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Absolutely not your typical memoir — but then again, Sue Aikens is not your typical human.
The narrative covers Sue’s tragic beginnings as a young girl, abused and unloved; to her mentors, loves, and children as her family life evolves; all the way to her eventual settlement on her own and in charge, running a base camp intended to service scientists, hunters, and eco-tourist visitors to the remotest regions of Alaska. Throughout it all, as the author shares her journey and her life philosophy, each feeding the other, this rendering of an utterly compelling life story is absolutely impossible to put down.
A fascinating character, Sue (the real Sue, whom we will come to know intimately between these pages), is a force to be reckoned with, combining grit, determination and an indomitable sort of ferocity, with a heart and soul held primal through her unshakeable connection with nature. Nature that in Sue’s case, includes not only the bone-chilling temperatures and topography of the Arctic tundra, but two angry grizzly bears, and predators including wolverines and the consistently prowling packs of hungry yellow-eyed wolves.
As Sue takes charge and “creates her own reality”, leaving “the world of people and institutions” behind, she becomes an “ active participant in her own existence”, relying on her own skills and actions to ensure not only her livelihood, but her own survival — as she lives essentially stranded in an inhospitable environment for several months of the year.
This terrific book is well worth a read, peppered with so many of Sue’s life choices, about-turns, and golden “opportunities” that it couldn’t help but inspire any reader who has ever found themselves wondering if they are out of options.
A great big thank you to #Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
Note: there were some sections, easily recognizable, mainly dealing with hunting and or animal injury or trapping, which this reader skipped. This did not appear to detract from the author’s overall story.
