Customer Reviews

The Only Kayak: A Journey into the Heart of Alaska

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Kim Heacox has outdone himself. This book is funny, sad, erudite, and beautifully written, and an important contribution to Alaska literature. It's a rarity--a book that manages to convey an important environmental message without sliding into self-absorbed intellectualism. Heacox does it all this time around. His voice is relaxed and the prose beautifuly crafted, and the landscape of Glacier Bay, present and past, lives and breathes around the reader. There's plenty of food for thought about the effects of industrial tourism, but Heacox manages not to preach--at least, not any more than he (as an insider who knows and loves Glacier Bay) should. As a student of Alaska literature and a professional writer, I'm grateful for this book.

I've followed the fascinating career of writer/photographer/wildlife biologist, conservationist/raconteur/guitarist/singer/teacher/humanist Kim Heacox for several decades now, and I've been as enchanted by the force of his personality as I have been moved by his artistic achievement, astonished at the depth of his knowledge, and informed by his profound ability and desire to communicate what he himself has assimilated in the course of his extraordinary life. I've marveled at what he's written in the past--his brilliant non-fiction works include Alaska Light, In Denali, etc., etc.--and by the photographic vision exhibited in those books as well, but I was positively swept off my feet by The Only Kayak. His latest book, a memoir of sorts, is a literary masterpiece with messages and lessons for all of us, and in addition to the wonderful humor that pervades its pages, it reads as poetically and as poignantly as the the fictional works of the great novelist, Wallace Stegner. Read it, it's a marvelous book.

Dave Finkelstein (Author--Greater Nowheres: Wanderings Across the Outback)
New York City

This book is about Kim Heacox's love for Alaska Glacier Bay and the people living there. His love affair with the Glacier starts with his kayaking trip with his friend Richard, later with his wife Melanie and lifelong friend Michio. From his book, I see great beauty in glaciers in Alaska, so majestic and beautiful, you hope it will preserved for generations to come. Kim reminds us that it takes great restrain to leave a place such beautiful untouched and admired from afar.

His lifelong friendships with Michio, Richard and Hank are what most people are searching for most of their lifes in vain. Their friendships are like the glaciers, retreating and advancing. Friends going in their seperate path, yet they meet and have sense of closeness that feel like they never seperated.

Reading Kim's book makes me feel like I have kayaked into Alaska Glacier, photographed with Michio, fighted to keep Alaska a wilderness refuge.

This book is philosophical, beautiful and great read for anyone who believes in conserving, preserving the beauty in wilderness. And I believe everybody should.

Here is a work, not unlike the writings of John Muir, that leads us to an understanding of "place" and how it affects people for the better. Too much of the importance of the value of wild lands and how they affect people for the best is lost in the political rants over buzzwords such as "Wilderness," and the "environment," and "ecology." In this beautiful, lyric, often funny and sometimes sad, book the author bares his soul so that we can all see how the wonders of our country's natural lands can affect us all. Political rants which this book may engender, especially from those who have no connection to the landscape except as a place to grow wine grapes, are missing the entire point. Without people like Muir, Brower, Carter, and Heacox, our country would be one giant paved over box store parking lot dotted with derelict oil derricks. Without these voices we could call our wonderful republic,"Saudi America."
Thank God for Mr. Heacox.

An elegant page turner. As the narrative progresses it evokes Rick Bass, in its unabashed love of wilderness and its lyrical, page-turning quality. Still, the comparison falls short, because Heacox's voice is so entirely original.
The whole narrative is so damned Buddist. Heacox's embrace of his enemies. The inevitabiity of the earth. And the humble acceptance of all things.
I laughed out loud too. At the author, recalling an attempted meeting with Gail Norton. Or at his conversations with a paddling partner. And at the cruiseship entertainment director, who will learn no more about Heacox than, say, the award-winning writer and editor and book reviewer, Bill Marsano.
This praise wouldn't be valid without saying what didn't work for me: the busy clamshell designs on the bottom of the page are unnecessary. "The End" was too. And the lack of an ad page showing Heacox's previous book titles-which I had to look up on the internet. But this is mere quibbling with the publisher rather than the author.
And the final epilogue, paddling through ice in Bartlett Cove is powerful and brought an entirely new and unexpected image and experience to mind.
I salute Heacox for his bravery in giving all the knothead politicians and park service its comeuppance. Mark my words: here is a writer whose words resonate of eternity.

While I wasn't as blown away by the book as some of the previous reviews, I have to admit that I enjoyed it very much. It provoked a lot of thoughts in me about nature, conservation, industrialism, etc. I may have started the book looking for a lot of "action", and you will be disappointed if that is your goal. But after settling into it, I found myself relating very much to what Kim was saying.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the true Alaska.

This book struck me deeply. I laughed out loud because it was so unexpectedly funny. Mostly though it is gracefully written about beautiful places - in Alaska and in the heart and mind. It is lovely to read but painful also. I loved the frequent quotes (Muir, Abbey, Leopold and many others); the snatches of conversation from history (Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir); and funny lyrical present day conversations. It isn't cheating to use so many quotes from others - it is a gesture of great respect and this book makes me want to seek out those other writers and photographers to reread or open for the first time. Heacox probably doesn't realize that within his own writing are many excellent lines that will be quoted by future generations. He brings Michio to life in a wonderful way. Heacox has an incredible gift of putting life, friendship, love, the essence of wilderness, and deep inner thoughts into words. This review written by Cecily Fritz (Paul's wife). He would die if this was attributed to him! Thank you Kim for making me think.

I loved this book! It is now one of my all time favorite adventure books. Very well written. A very interesting Alaskan adventure true life story.
If you like this type of book you may also enjoy:
Arctic Homestead: The True Story of One Family's Survival and Courage in the Alaskan Wilds by Norma Cobb

Kim Heacox writes a thought-provoking book about environmental issues affecting mostly Glacier Bay, Alaska using an eclectic mixture of personal stories, quotes from literature (such as from "The Great Gatsby"), and discussion of environmental issues to weave a story about Alaska. How does one share the wonder of a place such as Alaska without innundating it with tourists? Not everyone can kayak through the wildness. But if only those fit enough to hike and kayak in a remote place such as Alaska can enjoy its beauty, who will speak to protect it from commercial exploitation? The personal stories and photos keep this from being just another ecologic treatise.

This book is a "must-read" for anyone who loves kayaking and/or the rugged outdoors. Not only will you learn some history, you will soar with the eagles, hear about a land that is wild, and the people who love it.