True North: A Journey into Unexplored Wilderness

I have spent quite a bit of time in Labrador on canoeing and fishing adventures in pristine country and simply love this book. It remains a huge and fairly untouched wilderness, although the local of the book has changed a lot due to a huge dam on the Churchill River, but Labrador is very large. I venture to say that some of these reviewers have no idea of what they are talking about, and I state this with a bit of contempt I regret to say. I too feel the authors dislike for the business world, despite being a quite successful businessman my own self. Ironic. If you truly love the wilderness, this book may become a semi-bible to you. When last I was there, we were in midst of a enormous Caribou migration which took over 2 entire days to pass by. The author was unlucky that during the time he spent there the caribou population was at an extreme low. The animals have very cyclic population numbers. Recently the numbers have been beyond enormous and are just now beginning to decline again.

This is an excellent book, very well written and as poignant for today's reality as it was when it was written. I love Labrador, having been there many times and having read several classics (The Lure of the Labrador Wild, Great Heart, for two examples) and this book is right there with them. The descriptions of this husband and wife being out in the thick of the Labrador wilderness in winter are really inspiring, and gives you great respect for the harsh but wonderful lives of the Labrador trappers of the early 20th century.

Two inexperienced outsiders, husband and wife, schoolteacher and nurse, spend months with trappers on their yearly trek into the heart of frozen Labrador to gather the pelts that produce the only cash support for their families. Mind you, this is in the 1930s. They build their own canoes, sleds, and cabins as they go. They live on beans, rice, lard, flour, and whatever they can shoot for the pot. The snow and wind are constant and people die of the flu or injuries or starvation. The 2 greenhorns prove themselves and love it and come back for more. Tale is told by the teach in his diary.

Great book of a remarkable tale of what times were really like in the 1930's for expeditionaries, trappers, hunters, Indians and local folk. Detail written to make you feel as if you were there. This book is an accounting of a husband and wife who embark on a journey in Labrador with a local trapper. I read this book primarily because it was suggested by an outdoor survival instructor. If you are into the bushcraft/survival community, you will definitely like this book. A good read.

Labrador might be called the land God gave Cain, but it's truly the Great Land. This book captures so much of the spirit of "them days" when the trappers went out to the height of land to trap, traveling up the Grand River before it was dammed and it's name was changed. This is a step back in time, a visit with the storied true life legends of Labrador. Highly recommended.

It’s an excellent book. The author uses some very descriptive writing to make you feel you’re along with them in the northern wilderness. It’s hard to believe this wonderful book was written in the ‘30’s.

Not a riveting book, but a good one to follow, maybe even leans toward being a historical write. Very good description of bush life in Labrador in the earlier 20th century. Interesting. ..

This book will transcend you to a time and place that makes you feel at peace with nature. Merrick's writing is like poetry in motion. You will wish you could have been there to experience the times when he is at one with the universe. The people and places he is writing about no longer exist, which is the greatest pity of all.

A great personal memoir and depiction of pioneer life in the wilderness of Labrador. Described as a 'Walden' of the north. A good read for fans of the genre; historical non fiction.

This book was originally published in 1933. The fact that it is still (or back) in publication is very significant. While it is a very specific story of a lengthy trip, taken in mid-winter by Merrick and his wife who accompanied a trapper into the heart of the Labrador wilderness. It captures the gritty specifics of a particular trip, but it also has a timeless quality of the human experience of Wilderness. Merrick writes with passion, lucidity, and great intensity. Truly a classic.

This is my second copy. The first has been thoroughly worn out through my own use and exchanges with friends. It's a wonderful story.

Great book, a window into a lifestyle long gone.Excelente livro, uma janela para um estilo de vida que não existe mais.

I loved this storey ! I only got it as his last name is the same as mine, no relation that I know but we share love of nature in common.