George Grinnell taught the history of science and intellectual history at McMaster University in Ontario from 1967 to 1991. He currently teaches meditation classes and lives in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Artist Roderick MacIver is the founder of Heron Dance, a nonprofit organization that celebrates the human connection to nature through art and words.
“Judges, such as this reviewer, are often asked to evaluate the
veracity and credibility of distant accounts of misadventure
culminating in a death. No one who reads this story should
entertain any doubt as to the scrupulous accuracy of this
narrative, which chronicles the author's 1955 journey through the
Canadian arctic with four friends. Bad planning left them without
food or adequate warmth as winter closed in, and the group leader
eventually died of hypothermia. Although the account reminds one of
Farley Mowat's adventure novel, Lost in the Barrens, not to mention
James A. Michener's Journey: A Novel, the detailed descriptions of
the sensations endured by the writer, the haunting and evocative
images he sets forth with poetic grace and erudite references, and
the harrowing emotional roller-coaster he experienced in 1955—and
every year since—leaves no doubt as to the fidelity of this
first-person story of exploration, adventure and tragedy. VERDICT
Superbly illustrated, this work represents the best that human kind
and nature have to offer: courage, beauty and the challenge to
survive. Recommended for all readers of true adventure or
memoir.”
—Library Journal starred review, Gilles Renaud, Ontario Court of
Justice
“Death on the Barrens is a must read for anyone who has seriously
considered entering absolute wilderness, and for those who already
know a step off the grid into a place like the Barrens can have a
profound impact that reverberates through the rest of one’s
days.”
—Cary J. Griffith, author of Lost in the Wild: Danger and Survival
in the North Woods
“… [The] three-month canoe trip across the uninhabited Canadian
Barrens takes George Grinnell to the lip of the abyss that
separates sanity from insanity and life from death. And it is his
firsthand exploration of this uncertain edge that provides the
profound insights that makes this a most powerful and unique
narrative.”
—George Luste, from the Introduction
“A finely wrought distillation of half of a century spent looking
for an explanation where none perhaps exists. Death on the Barrens
tells of many deaths in an austere and unforgiving land of
imponderable majesty where sentience extends far beyond human
kind.”
—Farley Mowat, legendary author of People of the Deer and Never Cry
Wolf
“A nice combination of struggling against nature and
self-realization, this short book was enjoyable and
thought-provoking.”
—The Philbrick-James Forum
“George James Grinnell brings tragedy of Into the Wild and the
philosophy of the poets to his non-fiction account of a three-month
pleasure trip by canoe and portage across the Canadian Barrens in
1955… Death on the Barrens meditates on beauty, loneliness, and the
meaning of life while roaring down the rapids or battling the black
flies or trying to outwait a blizzard without freezing to death in
a ripped tent. It is a clear statement of our need for belief in
something more than ourselves.”
—Read, Write, Laugh, Rewrite with Eileen Granfors
“This was an excellent memoir. For the outdoor and nature types I
recommend [Death on the Barrens] highly. George, referring to
himself as Jim in the book, tells us a heart wrenching and
harrowing journey of six men through the Barrens… Not only is the
adventurous side of the story told, but the spiritual experience of
being out in the wilderness is explained. This was an intense
read.”
—The Cajun Book Lady
“In these pages, you will learn how time and a doomed escapade into
the Barrens can change a man…how marvelous and wonderful nature can
be and how it can also be your worst enemy… The author’s
descriptions and recollections help to bring this powerful novel to
life… [Death on the Barrens is] a very powerful and intelligently
written memoir about the 1955 canoeing expedition which took the
life of one man and changed the souls of the others.”
—BookPleasures.com
“Despite all of the obstacles in the book, the absolute honesty of
the author shines through providing a tiny little ray of hope in
his bleak world… Death on the Barrens is beautifully written…this
book will keep you interested until the very end.”
—The Book Buff
“Grinnell's account affects the reader on several levels. He
details the practical side of the trip...the physical exertion of
canoeing and portaging; the exhilaration of shooting rapids; the
camaraderie of the men; the psychological signs of suspicion,
paranoia, and even questions of sanity...there's also a spiritual
element... Grinnell quotes literature, poetry, scripture, Zen koans
and Indian legend. The writing is very nice, and at times even
lyrical.”
—The Record-Courier
“While the canoeists' trip could be critiqued—inadequate food, too
many days spent relaxing during good traveling weather—Grinnell
does not place blame. Instead, he remembers how their leader took
them ‘to a place of peace’ and ‘a time when my fears had been
elevated through beauty into awe, when my vanity had been
transformed by awe into love, and when love had bathed my soul in
the waters of eternal peace.’ For that he experienced starvation,
frostbite, and near-drowning… Yet though Grinnell admits to being
lost in despair at times, this is a book of recovery and
acceptance.”
—Southern Rockies Nature Blog
“[Grinnell] tells this story with amazing poise, instantly drawing
the reader in. One can almost feel the mist of the river and the
bumping of the rapids, and later the cold and hunger. There is a
lot of emotion caught within these pages. Add the stunning
watercolors that help to break up the book and you have a true
gem.”
—Reading for Sanity
“[In the Canadian Barrens, George James Grinnell] revels in the
pristine vistas devoid of man while vacillating between fear of
dying and awe. Eventually he feels himself disappearing into the
landscape, just another caribou in the food chain. Death on the
Barrens is a fascinating glimpse at the actions of six men when
they have nothing left to confront but themselves.”
—Sheri, Village Books
“I am crazy about survivalist books; Into the Wild (this book
completely changed the course of my life), Into Thin Air, Alive,
etc… Death on the Barrens is just as captivating a read. Six men
plan to traverse the Canadian arctic on canoes and seem to become
spellbound with the beauty and lulled into relaxing in the
wilderness rather than hurrying to beat the oncoming winter.”
—Jennifer Salita, Midwestern Days
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