names to his characters instead of names. They are all interesting and colorful. Read more
Published on December 15, 2010 by Doug Marks
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ballad in the classroom
As an educator I found this book to be valuable for the classroom. I will be teaching about the Iditarod in the class and feel that this book can help to enhance my lessons. Read more
Published on December 8, 2010 by Kristin Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ballad of the Northland
Love this book. Json Barron is a great author. Kept me in suspence. I had to read it to the end...stayed up way to late to do so, but could not put the book down.
Published on December 5, 2010 by KM
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, Intriguing Story
This wonderfully written story is so expressive in detail it not only makes for an enchanting read, you feel like you're there and want to keep reading. Read more
Published on November 30, 2010 by PamPam
5.0 out of 5 stars
From a fan of Alaskan adventure tales
One more reader agrees; I couldn't put it down. I have read hundreds of books of Alaska, particularly stories of dog sledding, and have only visited a few of the remote areas... Read more
Published on November 22, 2010 by L. Horne
5.0 out of 5 stars
ballad of the northland
The truly great books expand our hearts and our minds by taking us to places which
we could otherwise never know no matter how far we may travel. Read more
we could otherwise never know no matter how far we may travel. Read more
Published on November 20, 2010 by pauline smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
An unparalled Alaskan literary adventure!
"Ballad of the Northland" is an epic Alaskan tale, spinning the story of a legend, "The Boy," who grows up in the foothills of the Alaska Range, hunting, trapping, learning to... Read more
Published on November 9, 2010 by Helen Hegener
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great family reading
An engaging debut that cleverly draws its readers in with the deft hand of one who has the northland running through his veins. Read more
Published on November 9, 2010 by Clifford Wang
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