Arctic Homestead

The True Story of One Family's Survival and Courage in the Alaskan Wilds

By: Norma Cobb, Charles W. Sasser

Narrated by: Emily Beresford

In 1973, Norma Cobb, her husband Lester, and their five children pulled up stakes in the lower 48 and headed north to Alaska to follow a pioneer dream of claiming land under the Homestead Act. The only land available lay north of Fairbanks near the Arctic Circle where grizzlies outnumbered humans 20 to one.

In addition to fierce winters and predatory animals, the Alaskan frontier drew the more unsavory elements of society's fringes. From the beginning, the Cobbs found themselves pitted in a life or death feud with unscrupulous neighbors who would rob from new settlers, attempt to burn them out, shoot them, and jump their claim.

The Cobbs were chechakos, tenderfeet, in a lost land that consumed even toughened settlers. Everything, including their "civilized" past, conspired to defeat them. They constructed a cabin and the first snow collapsed the roof. They built too close to the creek and spring breakup threatened to flood them out. Bears prowled the nearby woods, stalking the children, and Lester Cobb would leave for months at a time in search of work. But through it all, they survived on the strength of Norma Cobb - a woman whose love for her family knew no bounds and whose courage in the face of mortal danger is an inspiration to us all. Arctic Homestead is her story.

©2000 Norma Cobb and Charles Sasser (P)2018 Tantor

Narration was hard to take

The story was good and worthy, but would have been far better reading it than listening to it. There was so much emphatic drama on almost every word and I kept thinking how it was way too much. There was a lot of events happening continuously, but I can’t imagine the author putting that kind of drama into each sentence.

Good book highly recommend it .

I loved the story all the details of life in the wild Alaska the families struggles and strengths. Narration could of been better but you did get use to it

Great story! If you love the outdoors and adventure, you’re in for a treat.

This story was terrific. If you’re into all the outdoorsy, wilderness adventure stuff, hunting, survival, overcoming adversity, this will be great for you!

Good story, reading performance could be better

Great story about the last pioneer woman in Alaska, wish the reading performance was better.

Enjoyable Story

Some Alaska facts are exaggerated and distorted, but I like the basic message of belief in God and hard work.