Helen Hoover (1910–1984)

Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman, illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak.

Looking down on the cottage of the Good Woodsman one Christmas Day, lonely Great Wolf saw a deer, a squirrel and a chickadee gathered outside, clearly concerned. For that kindly man had not emerged, to give them the feast they expected on this special day. When the animals discover that the woodsman has been injured, they wonder how to get help. Then the Great Wolf steps forward, offering to ask assistance from the dog of a show more nearby man, who will then be led to the woodsman. True to his word, he does just that, and all ends well, with the woodsman receiving help and the animals having their feast...

Published in 1967 by Parents Magazine Press, Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman was initially illustrated by the wonderfully talented Charles Mikolaycak. In 2005 it was republished by the University of Minnesota Press with new artwork from the equally talented Betsy Bowen. I love the work of both these artists, and fully intend to read both versions, but I started with the original one. I found it lovely, both in terms of the story and in terms of the visuals. I wasn't familiar with author Helen Hoover before picking this book up, but apparently she and her husband were pioneers in the back to the land movement in the 1950s, leaving careers in Chicago to live in the north woods of Minnesota. She wrote a number of works of nonfiction about this for adult readers, which I now hope to track down. In any case, the story here is wonderful, offering a sympathetic depiction of the figure of the wolf, without fully domesticating him. What makes this possible of course, is the magic of Christmas, when all the animals can come together in peace. Perhaps the Good Woodsman in this scenario, is therefore a Christ figure? The accompanying illustrations from Mikolaycak are striking, with a stylized sensibility that feels well suited to the story. Recommended to picture book readers looking for woodland tales set at Christmas time. show less

This is the kind of gentle, soothing read needed these days. Writer Helen Hoover and her artist husband, Ade, moved to the far-remote Minnesota woods across a lake from Canada. This book covers over a decade of their time there in the 1950s and 1960s, where they dealt with severe poverty to start, making-do without a car and even getting scurvy due to malnutrition. They are there to live in harmony with nature, as much as they can; the mice in the cabin are named and fed, and the deer and show more groundhogs are regular companions. They resist electricity and indoor plumbing, but the ways of man encroach on them, with deer hunting season an especially dangerous time for the two of them and the deer they love.

This is an intimate portrait of a time and place and two people trying to find peace in a turbulent world. show less

If you love hearing about the following types of things, as I do, then you will probably love this book as much as I did. It's a book I will treasure forever. And the illustrations by her husband are very sweet.

The things that make the struggle of daily survival worthwhile:

* Waking up to being patted on the face by an injured Ermine (white weasel) you've been feeding and who curls up to sleep in the soft dirt of your potted begonia!
* Caring for Mrs. Mouse, whose hind quarters are paralyzed. show more She's a nursing mother. Where are her babies????
* Cute Little Bear with his fat tummy and funny little tail.
Meeting a full grown bear on a bridge.
* The squirrel and the typewriter!!!

Helen and her husband, Ade, gave up their Chicago life in 1954 to live in a rustic cabin in the North Woods of Minnesota on the shores of Gunflint Lake.

Granted, these were the days before internet and Netflix so they had a much easier transition than any of us would today. Ha ha.

Along with being entertained by adorable animals, there are, of course, many hardships and challenges. The struggle just to stay warm and dry would probably send me running back to the City. They have NO electricity and I forget if they had running water or not. I don't think they did. Would YOU want to get up every two hours to make sure the wood fire stove was keeping the smelly baby chicks warm enough in your kitchen?

Thank God her husband, Ade knows how to DO stuff and BUILD stuff and knows all about how stuff WORKS.

I can't wait to read the other books she wrote, especially the follow up, [b:The Years of the Forest|3221118|The Years of the Forest|Helen Hoover|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375768400l/3221118._SX50_.jpg|3255144], which covers 17 more years of their lives in the woods with the magical creatures.

I'll leave you with a quote:

It had been a good day--and our tomorrows were waiting. What kind of days they would be depended on us.

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A thoroughly enjoyable memoir of the early days of a couple's escape from city life and their first few years living in a remote northern woods area.
Replete with vignettes of interactions with the flora and fauna surrounding them, and of their endeavors to either conquer or acquiesce with the travails of their abode and surroundings.
Written in the 1960's regarding their experiences making the lifestyle transition in the 1950's, from the reader's perspective this presents some passages to show more which I had to read two or three times to achieve the cadence and phrasing that made sense but that sense of the construction of those passages then became more endearing. From a perspective of someone who has spent time in rural or remote areas such as described by the author this is an attractive foray into a way of living that was and is increasing distant from many people. show less