Keewatin

This is the compelling story of a man alone trying to survive in the Arctic as the weather is closing in. Jake Quinn could fly an airplane, but he was not a hunter. When his plane developed carburetor trouble, he put down on a frozen river only to see the ice break up and the plane disappear into the water. His thoughts for survival were to keep from freezing and to reach civilization. He had a rifle with two cartridges, a few matches, a parka, and a blanket. He did not have a map or a compass. Soon he was stalked by a large white bear. He knew that his rifle offered him little protection against the bear. He recognized that he was an alien in this frozen land which belonged to the stalking white bear. In fact, before the "Ghost of the North," the man was on his best behavior. He had always admired the bear's strength and awesome beauty. Although he had seen many bear from the window of his plane, this one was the biggest by far. In this story of man's place in Nature's North, the bear is relentless, the man is persistent but humble. Jake is equally careful and respectful of the wolves he runs across. The special dangers and problems of surviving in the far north become very clear to any reader during the course of the novel. This is a spectacularly good adventure and psychological story--simple, compelling, clear, and very engaging.