Jordin Tootoo

I've been wanting to read this for a while. I'm not a huge hockey fan, but I have worked in the Arctic and with people from that region. I wanted to learn more about the first Inuit player in the NHL, and one from such a remote community. The odds seem astronomical!

Jordin Tootoo has written about his life and his hockey career with brutal honesty. His is an interesting story. It shows the challenges young people face when moving south from remote communities. His story also shows the ongoing show more impact of racism. And I got a behind-the-scenes look at the business side of the NHL. Mr. Tootoo's story also shown Inuit culture: the devastating impact of alcohol, but also the strong family bonds and the healing power of going out on the land.

I would recommend this book to hockey fans, and to those who are interested in Canada's aboriginal cultures and people. show less

This book was a bit out of my wheelhouse. I found it during the recent polar vortex that hit the U.S., and I was looking at other places that had temperatures one day as cold as it was in Wisconsin. One place was Rankin Inlet, which I knew nothing about. I quick Google search introduced me to Jordin Tootoo, which made me interested in his journey from the far north to the NHL.

The conversational tone, the very open way he discusses his life, his family, the good and the bad, made this book show more really interesting to me. It was almost like sitting next to someone on an airplane with whom I had nothing in common and having a long fascinating conversation. I would have liked a bit more about his childhood in Rankin Inlet and his parents, especially his mother. Overall, an eye-opening, different, ultimately uplifting and entertaining read. show less

I'll be honest. Autobiographies aren't my favorite, but this one wasn't so bad. It wasn't quite what I expected, but I later realized that I was asking for something that made no sense. The writing is simple, but strong and honest, much like Tootoo comes across on the pages. They way I'd imagined it would have been verbose and flowery, to say the least, like all the other autobiographies and biographies I've read. I now realize that it was a foolish expectation.

This is the story of the show more struggle, survival, and perseverance of an underdog turned fan favorite. A must read for Tootoo fans, and general hockey fans alike. I'm really not sure how to do it justice in a review, so I won't try, to prevent misleading people. All I can say is give it a read. It's worth it. show less