Mad Dogs And An Englishwoman

by Polly Evans

Travels with sled dogs in Canada's frozen north.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Canada, Dogs

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2008

Reviews

[Cid Stoll]

I really enjoyed this book. I've visited Alaska several times, mostly using Fairbanks as my home base and traveling out from there. I've been to several of the places the author describes, and seeing them through her eyes added a depth to them that hadn't been there before. I really enjoyed how she'd weave the history of a place into her current assessment of it. I also enjoyed hearing about the dogs and the process of dog-sledding, although it all sounded so simple, when instinctively we all know it can't possibly be. My favorite chapters were the ones on the Yukon Quest, when I found myself putting the book down at one point and researching the episode she was describing, then kind of reading the news reports of the race in tandem with her writing. It was fascinating. I did that a lot, actually -- looking up the Bed & Breakfast she stayed in, the vet and author she met, the Jack London site, and others, adding them to my list of "things to try and get to the next time I'm in Alaska". Unlike Polly, I don't know that I'd ever want to winter up in the Yukon. But boy ... do I want to visit it now.

[Claire]

I really liked this book at the beginning. It was all so interesting learning about the dogs, and all their personalities. Then the author starts meandering into history and back to the story again, it doesn’t flow well. Then, I started to realise Polly Evans was rubbing me the wrong way. She seemed to make some really shallow observations.
I got the impression that there would be some growth from the experience, but I don’t really think there was.

[Anna Engel]

[3.5 stars]
Part memoir, part planned adventure story, and part pooper-scooping how-to, “Mad Dogs” is a fun romp through the extreme land to the north. The descriptions of the dogs and their antics and personalities were the best parts. Also, side note that it’s crazy when the author of one book you’re reading – this one – runs into the author of another book you’re reading, Dick North, who wrote “The Mad Trapper of Rat River.”

[Chris Gisler]

For some reason this didn’t feel as interesting as I was hoping it to be! Her writing was fine but she didn’t add much to the stories she told of historic Yukon time periods/people or to her own retelling of her time there. I felt like most of her trips or mushing excursions didn’t go as planned and therefore weren’t as riveting as I imagined them to be.

[Kelli]

I really enjoyed this book. It was informative, interesting and I felt as though I was mushing along with the author. I liked the snippets of history regarding the Yukon region and that it wasn't heavy on facts etc

[Yvonne Baker]

My favorite one of the 4 of hers that I have read. She is milder and calmer in this book and I enjoy her wit and humor.

[Suz]

I want to go sled dogging in the Yukon now!

[Christine]

I found this book pretty disappointing. From the title to the cover picture, you expect a read with adventure and exploration, which doesn't really happen. The descriptions of the dogs were the best part of the book- they were cutesy and humorous. However, I found the rest of the book slightly boring and circular. "Polly's" descriptions jump back and forth between the present and history, and it happens so often as to be irritating and makes reading cumbersome.

It was okay, but my time could be better spent on a better book.

[Chaynyth]

I found this to be quite an enjoyable read. The experiences of an Englishwoman who visits the Yukon to learn about sled dogs and the culture around them are interspersed with snippets of history of the region and anecdotes about living in frigid climes. While the narrative isn't scintillating, I found the quiet more meditative prose to be comforting. Definitely something I'd pick up for reading again and having around as a good travelogue style book.

[Michael Seeds]

Sled dogs love to run, and nothing could be more beautiful than being alone in a frozen landscape, so dog sledding seems a perfect way to be alone with excited friends. Evans takes us to work feeding dogs and cleaning up after them, training them and, more importantly, training herself to run with a team. We learn about the daily grind of caring for dogs but also about the beauty of the winter landscape deep in snow.

[Liz]

I gave this a higher rating than it probably deserved as I was familiar with the area (Yukon)so it resonated with me.
Polly, the author, spends some months in the Yukon with sled dogs and their owners learning the ropes.

[Rubyryan]

What a fun book! I was transported to the icy north and fell in love with the dogs, (which wasn't too difficult for me! : ) )

[B]

New from Polly! Hooray! Just ordered it and looking forward to this new adventure...

[Rachel (Sfogs)]

A book that was just a lot of fun!
A down to earth look at dog sleding, adventure, and many beautiful and very mischiefs dogs ;D

[Lori]

A boring book. Stylistically flat narration dulls the adventure of a British woman and a team of sled dogs in the Yukon.

[Millie]

I really enjoyed this book. It was fascinating to read about the winter season in the Yukon, and the work of sled-dogs. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes dogs or snow!

[Josie]

Evans is always good for a cheery travelogue, with a heavy dose of trivial history thrown in. This was not my favorite of her adventures, but it was still a fun, light read.

[Mandy]

I'll read more of her travel books. Nice, light, palate cleansing after Khaled Hosseini.