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In the Wilderness
In the Wilderness: Coming of Age in Unknown Country | Kim Barnes
2 posts | 1 read | 5 to read
Poet Kim Barnes grew up in northern Idaho, in the isolated camps where her father worked as a logger and her mother made a modest but comfortable home for her husband and two children. Their lives were short on material wealth, but long on the riches of family and friendship, and the great sheltering power of the wilderness. But in the mid-1960's, as automation and a declining economy drove more and more loggers out of the wilderness and into despair, Kim's father dug in and determined to stay. It was then the family turned fervently toward Pentecostalism. It was then things changed. In the Wilderness is the poet's own account of a journey toward adulthood against an interior landscape every bit as awesome, as beautiful, and as fraught with hidden peril as the great forest itself. It is a story of how both faith and geography can shape the heart and soul, and of the uncharted territory we all must enter to face our demons. Above all, it is the clear-eyed and moving account of a young woman's coming of terms with her family, her homeland, her spirituality, and herself. In presenting Kim Barnes the 1995 PENJerard Fund Award for a work-in-progress by an emerging female writer, the panel of judges wrote that "In the Wilderness is far more than a personal memoir," adding that it stands "almost as a cautionary example of the power of good prose to distinguish whatever it touches." Indeed, In the Wilderness is an extraordinary work, courageous, candid, and exquisitely written. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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squirrelbrain
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#readingUSA2019

I really enjoyed this #nfnov memoir of growing up in a logging community in #idaho and the author‘s battle to find her place as a teenager in an increasingly religious family.

#wil I learnt of some really interesting parallels with recently-read ‘My Name is Why‘, although entirely different countries, where both authors were abandoned suddenly by foster families for no reason, and their journeys questioning why.

Librarybelle Sounds interesting! 5y
Clwojick 9 pts. 5y
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squirrelbrain
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#bookreport

Just started the tagged book, which was on my #weeklyforecast last week - this is for #nfnov and for #idaho on #readingtheUSA2019.

Still ploughing through Ducks, Newburyport, over 900 pages in now, so maybe won‘t have to include that on tomorrow‘s forecast! 😁

25% into The Romanovs for #nfnov #buddyread with @Caroline2 - sorry Caroline that I haven‘t posted much about it!

Also read Sandi Toksvig that wasn‘t on my list; a good week!

Tamra The tagged title sounds really good! Thank you for posting. I don‘t know how you juggle multiple reads, I‘m envious. 5y
Caroline2 No worries, I‘m only page 15! 😆 I‘m hoping to get some more done tomorrow. I‘ve got way too many books on the go at the mo. But I kinda like having different options depending on my mood. 😉 5y
Cinfhen Tagged book sounds really interesting. How many more states do u have left??? 5y
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squirrelbrain I usually only have two on the go @Tamra - one at home and one on the #commutingKindle, but occasionally it gets out of hand! 😁 5y
squirrelbrain @caroline2 - I found it a bit dry at first, particularly the prologue, but it picks up and is now very interesting.... 5y
squirrelbrain @Cinfhen - after Idaho, I have 4 more. Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina. I think I might just do it! 😁🤞 5y
Cinfhen Woohoo!!!! 4 is really the finish line! Do you have all your books lined up??? Are you almost done @BarbaraBB ?? 5y
squirrelbrain I have one for Montana, and will probably read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as it‘s on Libby. The other two I‘m still not quite sure on - I have options but not loving any of them... @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB 5y
squirrelbrain Although just looked up the New Hampshire # on here and realised I have this on my TBR shelf - yay! Thanks @Cinfhen for prompting me to do that! 🤣 5y
Cinfhen I was going to suggest Owen!!!! Not sure I have any ideas for South Carolina 🤔 5y
Hooked_on_books I actually haven‘t read it yet, but I think you could use Underground Railroad for SC. 5y
Hooked_on_books Also this one is good: 5y
squirrelbrain I‘ve read both of those already @Hooked_on_books but thanks for suggesting... SC is one state that seems to be lacking choice.... Loved 5y
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen I just started my Nevada read and then I have four more left (Montana, Missouri, Maryland and West-Virginia). I do have books for all of them now, so I think it‘s doable! 💪🏼Helen have you checked out 5y
Cinfhen Impressive @BarbaraBB & Helen!!! 5y
squirrelbrain Thanks @BarbaraBB - just checked that one out and they have it in the Leeds Library. I can go and get it tomorrow lunchtime! 😘 5y
BarbaraBB I have not read it but read good things about it when I was looking for a book set in SC! 5y
Caroline2 Oh good. I am enjoying it, it‘s just such a big bulky book that I can‘t really read it in the bath or at breakfast so I‘m tending to pick up other books as their easier (physically!!) to read. You‘re prob doing the better option by reading it on the kindle. 😉 👍 5y
Caroline2 I‘m on page 25 now which is apparently only 3% in!!! 🤦‍♀️ 5y
squirrelbrain Yes, I can see how it would be difficult to read in hard copy @Caroline2 - the issue with Kindle is that the family trees are difficult to see, but I think I‘m managing OK without them. 5y
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