Place In The Woods (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage) [Paperback]

Helen Hoover (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press; 1 edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816631298
• ISBN-13: 978-0816631292
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #246,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helen Hoover was a gifted writer, June 17, 2003

By 

Dr. Daniel L Baney (Fort Wayne, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Place In The Woods (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage) (Paperback)

Anyone who has ever experienced the damp cool of forest shadows, heard the russle of leaves as a wild occupant gathers food, or stood in awe while listening to the forest breath high in the tree tops upon a gentle breeze, will immediately be transported back to that magical place through the words of Helen Hoover and the wonderful illustrations of her artist husband Ade. Fleeing the city of Chicago to risk making a life in the far northern woods of Minnesota, seeking virgin timber and solitude, Helen writes of their struggles with near poverty and the anxiety of isolation. Through it all they find peace of mind and spirit, and advocate for the preservation of wild natural places to the greatest degree possible. Once you read one of her books you will collect them all, and like another reviewer has so stated, you read them over and over and over again. Dr. Daniel Baney

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Northwoods Escape, September 8, 2000

By 

L. B. Saunders (Spirit Lake, Iowa USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Place In The Woods (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage) (Paperback)

This book has been in my family for decades, and to a person, all who read of Helen and Adrian's sorrows and triumphs find it to be one their all-time favorite reads. I have read the book a dozen times, and never lose interest in its capacity to instantly transport me to another time and place. Having spent many of my summers as a young boy in the Northern woods of Minnesota, this book brings back to me the scent of resin from the pine and birch, the fleeting glimpse of a black bear, and the natural curiosity of deer and other woodland creatures. You cannot help but be touched by this book.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique story that holds up well, September 11, 2007

By 

Glenn Yates (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Place In The Woods (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage) (Paperback)

Helen Hoover is one of those rare people (apparently) who is gifted on both sides of the brain. She was a very successful scientist in Chicago in an era when women scientists were few and far between. Tired of city life and realizing she and her husband had a now or never shot at a new life in the north woods, they took the plunge and basically burned all their bridges, spent their nest egg, and bought a cabin in Minnesota. This is the story of the winter, of the wilderness people, of their animal and human friends, and their struggle. Mostly, in fact it is about their struggle to adapt, and is a revelation of their character and commitment as they deal with one obstacle after another, each one by itself difficult enough to precipitate an honorable surrender, as most people expected would happen. Instead of surrendering they thrived, however, and this is the story of their first year in the woods. It is not laugh out loud funny, and is as much a story of home repairs, on the surface, as anything, but all the small details, patched together, tell a story that is worth hearing. I feel like a heel being the first reviewer not to give it 5 stars, but 5 stars means a classic to me. I couldn't put it in the classic category, but I couldn't put it down, either.