North to the Night : A Spiritual Odyssey in the Arctic

by Alvah Simon

Release Date: 14 September, 1999

Edition: Paperback

Price:

More Info

The Internal and External Challenges of Polar Adventure

In 1994-95 the author, his wife Diana, and their cat named Halifax, sailed to the Arctic in their 36-foot cutter, the Roger Henry, for an arctic experience. They spent a year in Baffin Bay, off the coast of Greenland, completely frozen in during the winter. His excellent writing is full of facts, from the mechanical details of getting making their boat seaworthy, to the history, geography, wildlife and interactions with the Intuit people.

Beyond that, though, there was something more. The challenges he faces are stark and realistic and he makes mistakes along the way nearly costing him his life, grappling with internal challenges as well as external ones. Along the way he learns great lessons in life.

As I read this book, I was right there with him, feeling his awe at the natural beauty, his thrill of the adventure as well as his loneliness and his fear. I was also constantly impressed by his ingenuity in solving the many constant technical unforeseen problems.

I couldn't put the book down, staying up almost all night to just keep reading and reading. I know I'll never take a trip like this. But I thank him for writing the book and giving me the privilege of experiencing just a little bit of this wild and frozen landscape.

Highly recommended.

Man tests endurance through an arctic year.

Sometimes the subtitles of books are important and sometimes they aren't. For this book, the subtitle, "A Spiritual Odyssey in the Arctic", is right on the money. About 20% of the text either describes or analyzes the spiritual side of Alvah Simon's year in the arctic.

Although this book is enjoyable to read and describes a great feat of survival adventure, the spiritual aspects can get dull and repetitive. The author mentions again and again that he is forced to believe that a "guiding hand" prevents careless or accidental mistakes from killing him, sinking his boat or otherwise doing damage to body, mind or spirit. However, one has to wonder about other less lucky individuals who had become convinced a guiding hand was protecting them when a final careless accident took them and their newfound belief system off the face of the planet.

Mr. Simon should be applauded for at least being honest. When he makes a mistake he lays it out there for you to read about it. Other writers avoid honesty, for fear they will look smaller in the reader's eye. Mr. Simon's honesty only makes him more appealing as a person and underlines the fact that someone used to adventures who is prepared in every way imaginable and is intelligent to boot can still goof up. In Mr. Simon's case he lives to tell the tale, whether this is a guiding hand or not is ultimately left up to the reader to decide, but the author does all he can to pound home the depth of his spiritual odyssey in the arctic.