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    Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild
    Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild
    Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild
    Audiobook9 hours

    Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild

    Written by James Campbell

    Narrated by Roger Wayne

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, home to only a handful of people, is a harsh and lonely place. So when James Campbell's cousin Heimo Korth asked him to spend a summer building a cabin in the rugged Interior, Campbell hesitated about inviting his fifteen-year-old daughter, Aidan, to join him: Would she be able to withstand clouds of mosquitoes, the threat of grizzlies, bathing in an ice-cold river, and hours of grueling labor peeling and hauling logs?

    But once there, Aidan embraced the wild. She even agreed to return a few months later to help the Korths work their traplines and hunt for caribou and moose. Despite windchills of 50 degrees below zero, father and daughter ventured out daily to track, hunt, and trap.

    Campbell knew that in traditional Eskimo cultures, some daughters earned a rite of passage usually reserved for young men. So he decided to take Aidan back to Alaska one final time before she left home. It would be their third and most ambitious trip. The journey would test them, and their relationship, in one of the planet's most remote places: a land of wolves, musk oxen, Dall sheep, golden eagles, and polar bears.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateApr 30, 2017
    ISBN9781515989226
    Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild
    Author

    James Campbell

    James Campbell was born in Glasgow. Between 1978 and 1982 he was editor of The New Edinburgh Review. Among his books are Paris Interzone: Richard Wright, Lolita, Boris Vian and others on the Left Bank, and This Is the Beat Generation. As 'J.C.', he wrote the NB column on the back page of the Times Literary Supplement, a selection of which will be published later in the year. His critically acclaimed biography of James Baldwin, Talking at the Gates, was published by Polygon in February 2021.

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    Reviews for Braving It

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    • 4/5
      Great story about a father and daughter experiencing the wild together. I would have loved an epilogue to learn about what kinds of adventures the then teenaged daughter pursued as a young adult.
    • 5/5
      Won through Librarything's Early reviewers. This a a wonderful story about three separate father/daughter trips to Alaska. I devoured the first two stories. The bonding and the growth in the daughter, Aiden, is palpable. I was a little worried this would be an account of a dad bringing his whiny, obnoxious teenager into the wild with him, but Aiden was mature and eager to prove herself through the majority of the book. The last story is the account of their canoeing adventure, and I'm sure it was very exciting when it happened, but there are only so many ways to say, 'we scouted ahead, then canoed a dangerous section of river.' Which is exactly what they did, over and over again. So this section lost me for just a little while, but the end pulls it all together once more and is definitely a 4.5 star book overall.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was very excited when I received it. (Thank you, Library Thing). Because I was already a huge fan of "The Last Alaskans", I could totally relate to the (3) stories that showcased the trips that father and daughter embarked upon. To have one of the families that are followed on The Last Alaskans actually be a part of one of the stories was just an added bonus. I loved how we got to witness the maturing of a girl into a young woman, and how close she and her Dad were. This is a great adventure book, but also a Human Interest tale, that I would highly recommend to anyone who ever wished to venture out of their comfort zone and truly experience Life. A really great read that stayed with me long after I finished reading it.
    • 5/5
      An ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Told in three parts as three different trips, Father and teen daughter head to Alaska near the arctic circle for adventure. In their first trip, they spend the summer helping cousin Heimo build a new cabin with manual tools, ice cold river water and hours of peeling and hauling logs. When they return home, teen Aiden wants to go back. So they head back to Heimo's cabin for part of the winter, helping his and his wife with the trap lines and hunting Caribou and Moose in -50 degree temperatures. In the third part, Dad and daughter return again, this time to backpack over the Brooks mountain range and then paddle in their folding canoe through the class 3+ rapids of the Hulahula river. Quite an experience in one of the earth's most remote places.
    • 4/5
      This is the kind of thing I wish I could have done when I was younger. Seeing more of the world, being a little more adventures and taking chances. But, at this stage, I am just as happy to read about others' adventures.That's the story in Braving It: A Father, A Daughter, and An Unforgettable Journey Into the Alaskan Wild by James Campbell.James Campbell and his fifteen year old daughter Aidan headed to the Alaskan wilds not once, but three times. Winter and Summer. They visited Heimo Korth and his wife Edna twice, helping to build their new cabin, hunting and trapping. The third visit was braving and paddling the HulaHula river.Campbell's descriptions of the land, people and lifestyle of Alaska are vivid and powerful, attesting to his love of the outdoors, notably Alaska. Campbell is an established writer and he knows how to tell a story. I was captivated by the details - what it takes to stay alive in this wild country, the dangers and the simple pleasures.And while Braving It is on the face of it a travel adventure and memoir, its also the story of Campbell and his daughter Aidan's relationship. Campbell's decision to take his daughter to Alaska was not made lightly. We are witness to Aidan's burgeoning love of Alaska, her growing confidence and her continued love of the outdoors. These trips ignite a sense of wanderlust in Aidan - I would be curious to see where life takes her. Campbell is torn between protecting his daughter and allowing her to grow. These trips are almost a coming of age - for both of them.I chose to listen to Braving It. The narrator was Roger Wayne. I thought he interpreted the novel really well. His voice is pleasant to listen to and easily understood. His reading depicted Campbell's thoughts and emotions well. His inflection and thoughtful pauses allowed the reader to feel as thought we were having a conversation with Campbell. He provided distinct voices for each person. Wonderfully written and a treat to listen to.
    • 4/5
      Memoir of a father's trip with his teenage daughter to Alaska. The story was interesting but I found the writing style very simple. It was easy to read, but with the subject matter I kept find myself wanting just a little bit more. I read this book at the same time as my dad with the hopes that it would spur conversation and in that aspect it did not disappoint. I received a copy of this book through the Early Reviewer program.
    • 3/5
      A father takes his teenage daughter on a series of Alaskan arctic wilderness trips. Building a cabin in the bush, trapping and hunting in the winter, and paddling the Hula Hula River. The writing style is similar to a travelogue, not too deep or insightful. Lessons on parenting, where found, are subtle. Despite the lack of big pivotal events or strong stances taken, Campbell's writing style was somehow compelling and easy to read. I kept wanting to continue to the next chapter. I think this might be more interesting for someone who has little experience in backpacking, paddling, or simply not living in Alaska. Our bookclub consensus was positive. We found ourselves discussing some of the risk management decisions in the book. For supplemental readings, the daughter (Aidan) has a very well written blog called "gritty gal".
    • 3/5
      This was an interesting memoir about a father taking his teenage daughter on a few extreme adventure trips in Alaska . The writing kept me intrigued through out the book . It was great to see his daughter was truly interested in being involved , not acting like most teens would in the trips . If you like mostly positive family-centered memoirs , then you will like reading this book .
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this story about a father and daughter traveling together in the Alaskan wilderness country. James Campbell takes his fifteen-year-old daughter, Aidan, on a trip to Alaska where they both help build a cabin for his uncle. (Aside: James' uncle is Heimo Korth who is shown on an Alaskan reality show about people who live and work in the wilderness. This fact actually made the book even more interesting to me since I had seen the show and his family. While the three trips described in the book were very interesting and exciting, I think the part that I liked even more was watching James see his daughter grow from a young girl to a woman. James had to step back and trust Aidan and her judgment at times. I was also proud of Aidan for standing her ground and telling her father that he had embarrassed her and that he needed to trust her to do what she had trained for. The relationship between father and daughter is strong and they were able to work together well.
    • 4/5
      Have been reading this off and on throughout the past week and I have enjoyed everything about this amazing adventure story. Though it turned out to be so much more. James decided to take his daughter Sudan, fifteen, with him to Alaska to help his cousin Heimo build a new cabin. There Aidan will learn new skills, grow in confidence and experience something most never experience. They would return two other times, though their last trip would be the most difficult.Reading about a way of life, a place, that I know will never be mine is so wonderfully interesting. Alaska with its wilderness, the dangers, animals, hunting, fishing, a whole different mindset. Loved how Aidan and her father bonded, everything she learned, how she grew to love this wild place. So special. Though I can't get over the fact that Alaska has over forty types of mosquitoes. Can you imagine? Loved all these facts and figures, bits of history that went along with the story. The writing so clear and concise. I often wonder when reading a book like this about the personalities of the people, families, that make this place their home. A place where your nearest neighbor is over four hundred miles away. An interesting thing happened when I was reading this, an amazing coincidence. Was watching PBS Sunday night, ran into a show called The Last Alaskans and their was Heimo, on TV, stripping the bark off the trees to make his new cabin. So I saw what he looked like, his wife, daughter and grandchild too. Made the book more visual, hearing he and his wife describe raising their family in the wilderness, seeing them talk. Anyway loved this little glimpse into a different slice of life, armchair traveling is not the same but the closest I will get.ARC from librarything.
    • 4/5
      For full disclosure, I received a free copy of James Campbell's "Braving It: A father, a daughter and an unforgettable journey into the Alaskan Wild" through LT's early reviewers program. I was very excited to read this book, as I enjoy reading about outdoors adventures and I'm pleased to say it didn't disappoint.Campbell takes his teenage daughter Aidan on a series of trips to the Alaskan wilderness -- to help his cousin build a cabin in the bush, to experience winter in the then completed cabin and to canoe the Hulahula River. Aidan discovers her wanderlust and becomes a confident outdoors woman (and future adventurer, it seems) as the trips progress.I thought the stories were pretty interesting and Campbell does a good job of telling them. I wish he could have incorporated a little more of Aidan's voice into the story -- it's nice to see her transformation through her dad's eyes, but I'd much rather hear her thoughts on the trips. Overall, this was a fun read, that made me eager to travel (though maybe not on the Hulahula.)
    • 4/5
      It takes a certain kind of person to want to face the perils and hardships of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Grizzly bears, polar bears, wolverines, wolves and extremely bitter cold weather would soon make anyone hesitant to explore the area. But none of that deters James Campbell or his 15-year-old daughter, Aidan.Campbell and his daughter actually make three trips to Alaska. The first is to help James’ cousin Heimo build a new cabin in the wilderness. The second time they return to help Heimo and his wife Edna set up their trap lines and hunt. Their last trip is to hike across Alaska’s Brooks Range and to paddle the Hulahula River in a canoe.The book is written in a very down-to-earth engaging manner. The author gives you a front-row seat to all of the adventures and I feel like I made the journey with them without all of the dangers or discomforts. What I liked best about the book, though, was reading about the relationship between this father and daughter and their love for each other despite their ups and downs. There is suspense and humor and beauty. The only caution I would have is for those of you who may not enjoy reading about hunting and trapping as there are some explicit scenes. That is not something I personally care to read about and I did skim those parts. But the rest of the book held my interest and I enjoyed the adventure.This book was given to me by the publisher through Blogging for Books in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      When James is asked to help his cousin build a cabin in the remote wilderness of Northern Alaska, he wonders whether he should invite his 15-year-old daughter Aidan along. Physical labor and survival skills can only make her stronger and more self-sufficient, but as his wife points out, it's really freaking dangerous out there, medical help is hours away, and how could he forgive himself if anything happened to her?Of course James eventually decides to take Aidan with him, which is the only reason we have a book about their experiences, which makes for a fun little survivalist memoir with a dash of teenage drama.But then -- probably to flesh out the book -- we end up with a three-fer. James and Aidan go back to Alaska twice more, each time to undertaking progressively more dangerous tasks (trapping in the middle of winter, and canoeing for a week down a remote river full of rapids, respectively) for less practical purposes (to see the cabin in the wintertime, and because it sounds like fun to them, respectively). I get that once Alaska casts its spell on you, it can be hard to stay away, but the third round of agonizing questions over whether the risks are worth it and what James would do if something happened to Aidan felt a little repetitive and tiresome. Still, there are some fantastic descriptions of Alaska's peerless scenery and wildlife, and the lens of father-daughter bonding is a nice twist on the classic travel/survival memoir.I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks!
    • 4/5
      I found this an enjoyable book that fuses a strong sense of place (Alaska) in various terrains and seasons, an evolving father - teen daughter relationship, desperate survival situations, and cultural insights. I particularly liked the descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness - the mountains, rivers, wildlife, weather. It's probably as close as I'll ever get to the real experience.
    • 4/5
      The author invites his teenage daughter on a couple of journies to the rugged interior of Alaska, where she learns to embrace the wild while building a log cabin, hunting, and trapping. Their final trip included backpacking over Alaska’s Brooks Range and a canoe ride over the white waters of the Hulahula River. I enjoyed learning about the experiences the father and daughter shared and watching how the daughter grew from a somewhat pampered teenager with a cell phone to a young woman with self-confidence who was very comfortable away from civilization.
    • 3/5
      Well, I'm halfway through this book, and it's somewhat interesting, but could use a bit of editing, in my opinion. This true story, about a father and daughter going into the wilds of Alaska to help a family friend build a new cabin, is not bad. I liked how the author added bits of trivia about survival, but there is too much philosophy tacked in for my tastes. His digressions about human nature seem to make the narrative drag a bit.Once finished, I'll update if I have anything I feel I should add.
    • 4/5
      I have been obsessed with Alaska for the last few years so when I won this book I was so excited! When I started the book, I wasn't really sure if I would end up liking it. It was a little different than I had expected. But I quickly got caught up in the Alaskan adventure and found myself wondering if I had what it took for this 15 year old to do. Growing up being outdoorsy with my parents and hiking all over and going to the Boundary Waters ever since I was small enough to be carried on my parent's backs, I loved seeing the bond that it created with James and his daughter. His cousin, Heimo, was so hilarious and I definitely want to read/watch more about him sometime in the near future. Overall, this was a fascinating and sometimes harrowing adventure that I would be happy to recommend to other people with an interest in the subject matter, be it Alaska or father-daughter relationships.
    • 5/5
      Before I had finished reading this book, I'd subscribed to Aidan's blog - Aidan is the author's daughter - I was so impressed with what I had read. James Campbell and Aidan have not one but 3 very different adventures in the wilds of Alaska. We see the beauty when those of us from the lower 48 look at the photography of the mountains and glaciers, but we don't get a feeling for just how wild that immense state is and how hard life there can be living out in the wilderness. I have a whole new respect for the people who choose to live that way and for those who choose to make their way through such a challenging area. Through Campbell's eyes the reader can get a glimpse of the wild beauty that is Alaska, even as he finds a stronger bond with daughter Aidan. Aidan grows so much through the course of her trips north; it is encouraging to see the dedication and determination in one who is so young. Truly inspiring!
    • 5/5
      I loved this book and will encourage folks to read it! When I requested this ER book from Library Thing I did not realize that a family from one of our favorite National Geographic shows "The Last Alaskan" were featured. Initially the book caught my interest because of the Father - Daughter adventure also I seem to be drawn to books/articles/shows highlighting Alaska. From the very beginning of this book I was hooked. It was honest, detailed and not at all dry. (no pun intended) The feelings, place and wanderlust were beautifully described - you could feel the chill, smell the ocean..sense the excitement and sometimes fear. Thank you! I am off to find the other titles by Mr. Campbell.
    • 4/5
      I fell harder for this book than I would have expected. I'm not much of an outdoorsy person, but the thrills that the father and daughter seek in Alaska and the ways that it binds them together and closer to nature, really spoke to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it makes me want to go seek adventure of my own. I want to cultivate my own "fernweh"(craving for travel) and create travel memories. Fifteen year old Aiden and her father James go on three separate trips to Alaska and in the process help build a cabin , scare off bears, hunt caribou, journey a dangerous river, and experience beauty like no other. It's wonderfully written and their experiences will charm you and make you want to get working on an adventure of your own. I received this book for free from Librarything in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
    • 5/5
      I think every father remembers the almost indescribable feeling that washes over them when their first child is born. It’s often described as some ethereal, intangible pinnacle of male emotion, but I think somewhere in that sea of emotion is a feeling of having a miniature person to connect with and share interests and obsessions; a miniature partner in crime. For me that interest has mostly been music. My oldest daughter will give anything I throw at her a solid listen. If it tickles her fancy she’ll give a song as much as focused obsession as I ever could. In return she’s taught me that Taylor Swift can write some excellent songs and Katy Perry remembers the art of music video.In his latest book, Braving It, travel writer and lifelong outdoorsman James Campbell shares the a tale of adventure with his oldest daughter Aiden. As Aiden enters her teenage years and nears high school graduation an opportunity arise for Campbell to make good on a promise he’d made to her as a child; that one day they would travel to the Alaskan wilderness together. His cousin Heimo Korth who appeared in National Geographic’s film Braving Alaska is building a new new cabin in the Alaskan outback and invites James and Aiden to help. Over the course of the month, hours of grueling labor, and difficult daily existence father and daughter learn to understand each other in new ways. After returning home they find they have something else in common, a deeply sense of “fernweh”, a german word literally translated farsickness, meaning a longing for new places. Soon they begin planning a trip back to Hiemo’s to experience Alaska in the winter and an arctic canoe trip down the Hula Hula River. These new adventures push both James and Aiden’s understanding of trust, independence, and honesty between a father and daughter.I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has all the elements of classic travel/adventure memoir, but that only served as a backdrop for a book that was ultimately about the dance of love between a father and daughter. As a father to daughters myself I immediately related to James sense of knowing more about his daughter’s personality than she did herself, but at the same time feeling woefully ignorant and hopelessly mystified. In many ways it reads as a parenting manual. While father and daughter navigate arctic dangers, James is navigating the emotions of letting go and learning to trust Aiden, even trusting her to point out his own unseen flaws and shortcomings. It’s clear that the title superficially refers to wilderness adventures, but the real story is the bravery it takes to navigate the unknown and always uncharted world of being a parent to a unique human being. This book gained and immediate place on my shelf of favorite books alongside Into The Wild and A Walk in the Woods. It’s something I think any father of daughters will find compelling, relatable, and exciting.
    • 5/5
      I received a free copy of Braving It for my honest review.This novel by James Campbell is a true story about his adventures in Alaska with his daughter Aidan. Campbell, an avid outdoorsman, has passed his love for adventure to his daughter. Aidan has been begging him to go to Alaska. Therefore, when his cousin, Heimo Korth, calls and asks for help building a new cabin in the wilds of Alaska he accepts and brings along Aiden. Campbell and Aiden make two more subsequent trips to Alaska, even one in November above the Arctic Circle. Beautifully written, Braving It is not just a story of adventures in Alaska, it is a story of a father and daughter bonding through life experiences. It is a magnificent story about the Alaskan “bush”, as Aiden called it, and the last of the frontiersmen’s (and women) that make this place their home. This novel is a must read for anyone. A great story.
    • 5/5
      Although there is NO way I would want to trade places with Campbell and his teenage daughter, his wonderfully descriptive writing about the incredible journeys they took together were absorbing and exciting, with the added mixture of humor and love.The relationship between Campbell and his daughter and Campbell's ability to write about it with such detailed warmth makes this true life adventure book what it is. I almost couldn't put the book down because I kept wondering what would happen next and there's enough danger to make you just be glad that you know they made it home again because the result is this book! The book is a special kind of education about the outdoors because there are so few people who would undertake what he and his daughter managed to accomplish.
    • 5/5
      Campbell has penned a wonderful book about the bonding that occurred when he took his teenage daughter into the Alaskan wilderness on several trips. Not just any trip, but ones that involved building a cabin, spending a month on a trap line in the dead of winter, and hiking/canoeing an extremely difficult route. A somewhat typical teenager, we get to witness her growth into a confident, resourceful person. And witness the author's own fears and doubts as he confronts his own "slowing down" due to age. The book will make you laugh, worry, and reflect on your own life. While I at one time wished to have a similar adventures, I too have been forced to confront my own mortality and realize that it probably is not going to happening. That's why it is so enjoyable to witness through the author's eyes.
    • 4/5
      [James Campbell], a well known outdoors-man, has written for many popular outdoor and adventure magazines. Before his eldest daughter, Aidan, was in school he made a series of trips to the Alaskan Arctic to research his first book. She told him then that when she was a "big girl" she wanted to go to Alaska with him and as she entered her teens the reminders became frequent.When Aidan was fifteen, Campbell's cousin, Heimo Korth, asked him to come to far Northern Alaska to help build a cabin that would become the home of Heimo and his wife Edna for a large part of each year. Although it would be an adventure that would last months and one that could be dangerous, even deadly due to the remote location and the work being done, Campbell decided to take Aidan if she was willing to work alongside the two men. [Braving It: A Father, A Daughter, And An Unforgettable Journey Into The Alaskan Wild] is his account of that adventure and of two later trips the pair take to Alaska; a second trip to the Korth's in winter (-50 below!), and a canoe trip down the Hulahula River. This is a good book on so many levels. It gives us an understanding of the harsh life some people choose over living among people, it shows a man's struggle and love as a father and as an aging man, and it lets us see into the turmoil and frustration a teen experiences as she begins her move out into the world. While it's a great adventure story, it's a great people story too.
    • 5/5
      Braving It is an interesting book. The first parts show a life style that is all but ending. The book ends with a danger filled trip across Alaska.James Campbell wrote this book with a lot of feeling and it shows while reading. I think anyone who likes the outdoors, especially if they have a daughter, would enjoy this book. I did.
    • 4/5
      [Braving It] is a nice piece of non-fiction that I received from the LT Early Reviewers program. It's part travelogue, part coming-of-age and part environmentalism. The author tells about three trips made to the Alaskan wilderness with his teenaged daughter. Throughout the story, you see his deep respect for Alaska and its people. It is endearing to watch as he passes this on to his daughter. I wonder what great things await her in life.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this story of a father's multiple trips to Alaska with his 15/16-year old daughter. What a great reflection on parenting, growing up, home, wanderlust and all the things that make us human. They both had a surreal amount of courage, skill and drive to undertake these trips and having been to Alaska, I loved the portrayal of the Alaskan Arctic as both the vicious and beautiful land it is. My only small complaint is that I realize this is a father's memoir/story, but I sure would have loved to know a bit of what his daughter was going through, not just from his interpretation, but her own thoughts and words - as we learn she journals through much of her experiences. But perhaps that can be another book all together. I loved this book and highly recommend it for anyone interested in Alaska, adventuring, or also, those with teenage daughters.