Book Review: Braving It

Braving It: A Father, A Daughter, and An Unforgettable Journey Into The Alaskan Wild

by: James Campbell

Publisher: Broadway Books - Crown Publishing Group - Penguin Random House, LLC

Started: June 5, 2017

Finished: June 11, 2017

"On an adventure like this, we evolve." - Braving It

Braving It is a story about adventure in the Alaskan wilderness.  It is a non-fiction read written by James Campbell (new to me, but definitely not a new nonfiction writer).  While this may be a topic that you feel as if you've read before (Into the Wild, One Man's Wilderness, etc), this book is unique and worthwhile because it tells the story of a father and daughter entering the wilderness (on three separate occasions) in Alaska to evolve and bond.  

Pros:

• Alaska Love:
• I traveled to Alaska a few summers ago to run a marathon with some family, camp, and bask in all that is Alaska.  Because of this experience, I am pulled by books that discuss the Alaskan wilderness and also enjoy reading about survivalism in rough areas.  This book gives us a glimpse into this lifestyle without getting boring or bogged down by details.  
• Shared Experiences:
• His daughter's first experience viewing Denali really hit home for me.  When I was in Alaska a few years ago, we spent time in Cordova, a finishing town along the Southern coast and then traveled up to Denali for several days.  We never saw Denali during this time, as it was covered in clouds.  Finally, on our second-to-last day, we had brunch and bummed around Talkeetna.  Totally unexpectedly, I gasped when we saw Denali up ahead of us.  To make it even more idyllic, a small bear was swimming through the river next to it. 

Cons:

• Where was Aiden?  
• I didn't feel like we got enough of Aiden's views.  I would have loved to read more about what she was writing in  her journal.  I think this book would have been stronger if it had been co-written with chapters from her perspective as well, since so much of the book is about her and her evolution.  I would have liked to have heard from her first person.
• Too many stories!!
• The author basically rolled three Alaska stories into one.  Both of the trips with Heimo felt rushed.  I would have loved to have more about him and his family and their trials as well and perhaps save the canoe/white-water trip for another novel.  They didn't seem to flow together well.

"But we sure did pack a lot of life into the past week," she added.  "That's what I love about traveling." - Braving It

Overall, this was a strong adventure read that is sure to prompt your wanderlust and help prompt you to plan your next adventure.  I recommend this book for fathers of daughters and for anyone who loves adventure and wildness trips.

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in return for my honest book review.