Arctic Mood - A Narrative of Arctic Adventures

by Eva Alvey Richards

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Genres: Adventure

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1949

Reviews

[Troy James]

This book does show it's age in many ways while offering a glimpse into native life in the artic in 1925, or thereabouts.

Not an ethnography, but definitely an example of early participant observation (with some clear biased missionary work on the side). Nearing the end of the book I was struck by an interaction with a man named Utchik (sp) who is explained to be very rooted in his way of life, away from towns/communes, preferring the traditions and utilities of his ancestral ways to that off the colliding, changing worlds that is the focus of the book. That said: there is some wonderful descriptions of customs, language, and Richards is a wonderful artist whose works add so much to the book.

What's wild about this book, though, is Richards somehow is there rubbing shoulders with some very well known anglo individuals who are in the artic at this time. The interaction with Hrdlicka who is using a Barrow gravesite for his studies seems quaint to Richards, but modern perspective is incredibly haunting. Other interactions, like one with a Missionary School Teacher who is studying "mixed" peoples, and Richards describing a young girl who grapples with what that means, coming to the conclusion the white man who was her biological father couldn't actually be her dad because he was never in her life.

If Richards had left out some mention of "Primitive" people or "savages", and the exasperation of her culture shock, it's *almost* a 5/5 book. Very, very interesting look at a time and place, very raw and uncensored. You can tell she loves these people and the work she did, she's just a woman of her time.

Slur warnings in the book: had to "love" how one of her companions, Tooruk, named one of his dogs the n-word. Nautical term for a large rubber rope/wire spool is know as an "n-word head".

This is a fantastic primary source.

[Barbara Peters]

A very interesting book about Eskimo life in the mid 1920's

[Hans Guttmann]

1949, first person account of living with the eskimos way up North.

[Josephine]

An interesting though somewhat dated tale of a teacher in the Alaskan Wilderness.