Northwind
by Gary Paulsen
Flap Copy Description:
Set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, Northwind does for the sea what Hatchet - which has sold more than thirteen million copies worldwide - has done for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person's battle to stay alive against all odds. When a deadly plague reaches a small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar dugout canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, thrown from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer Leif comes to his truest self as he connects to "the heartbeat of the ocean...the pulse of the sea." With hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.
My Thoughts:
Like so many readers around the world, I was thoroughly lost in the wilderness when I read Gary Paulsen's Newbery Honor novel, Hatchett, so many years ago. When I learned that Mr. Paulsen had passed away (back in 2021), I was saddened, like so many of those in the world of children's literature. However, learning that another Paulsen novel had been released last year, it was quickly put on my "to-be-read" list. Northwind is like a partner to Hatchet. It's a powerful and poignant tale of survival, set in the north country of Scandinavia centuries ago. It's the perfect tribute to the award-winning author of numerous books for children. Well done, Gary Paulsen!
Click here to read the NPR obituary for Gary Paulsen.
