From Publishers Weekly
Leschak ( Letters from Side Lake ) opens this collection of essays--reprinted from Country Journal , the New York Times , etc.--with a fantasy of his dying in the snow with ravens acting as funeral directors. He writes about life and death in the boggy wilderness of northeastern Minnesota where winter temperatures dip to 50F. Leschak describes the nearly forgotten art of ice-cutting, observing that six people can harvest and store almost five tons of ice in three hours. In one piece he sings a song of praise to the chain saw; in another he discusses the problems of gardening in a cold climate where the first sign of spring is the patch of bare ground over the septic tank. Other topics are backyard astronomy, firefighting, wolves, dogs and local wildlife. Leschak's is a captivating vision.
Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Leschak is a freelance writer (Letters from Side Lake, LJ 4/1/87) and part-time firefighter who lives in a log cabin he built in the woods of northeastern Minnesota. This well-crafted work is a collection of often humorous, sometimes philosophical ruminations on the pleasures of living in an area where lakes outnumber residents and winters last for seven months or longer. Leschak does a superb job of connecting wide-ranging topics such as astronomy, wolves, gardening, and ice harvesting into a cohesive, thought-provoking book that celebrates life in the North Woods. Highly recommended for all public nature and local collections.
Tim Markus, Evergreen State Coll. Lib., Olympia, Wash.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Tim Markus, Evergreen State Coll. Lib., Olympia, Wash.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
