{"product_id":"portage-9780816698547","title":"Portage","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart travelogue, part natural and cultural history, \u003ci\u003ePortage\u003c\/i\u003e is the memoir of one family's thirty-five-year venture into the watery expanse of the world. Exploring the river means encountering the inevitable changes that occur as a family canoes through time and learns what it means to be human in this natural world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Read Sue Leaf’s \u003ci\u003ePortage\u003c\/i\u003e as a guidebook to canoeing or how to raise a family, as a natural history, as a meditation on the significance of wild places, as an intimate portrayal of a marriage. Leaf combines them all.\"—Kent Meyers, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Witness of Combines\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eTwisted Tree\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Even those who’ve never dipped a paddle will be pulled into Sue Leaf’s rich and surprising tale about the true nature of wilderness as seen from the seat of a canoe. Rich details and refreshing honesty bring her journeys to life. It’s as if I were in the canoe with her, minus the bugs, the spills, and the dangers that come from venturing into the wilderness.\"—Catherine Friend, author of \u003ci\u003eHit by a Farm\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSheepish\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Take your pick of reasons to read Sue Leaf’s \u003ci\u003ePortage\u003c\/i\u003e—for a glimpse into the experience of canoeing the region’s water roads, for insights into ecology, to see how a love for wild places can be passed along from generation to generation, for a darn good story. If, like me, you mark the margins of your books for special passages you want to remember, get your pencil ready.\"—Laurie Allmann, author of \u003ci\u003eFar from Tame: Reflections from the Heart of a Continent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Leaf ably interfaces her personal narratives with historical facts and natural details of the more than 25 lakes and rivers she has paddled. Pleasant outdoors stories that will appeal to nature lovers, avid canoeists, and armchair travelers.\"—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This well-written book evokes the feeling of exploring one of the continent’s wildest forests.\"—\u003ci\u003eNature World News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Leaf is a thoughtful, observant writer, and these 28 essays, while steeped in nature, are also about much more — family, and fear, and adventure.\"—\u003ci\u003eStar Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A great read for anyone who enjoys paddling.\"—\u003ci\u003eNorthern Wilds\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Sue Leaf is one of the most elegant writers about nature and the environment. She shows her talents again in \u003ci\u003ePortage\u003c\/i\u003e.\"—\u003ci\u003ePioneer Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"It was like a good canoe outing-- you looked forward to what was in the next lake or bend (or chapter), you felt the joy of moving along and, at the end, you were both sorry it was over and thankful for the memories.\"—\u003ci\u003eRochester Post-Bulletin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Insightful, peaceful memoir about years of canoeing in the area’s lakes and river, with observations on plants, animals, traveling with children and ecological degradation.\"—\u003ci\u003ePioneer Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Leaf does a wonderful job guiding us visually and experientially through the lakes she herself has canoed. Vivid descriptions of the land and the wildlife paint clear visions of the scenery that she was fortunate enough to see. Fascinating and comical anecdotes featuring the historical figures who visited some of the lakes, capsized canoes, stormy lakes, and long paddles lend color and excitement to the story.\"—\u003ci\u003eCook County News-Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eContents\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrologue: In the Beginning, a Silver Streak\u003cbr\u003eThe Pictographs on Lac La Croix: Into the Boundary Waters, 1979\u003cbr\u003eLocked In: The Mississippi at Minneapolis, 1981\u003cbr\u003eCanoeing the Spirit River: The Rum, 1986\u003cbr\u003eMissouri Breaks: The Upper Missouri River, 1993\u003cbr\u003eBreaking in the New Canoe: The Kettle River, 1994\u003cbr\u003eCanoe Swarms: Back to the Boundary Waters, 1993–94\u003cbr\u003eKid Canoeing: The Crow Wing, 1995\u003cbr\u003eSelf-Reliance: The Upper Mississippi River, 1997\u003cbr\u003eCanoeing the Sandhills: The Niobrara River, 1998\u003cbr\u003eLoving It to Death: The Boundary Waters, 1998\u003cbr\u003eBurnt Woods River: The Bois Brule of Northern Wisconsin, 1999\u003cbr\u003ePaddling with the Alligators: Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, 2001\u003cbr\u003eMother’s Day: The Cannon River, 2002\u003cbr\u003eThe Eye of the Wolf: Isle Royale National Park, 2003\u003cbr\u003eThe Clarity of Nellie Lake: Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario, 2004\u003cbr\u003eLooking for Snakes: The Marias River, Havre, Montana, 2005\u003cbr\u003eAbundance: The Upper Iowa River, 2006\u003cbr\u003eSea Caves: Lake Superior, 2007\u003cbr\u003eTransition: Kejim-Kujik National Park, Nova Scotia, 2008\u003cbr\u003eNerve-Wracked: The White River of Wisconsin, 2010\u003cbr\u003eWild and Scenic: The Upper St. Croix River, 2011\u003cbr\u003ePursuing the Group of Seven: Algonquin Provincial Park, 2012\u003cbr\u003eChronos and Kairos: The Little Missouri River, 2013\u003cbr\u003eAncient Valley: The Kickapoo River, 2013\u003cbr\u003eUrban Adventure: Minnehaha Creek, 2014\u003cbr\u003eFather’s Day: The Fox River, 2014\u003cbr\u003eDraining the Ancient Lake: The Red Lake River of Northwestern Minnesota, 2014\u003cbr\u003eWhat Is the Good Life? The Au Sable River of Lower Michigan, 2014\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MP - University Of Minnesota Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51038556324183,"sku":"9780816698547","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780816698547.jpg?v=1750940662","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/portage-9780816698547","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}