Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Book search help request.

I read a particular book a fair amount of time ago and i enjoyed it enough that i often think about it. I would like to find it again, but i don't remember the title and have no clue about the author except that the author was a man. As far as i can remember, the book was nonfiction and it was not really a journal, maybe it could be called a memoir.  It was probably written before the 1970's... possibly in the 1950's. 
It was an old hardcover book, maybe green fabric binding...  it was found at the local library, which has been rearranged to the point that i don't know that i would know where to look for it. I remember where it was shelved, but its not setup that way anymore. The Librarians there did try to help me find it, but after combing through the area where books on similar topics were kept, we didn't find it...  they said it is possible that if it hadn't been checked out in 8-10 years it may have been culled. *sniffle*  They could probably find it from another location if i can find Author or Title at least.
Anyway, it was about the author's decision to basically get away from society as it was then - rat race, impersonal, etc.  He had a few acres out someplace (maybe Ohio???)  i don't remember, but it was north where it snowed. He put some affairs in order, i think he bought some basic tools and off he went.
He either made himself a cabin from scratch or there was an existing structure that he had to repair...  anyway, i remember he had to dig a latrine and had trouble with his ditching system....   He came across as a cranky soul and i think he left a wife behind, but i'm not sure. But i do know that he didn't go with any family. I think he did have a neighbor stop in once or twice with some supplies from town. Things like lard, candles, maybe a spade....  maybe reading material?
I think his outhouse got washed out once as well.... 

....he may have had a pig at one time, or i'm confusing that with another  tale.... 
i think he had to make bread with acorns too--  or i am mixing that up too.  i read a lot of this sort of stuff, it gets confusing with this much time away.

It was  an interesting story. Much like the story i saw a couple times on PBS, the guy who went to Alaska and set himself up there. I'd like to find that too...  but they are different stories...(Alone In The Wilderness/One Man's Wilderness)... i actually saw the PBS one shortly after i read the book and thought for a few minutes that it was the same story, but it wasn't.

We found a few similar titles/themes from women and one geared toward kids... and on Amazon i did see one with Elk in the title and maybe another one about Alaska...

I notice a number of visits to this blog, but few comments....which is OK,  but if any one of you out there ever happens to come across or recognize the book by this skeletal description, please post a reply. I would be so grateful! :o)

2 comments:

Faith said...

Haven't come across this one.

Rather than the "Call of the Wild", we seem to hear the "Call of Self-Sufficiency".

Latrines make me cranky too.

I'm tired. Good night! And good luck finding the book. I tried a quick search and didn't come up with anything useful for you.

~Faith

icebear said...

Thanks, searching hasn't gotten me anywhere either... i simply don't have enough specific information. My only chance is for someone who either really liked the book and/or just read it recently, to recognise my description.

I figure putting it out on the internet might be my best chance to find it.