Cache Lake Country

Or, Life in the North Woods

By: John J. Rowlands

Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright

The classic chronicle of life and self-reliance in the great Northern Forest, now available in audio

"Cache Lake Country is a gem for many reasons - a simple narrative, the ways in which it conveys the work-a-day joys and exertions of life in the wilderness, the woodscraft techniques it illustrates, and the slow and pleasurable way in which the soul of a serene man is revealed." (The New York Times)

Over half a century ago, John Rowlands set out by canoe into the wilds of Canada to survey land for a timber company. After paddling alone for several days, he came upon "the lake of my boyhood dreams", which he named Cache Lake because there was stored the best that the north had to offer-timber for a cabin; fish, game, and berries to live on; and the peace and contentment he felt he could not live without. This is his story, containing both folklore and philosophy, with wisdom about the woods and the demand therein for inventiveness. It includes directions for making moccasins, stoves, shelters, outdoor ovens, canoes, and hundreds of other ingenious and useful gadgets.

©1947, 1959 W. W. Norton and Company, Inc.; Introduction copyright 1990 by Verlyn Klinkenborg (P)2020 Tantor

A pleasant read

I really enjoyed this trip back in time to a simple life in nature, a gentle and enjoyable read.

So much helpful information

This book explains a lot of “how tos” for living off the grid while at the same time making it a pleasant story about 3 men living in the woods, each with a different perspective.

Tender mixed with gumption

I wished it was longer! A wonderful representation of a cabin in the woods story but with friends instead of being a hermit

Interesting Work of Fiction

I really enjoyed the book! I could see myself there and wanted to be.

I wanted to learn more about the author to understand how he lived so remotely for so long and if he ever got married and how he died etc.

Turns out that what I thought was a book along the lines of a biography was a book of fiction that was loosely based upon some intermittent experiences he had living and visiting the North Country. He didn’t live there for any extended period of time and though he and the chief were friends, the interactions and experiences they shared in the book are made up.

I was pretty disappointed. Though if I am being honest with myself I should have been more thorough ahead of time to see if this was a biography loosely based (or not) ahead of time.

One of my favorites

I wish I could find more books like this one. The content was great, the narrator was perfect for this story. Highly recommend if you like reading or listening to the back country tales of living in back woods. I bought a paper copy also after listening.