Living alone in the remote wilderness, Chris Czajkowski has given her dogs a rich life, although not without its difficulties. Often residing in areas accessible only by float plane, the dogs have encountered grizzlies and cougars, slept in the snow, hiked with packs of food and equipment, and occasionally gotten themselves into scrapes, such as becoming lost in the wild or falling through ice into a freezing river.
In Harry: A Wilderness Dog Saga, the gregarious and lovable Harry gives his account of their years together at Nuk Tessli and Ginty Creek. The story includes reminiscences about past dogs in Chris's life, including wise Badger, not-so-bright Sport, beautiful Ginger, and Lonesome, Harry's trail-blazing literary predecessor. Together, they trace Chris's off-the-grid life from a dog's-eye view as she established an ecotourism business, built cabins by hand and scratched out a living for herself and the pack.
The book captures the humour and wisdom of a canine perspective in a way that is instantly familiar to anyone who has known and loved dogs. Although Harry does not yearn for city comforts like Lonesome, he is often baffled by Chris's incomprehensible doings and illogical priorities. Full of the irrepressible exploits of Harry and his canine companions, Harry: A Wilderness Dog Saga is sure to be a new favourite of animal lovers and anyone who's ever dreamed of packing up and moving far away from city amenities with only a loyal dog for company.
About the Author :
Chris Czajkowski has written eleven books about her nearly thirty years of wilderness living, including Snowshoes and Spotted Dick: Letters from a Wilderness Dweller, A Mountain Year: Nature Diary of a Wilderness Dweller, A Wilderness Dweller's Cookbook: The Best Bread in the World and Other Recipes, Ginty's Ghost: A Wilderness Dweller's Dream (all Harbour Publishing) and Lonesome: Memoirs of a Wilderness Dog (TouchWood Editions).
Review :
" ... dog lovers will adore [Czajkowski's] sentiments and the many quizzical anecdotes on human behaviour keep the tone light and playful. And that's what Czajkowski's novel does best: advocates for us to nakedly observe the wonder of the world, uninhibited by the noise of human conclusions.
With many seasons out in the wild, Chris Czajkowski's story may inspire you to get out the door and blaze your own mountain trail. But until then, get away from the crowds in this secondhand (erm, ...paw) account, and run free, even just for a few pages."
--What's Up Yukon
"Chris Czajkowski's new book, Harry: A Wilderness Dog Saga, surprised me with every turn of its pages. I'm not a huge fan of dogs in general, but when I started to read the book, I quickly felt like I was reading something out of the excellent Redwall series by Brian Jacques... From the dogs' adventures of life with Czajkowski I found a new respect for the companionship humans and canines have. I really recommend this book to dog lovers, and to readers who love adventures; it's an excellent read."
--Jennifer Wyatt "Nexus "
"If you love dogs and wilderness adventure, you're going to thoroughly enjoy the latest literary offering by local author Chris Czajkowski. Written from the perspective of her two dogs, Harry and Badger, Czajkowski has found the winning combination of story telling in her latest book."
--Angie Mindus "WIlliams Lake Tribune "
"Just as the dogs have their Saga, Czajkowski has hers, and lucky for us, we get to be part of the pack and listen in on a long, tall tale of perseverance, independence, bravery and inspiration. She gave so many dogs a chance to be their canine selves. Every book she has authored has been a love letter to the land, the dogs and silence. This can't be forgotten."
--Jules Torti "Harrowsmith Magazine "
