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59th out of 115 books
—
46 voters
We Took to the Woods
In her early thirties, Louise Dickinson Rich took to the woods of Maine with her husband. They found their livelihood and raised a family in the remote backcountry settlement of Middle Dam, in the Rangeley area. Rich made time after morning chores to write about their lives. We Took to the Woods is an adventure story, written with humor, but it also portrays a cherished dr...more
Paperback, 325 pages
Published
April 19th 2007
by Down East Books
(first published 1942)
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Jan 04, 2010
Hannah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Armchair hermits in disguise, nature lovers, Maine lovers
A really good read that satisfied the armchair hermit that lurks very close to the surface of my life. Louise Rich's account of her life in backwoods Maine during the 1930's and 40's was filled with insightful, witty and meaningful observations of what it takes to live this kind of life and how much she really loved it. I enjoyed all 11 chapters with their cute, questioning titles such as:
Chapter IV: Isn't Housekeeping Difficult (Louise says: NO, as she's no housekeeper).
Chapter V: Aren't the Ch...more
Chapter IV: Isn't Housekeeping Difficult (Louise says: NO, as she's no housekeeper).
Chapter V: Aren't the Ch...more
Loved and just reread for a tenth time: memoir of making a home in the wild with respect, wonder, and good humor during the Depression. Enchanting. Inspiring. Funny. One of my favorite stories is of the time Louise is asked to cook for a logging crew at the dam. She has potatoes, coffee, a salmon, and not much more, but goes at it like Christ with the loaves and fishes. The hungry foreman tells her the time the crew will break for lunch and Louise sets a timer. The hungry foreman keeps sneaking...more
Jul 31, 2011
Natalie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Ivy
Recommended to Natalie by:
Amazon
Shelves:
nature-books
I read on an Amazon review that We Took to the Woods was the real deal compared to Anne LaBastille's "Barbie-doll-like" accounts of living in the wild. I have to agree, though I like Anne.
Louise Dickinson Rich wasn't wealthy. She wasn't connected. Her husband was working class. And Louise Dickinson Rich was a writer by trade, naturalist by passion.
So of course you're going to get better prose than Anne LaBastille (sorry, Anne) and less soap-boxing.
Killer Quote:
"Happy people aren't given to soul...more
Louise Dickinson Rich wasn't wealthy. She wasn't connected. Her husband was working class. And Louise Dickinson Rich was a writer by trade, naturalist by passion.
So of course you're going to get better prose than Anne LaBastille (sorry, Anne) and less soap-boxing.
Killer Quote:
"Happy people aren't given to soul...more
1 like · like · see review
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Favorite passage:
"At night, after being at Prospect, I lie in bed and see great clusters of berries slide by endlessly against my closed lids. They haunt me. There are so many of them yet unpicked, so many that will never be picked. The birds and bears and foxes will eat a few, but most of them will drop off at the first frost, to return to the sparse soil of Prospect whatever of value they borrowed from it. Nature is strictly moral. There is no attempt to cheat the earth by means of steel vault...more
"At night, after being at Prospect, I lie in bed and see great clusters of berries slide by endlessly against my closed lids. They haunt me. There are so many of them yet unpicked, so many that will never be picked. The birds and bears and foxes will eat a few, but most of them will drop off at the first frost, to return to the sparse soil of Prospect whatever of value they borrowed from it. Nature is strictly moral. There is no attempt to cheat the earth by means of steel vault...more
Sep 21, 2011
Thomas
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Outdoor Enthusiasts, History/Historical Fiction readers.
Recommended to Thomas by:
Lionel Herring
In the 1900's Louise Rich, her husband, and her children left civilization and took to the woods in western Maine. They built two cabins, and lived fairly remotely, with the nearest communication to the outside world being miles away on a dirt path. This is a great nonfiction of taking off, abandoning all of what you know, and taking to the woods. This book is especially personal to me because I've spent summers kayaking and wilderness camping in the area surrounding where Rich spent her life. I...more
As a fervent fan of memoirs about returning to the land/roots I am a little ashamed that I only discovered Louise Dickinson Rich's work recently. Even more surprised was I, given her modern voice, when I realized that "We Took to the Woods" was written in the 40's. References to using Model T's to haul logs (sacrilege now) clued me in.
It is sure fun to read about how even back then people wondered how someone could stand living in the backwoods of Maine. Louise answers such questions with a deli...more
It is sure fun to read about how even back then people wondered how someone could stand living in the backwoods of Maine. Louise answers such questions with a deli...more
I absolutely LOVED this book! Louise Dickinson Rich's style of writing was witty, engrossing and at times, crossed over into downright poetic. One thing that I particularly loved was that her story was such a close reflection of my parents story and those of their friends who moved to the wilds of Alaska well before statehood and years and years before any decent (let alone PAVED) roads existed beyond Anchorage. There was such an unexplainable pragmatic attitude combined with the ability to find...more
I especially enjoyed this book as years ago, I explored the area along the Rapid River in Maine where Louise Rich lived. I canoed Lake Umbagog to Cedar Stump and the Rapid River and then hiked the Carry Road past her home to the Pond in the River Dam. Another time I went by dog sled to Richardson Lake for winter camping. Rich's book brought back so many fond memories.
Book is well written and author describes the beauty of the woods in all seasons. I recommend this book to my NE friends. It would...more
Book is well written and author describes the beauty of the woods in all seasons. I recommend this book to my NE friends. It would...more
I usually try not to read reviews before reading a book for myself, but sometimes it cannot be avoided. That was the case with this book and the review that was stated that the book could have been written in today's times as opposed to the 1940s because the writer was so easy to relate with. I couldn't help thinking that time and time again while reading this book. By the end of the book Louise felt like an old friend and I hoped to visit her at her home on the river. It is the type of book tha...more
I liked this. Yes, it is a tad dated and sometimes the narrative seems a little childish but overall it was a wonderful story. Part of what was rewarding is that I'm very familiar with the area in which it takes place, adding to my positive experience. I also gravitate to tales about people living in extraordinary situations. And, I love tales about nature. The only negative comment I would have is that while it did have a beginning and a middle it really didn't really seem to have a finish. The...more
Took me forever to finish this book - well past two months which is very rare for me. I think I wanted to savor this book in small bites, like a big 16 oz. steak, instead of binging on it and reading it too quickly. This book is an absolute gem to anyone who loves reading about simple life - returning to the land - living off the land. Now, here's the big twist of which I was totally unaware - the book was written in the 1930's and published in the early 40's! But yu would never guess as her wri...more
One of my all time favorite books, right up against The Winter of Our Discontent and Redwall.
I have always dreamed of moving up into the woods and the daily life that comes with it- getting your water, hunting food, keeping warm, etc. And this books tells it exactly how it is in a casual, well written story. I felt close to Louise and her family and all the characters that inhabit the North Woods of Maine. I was very excited to learn that her home, Forest Lodge, isn't far from Lake Umbagog (whe...more
I have always dreamed of moving up into the woods and the daily life that comes with it- getting your water, hunting food, keeping warm, etc. And this books tells it exactly how it is in a casual, well written story. I felt close to Louise and her family and all the characters that inhabit the North Woods of Maine. I was very excited to learn that her home, Forest Lodge, isn't far from Lake Umbagog (whe...more
Aug 15, 2009
Jim Aker
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
any who love the outdoors.
She Took to the Woods
A review of Louise Dickenson Rich’s tale of family life in the great northern forest of Maine, ‘We Took to the Woods.’
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
The Road Less Traveled- Robert Frost
“For there are some people who can live without wild things about them and the earth beneath their feet, and some who cannot. To those of us who, in...more
A review of Louise Dickenson Rich’s tale of family life in the great northern forest of Maine, ‘We Took to the Woods.’
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
The Road Less Traveled- Robert Frost
“For there are some people who can live without wild things about them and the earth beneath their feet, and some who cannot. To those of us who, in...more
2 likes · like · see review
From 1933 to 1945, Louise Dickinson Rich lived on the Rapid River in remote northwestern Maine with her husband, Ralph, and son, Rufus (and, part of the time, her stepdaughter, Sally). We Took to the Woods, a bestseller in 1942, is her frank, fond account of life in the backwoods.
The book is structured around a series of questions typically asked by folks on "The Outside": Isn't Housekeeping Difficult? Don't You Ever Get Bored? Aren't You Ever Frightened? Though Rich is given to some lengthy dig...more
The book is structured around a series of questions typically asked by folks on "The Outside": Isn't Housekeeping Difficult? Don't You Ever Get Bored? Aren't You Ever Frightened? Though Rich is given to some lengthy dig...more
This is the story of her life in a cabin (actually two...one for summer and one for winter) with her husband, her son, her hired hand, and assorted dogs, cats, and wildlife. This was published in 1942. Can you imagine living on two acres in the middle of a forest preserve with no utilities, mail once or twice a week if you can get out to pick it up, and myraid other things we take for common that were not available then? I would love to do that. Seriously, what is it about the past that calls to...more
This memoir is clever and homey, well-written and interesting. Its descriptions of life in the deep woods of Maine fulfilled my need for nature, while giving enough of the real-life challenges to keep me from moving there. I really enjoyed the author's format: each chapter is the answer to a question that might be (or had been) posed by an "outsider". She covers topics from housekeeping logistics to being out of touch to "just what do you do to keep busy?" Thoroughly enjoyable 1940s non-fiction.
This is about the author and her life in the remote northern woods of Maine. No running water, two pairs of pants, etc.. This is decades ago (late 50s and 60s maybe?), but she comes form civilized Massachusetts, so it is it still quite rustic.
Ms.Dickinson Rich has a great sense of humor and does not take herself too seriously.
She does not go into real confessional stuff, and I suspect it would be good, so that I regret. She hooks up with her husband (20 years older than her, w/ an ex-wife and...more
Ms.Dickinson Rich has a great sense of humor and does not take herself too seriously.
She does not go into real confessional stuff, and I suspect it would be good, so that I regret. She hooks up with her husband (20 years older than her, w/ an ex-wife and...more
I loved this book. What everyone says is true about it, so I wont muck things up with my inept writing. My wife read this years ago, before we were married. Louise's writing inspired her so much she looked up the area and found that Lake Wood Camps still exist! She has explored the area, the houses, walked the carry road, she has even seen her typewriter! This August will be her fourth and my first trip to Middle Dam, and I am very excited to go.
Louise Dickinson was an English teacher in Boston when she met Ralph Rich on a summer vacation canoe trip in Maine. He had just "sold some patent rights" and moved from Chicago to an old log cabin in the Rangeley Lakes area, miles from anything. They married & "took to the woods", where Louise Rich wrote this book in 1942 to answer all the questions she got from friends on "The Outside," like "How do you make a living?", "What do you do with all your spare time?" and, my favorite, "Don't you...more
Wonderful book about the author's experience of living in the far northern woods of Maine back in the 1930s. Each chapter answer a question that she has been asked by multiple people when they heard where she lived- "But How Do You Make a LIving?" and "Don't You Ever Get Bored?" are two of the 11 chapters. It feels like Louise Rich is sitting at her table talking to you. The book is interesting and often funny. A great read.
There's not much more that can be said about this book, probably up there with the top 10 memoirs of the 20th century. It's never, ever been out of print, which says a lot! If you read it, you'll feel like it was written yesterday and not in the 30's, such is Rich's tone---clear and humorous and ageless. For anyone who has dreamt of living it all behind and living in the woods, this is a book not to be missed.
A 1930s account of living in rural Maine. Two of my favorite books ever are "We Live in Alaska" and "We Live in the Arctic" by Bud and Constance Helmericks, accounts of the time they spent in northern Alaska living off the land - surviving off the land through the winter - building their own cabin and trying to survive through the winter by getting enough fat in their diet. (With plenty of meat but no fat, they were slowly starving. Their diet and the traditional diet of Alaska Natives is an int...more
I enjoyed this book for the author's humor and charm. It's nothing groundbreaking here, a family living in the very isolated north woods of Maine in the 1930s. The chapter titles come from questions she commonly gets asked from outsiders, "Don't you get scared?" "Don't you get bored?" "Aren't you out of touch?" Her common sense and very readable writing style had me looking forward to picking up the book each night to slip into this far away world.
Louise Dickinson Rich (1903-1991) was a Massachusetts high-school English teacher who moved to Maine to write popular accounts of life in the woods (We Took to the Woods), guides and informal histories of Maine, and the most delightful The Peninsula, about a Gouldsboro in the 1950s that is still recognizable.
This book was wonderfully unexpected. Upon reading it, I expected it to be just another tall tale of adventures through the woods (most of which people chalk their experiences up to be larger than life, almost like a fisherman's tale). However, what made this book special was normalizing effect that it had; it opened my eyes and made me realize that no matter where people live, they are going to essentially deal with the same daily stressors. Being from Maine I found the humor to be especially f...more
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It was recommended to me by my Grandmother as one of her favorite books and it had the same magic for me that it did for her. This book gives an inside look at the true power of a woman to make a life in the middle of the woods with Yankee ingenuity.
Louise Dickinson Rich had a great sense of humor. I enjoyed her writing, but I thought it got a bit repetitive and tedious. The questions that constitute the chapter headings were answered over and over again throughout the whole book. But it did evoke the wilds of Maine... a glorious place indeed.
In some simple way, this woman is an idol of mine. Her and her husband literally, took to the woods and forged their lives out of simplicity and respect of abundance around them. I found myself laughing at her musings as well as day-dreaming about my "simple life" to come. Fantastic read.
Not exactly urban homestead - it's the story of a woman who moved out of the city to the back woods of Maine in the 1930's. I liked the author, her tone, her story. It was interesting to read about lumberjacks, and the days of logging. What logging camps were like in Maine in the 30's, and how she had a good time with them.
After reading the book, I was saddened to read the she lost her husband just a few years after publication. She seems to have had such joy of living iwth him in their unusual...more
After reading the book, I was saddened to read the she lost her husband just a few years after publication. She seems to have had such joy of living iwth him in their unusual...more
Mrs. Rich lived up near or on Rangely Lake in Maine in the years immediately preceding and during WW 2. She describes life in the extreme back woods, no t.v., no electric, no plumbing. Harsh.
She doesn't quite go into the backbreaking work it must have been to simply keep body and soul attached. Oh, from time to time she mentions the orneriness of the wood stove, the difficulty of heating, the trips to the outhouse in subfreezing weather. However, she assures us that the peace and beauty of the "...more
She doesn't quite go into the backbreaking work it must have been to simply keep body and soul attached. Oh, from time to time she mentions the orneriness of the wood stove, the difficulty of heating, the trips to the outhouse in subfreezing weather. However, she assures us that the peace and beauty of the "...more
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Writer known for fiction and non-fiction works about New England, particularly Massachusetts and Maine. Mrs. Rich grew up in Bridgewater where her father was the editor of a weekly newspaper. She met Ralph Eugene Rich, a Chicago businessman, on a Maine canoe trip in 1933 and they married a year later. Mr. Rich died in 1944. Her best-known work was her first book, the autobiographical We Took to th...more
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