Customer Reviews

Place In The Woods (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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.

This book was very comforting and therapeutic for me. Being in a world of mainly material importance, it is pleasant to find a book that lets you retreat to a place, were tangible significance is not important. The Hoovers found the courage to begin a new life in the wilderness, without electricity and the modern conviences of city life. They found a much more satisfying way of life for them,although having to struggle everyday to persevere the wilderness. They found great compensation for there struggles. Anyone who appreciates, and respects wildlife will enjoy the great rewards the Hoovers gained while interrelating with the animals, and how the animals in the wild became there friends. I am looking forward to reading The Gift of the Deer also by Ms Hoover.

I stumbled upon this book when I was lazily searching for something to read on my parent's bookshelf. I doubt if they have read it, or even know they own it. That is too bad.

I was changed by this book. The tales of the animals encoutered and the trials and mistakes the Hoover's make are heart stirring. I believe they affected me because they are true stories and they triumph in the end. I have never forgetten this book and I reccomend for any attempts to restore lost faith in human nature. I was delightedly surprised to find her books listed here. Enjoy.

A place in the woods lets you get a sense of spending time in the deep woods of the north. Well written story about getting away from it all to spend life in a simple place with few material things but rich with nature and its pleasures. A story of persistance and self reliance rare in today's world. I enjoyed this years ago and enjoyed it just as much here 30 years or so later. Find a quiet place, read and be taken away form your own problems.

I loved this sequal to The Gift of the Deer. I really think these two books are one of the main reasons that we have a cabin in the woods. We enjoy the forest so much. Each time we go into the deep woods I think of the Hoovers. They were a real inspiration to me. I never realized that I was a lover of wildlife until I read Helen Hoover's books. I have ordered two more of her adventrous books , and can't wait to get started

In the mid-1950's Helen and Adrian Hoover left their professional life in Chicago behind and bought some land and a log cabin in the Minnesota wilderness on the banks of Lake Superior.

"A Place in the Woods" was Helen's description of their struggles, disasters, challenges and triumphs as the couple created a new way of life among the numerous animals and much less numerous people living miles away.

Helen's writing style was easy, natural and sometimes lyrical. You can tell she loved the outdoors, the animals she came into contact with, and her new lifestyle. Her observations on her animal friends was my favorite part of the book, and her stories about the mama mouse, little bear and the squirrels and "chippies" were funny and cute without being cloying.

This was a nice, quick read, and definitely satisfied my inner hermit. I'm glad to see that Hoover wrote 3 additional books. I will be crecking them out as well.

A great nature book with many "Oh, no!" moments: a rotting cabin, close encounters with wild animals, a fire, running out of food, and money. Through it all, the author Helen and her artist husband Adrian, enjoy many delightful moments with their wild neighbors. But mice in the house? Helen's desire to protect all creatures great and small gets quite a reaction from hubby! Yet, they survive against the odds!

Betty L. Sheldon, author of OMNIPIECE

I have just finished this book. I read it many years ago and felt I needed to read it again. So I did. The book takes place in one year of living in the woods.

This is the story of Helen and Ade Hoover who fell in love with northern Minnesota and felt they needed to live in this area. Would they be able to? They had taken vacations in this cold country and hated to go back to Chicago where both had a nice apartment and good jobs. But the couple agreed to give up their predictable livestyles, bought land and an old log cabin. Not long after purchasing their first home they bought a lovely, well kept summer home owned by an older couple who also loved this area but felt they needed to sell their vacation home and stay in Minneapolis.

The Hoovers life was hard and filled with many incidents they were unaware of. Long, cold desolate winters, no near neighbors, a hard to keep warm log cabin, running out of food, running out of money, running out of equipment to work on the land and the house. But the couple loved their lifestyle beautiful as it was, but also discourageing. Much,much hard heavy work went into living their lifestyle. Ade loved wood working, fixing and repairing anything that needed to be fixed and repaired. Helen was happy, grateful and appreciative of her huband's good workmanship and productive hands. And Ade was all that as some people are and others are not, a man who loved to work and was always doing things around the house and land.

Helen's description of the seasons, of sunrise and sunset, of trees, plants and wildflowers are beautiful also the beauty of all the different birds. Ade's drawings are excellent and bring the reader a clear picture of Helen's writing.

Helen tells of her interactions with animals, there is the story of Mama Mouse and her babies, the bear that came into the house that Helen thought was a dog until she found out otherwise, the woodpecker parents warned the couple of danger and inadvertedly saved the house. Ade and Helen were grateful to this other couple.

There is the problem of keeping up with food and repairs especially in the long cold winter plus being so far from large cities.

Natives of this area plus the couple's friends in Chicago did not expect them to stay very long but stay they did and loved this beautiful country.

Helen tells of the animal mothers and how loving and protective of their young these animals were. The Hoovers fed fishers, ermines plus a greedy young bear who the Hoovers tried to stop from eating the birds food, but the young bear won. There are the summer visitors, the lodge owners who befriended and were very helpful to the couple plus the trapper who wandered into their home and wo the couple fed. There is the feeding of the squirrels and chipmonks. The reader gets to meet the couple's three pet chickens, Crown Prince, Tulip and Bedelia plus a typing squirrel Hippity. This is a beautiful book of living with nature and wild things.

Helen began writing first about Mrs Mouse then more nature stories. Ade did artwork concerning land and animals. This was a way to make money to enable this couple to live on their land as they wished, to live in nature as planned.

This is a hard life not for everyone but for one couple it is the only lifestyle.