[.ca] Arctic Homestead: The True Stroy of One Family's ... (ISBN 0312283792)

Tried hard to like this book...:
I really tried to get through this, but the pontificating, pious tone was just too much! If you want to read something about living WITH your environment, rather than trashing it as seemed to be the dominant theme in this, try any by Nick Jans,or Richard Nelson.

One of the BEST books I've EVER read!:
My husband read this book first and told me to read it as soon as he finished. He said is was almost imposible to put down. He was right! From the first page all the way through to the last, it's a page turner! A family moves from Colorado to homestead in Alaska. It's filled with one incredible adventure after another which makes the readers wonder how much more this family can take of the harsh Alaskan winters, bear attacks, and living in a land where law is as scarce as it was in the wild West. You won't want to put this book down and worse...you'll be so awed by this family, you won't want to see the book end!

Incredibly well-told story; spine-tingling tale:
I've been enthralled with the 'North Country' for quite some time; mainly Minnesota and Canada. After spending a summer in Northern Minnesota as a child, I felt I would make it back some day...hopefully to stay or at least build a vacation home. I'm not shy about sharing this 'dream' with close friends so it came as no surprise when a buddy of mine suggested I read ARCTIC HOMESTEAD before I became too giddy about the North. Norma and Les Cobb came together in a second marriage for both, with the added baggage of 5 children between them. In an effort to make a life for themselves and their childre, they decided to leave the Lower 48 behind and claim a homestead in Canada. Along the way, they found out only a Canadian citizen could file for homestead in Canada at that time. Undeterred, they soon determined that Alaska still had homestead provisions so they set their sights for Alaska, a home and a new life. Norma and Les find their previously unseen homestead just south of the Arctic Circle. Thus begins their story of striving to beat the homestead clock of improving the land and creating commerce within 5 years of filing the homestead papers. Along the way, they face one of their sons being accidentally shot, a derelict (and former friend) attempting to kill Les, coming face-to-face with black and grizzly bears, dealing with the Bushman (a/k/a Bigfoot), prospecting for gold, holding off ravenous wolves, and, of course, last but certainly not least, the indomitable cold and snow. Through it all, Norma and Les persevere and overcome each challenge faced. This factual novel was written by Mr. Sasser, a very gifted storyteller, the source document of which was Norma's journal. Norma maintained enough detail to allow Mr. Sasser to write an extremely complete and entertaining novel. It cannot be said that the veracity of Norma's recollections are without challenge. Ken Nelson, who Norma speaks of in Chapters 66 and 67, wrote a review of the hardback version of ARCTIC HOMESTEAD. Mr. Nelson is quite candid regarding his version of the events versus those told by Norma/Mr. Sasser. The biggest discrepancy revolves around the health of Sid's (the oldest Cobb son) dogs entrusted to Mr. Nelson when the Cobb family flew to Colorado to visit Les's ailing father. This certainly creates some uncertainty as to veracity and credence but nevertheless, this book is still a winner regardless the actual chronology of events. The Cobbs still live in their small homestead in Minook Vally, AK and even have a website promoting their big game/fishing guide services ...Anyone interested in the last true frontier should immediately pick up a copy of ARCTIC HOMESTEAD. Again, regardless your views of Norma, Les and their children, this book reads incredibly easy and totally engrossing. Highly recommended.

God's Chosen People:
If you've never lived where the weather can kill you, you might be inclined to believe everything Norma Cobb writes. If you've never encountered a Black bear outside of a zoo, you might think Norma has it right. If you've never set out on your own without a net, you might think God was Norma's personal servant. I usually enjoy books of adventure, particularly set in the North, and books of personal hardship overcome. This book, however, annoyed and insulted me. Does this author really believe she and her family are unusual? Pioneering is not about moving to Alaska and kind of living off the land; it is about meeting great obstacles and finding the resources to overcome them. Her world view is based on superstition, ignorance, and paranoia. When others start to follow their lead in mining gold in their precious valley, she starts to whine like those she says she despises. To use one of her pet phrases, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander." Read the reviews carefully. You will find one from someone who is actually mentioned in the book and was a witness to the reality of the Cobb's lifestyle. I didn't read them before I bought and read the book. I wish I had.

A very unpleasant read:
Arctic Homestead was a very unpleasant and disturbing read. The disrespect and ignorance the author and her husband displayed towards their wilderness environment and the wildlife that shared it with them was appaling. As one who has lived for years in the wilderness alongside bears I can only imagine that their supposed trouble with the wildlife stemmed from two things: Not keeping their homesite clean and rubbish free - an absolute necessity in bear country, and a callous trigger happy attitude. I also had a strong sense throughout the book that the author was not telling the whole story. Much of the narrative simply did not ring true - maybe it was the author's inability to admit she and her husband were less than perfect (downright holy in her estimation); maybe it was the ridiculous Enquirer-like tales of Bigfoot. For those interested in intelligent, inspiring and realistic accounts of self-sufficent wilderness life I highly recommend Wilderness Mother by Deanna Kawatski, Chris Czajkowski's Diary of a Wilderness Dweller or any of the other titles by these two authors.