Hannah and the Mountain: Notes toward a Wilderness Fatherhood

American Lives

by Jonathan Johnson

Longing for a home in big, wild country that would keep them passionate and young, Jonathan Johnson and his wife, Amy, set out to build a log cabin on his family’s land in a remote and beautiful corner of Idaho. But what began as a doable dream for the two of them suddenly looks quite different when, on their first morning in the cabin—without electricity, a telephone, running water, or real windows—the couple learn that Amy is pregnant.

 

In this lyrical and intimate chronicle of making a home the hard way, Johnson describes the competing joys and anxieties of preparing for fatherhood in a setting as challenging as it is a paradise of mythic snowfalls and warming wood stoves and elk tracks at the front door, but also a place where vision, and even struggle and compromise, are not always enough. Hannah and the Mountain tells a rare and delicate story of two people exploring the unmapped territories of loss and grief and finding solace and grace in the mountains. It offers the reader an unforgettable portrait of a couple growing up, learning nature’s hard and beautiful lessons, and discovering a love of place and each other strong and wild enough to renew them and be carried into the future

Genres: Memoir

225 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jenn]

Dr. Johnson is an amazing writer. I just saw him a few minutes ago and i got all giddy. You'd think I was a fangirl or something.

[Grace]

The writer shares a place and time of his life that was both harsh and beautiful, and even the unpleasant parts he writes about in a beautiful, gentle way. While it's not the sort of book I usually read, I found it hard to put down.

[Dave Logghe]

A roller coaster that I could not put down. I read it in one day, stopping only to answer my phone and eat. It's so compelling, it's almost hard to believe it isn't fiction. That just speaks to the strength of Johnson's voice and prose. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a human story with a filter of the wilderness through which to view it.

[Gary McDowell]

I've never cried while reading a book. I still haven't. But the ending of this book was the closest I've ever become. A beautiful treatise on nature, parenthood, marriage, and art.

[Todd]

Poetic and heart-wrenching, Johnson strips himself naked and invites us to share all of his sadness and joy. This is how it is to be unforgettably human.

[Janée Baugher]

Brilliant memoir from a celebrated American poet. Emotive, moving, intimate, and well-paced. I'm enamored with how this writer juxtaposed description of the landscape with the gamut of human emotions. Grief is such a private matter, and when it's shared it can lead us to feeling more vulnerable than when our grief languished in an unshared state. Bravo, JJ, for writing well of parent bereavement.

[Sylvia]

This is an absolutely gorgeous book. I read it in one sitting. It was better even, because it is based where I live. Magnificent!

[Laura K]

Too sad for my liking....

[Lisa]

I think I may have gone to high school with Dr. Johnson. Thought I would get this book from the library and read his bio. Waiting for it to arrive.

Book arrived. This Mr. Johnson grew up in the Marquette, Michigan area, so not the same Johnson I knew.

Read the book and it was outstanding! Most books written by men,that cover their wife/partner being pregnant, are humor books and portray the man as bewildered and bumbling. Dr. Johnson's book is a very gentle and honest story about his experience as a father-to-be. The genuine concern and love he shows for his wife and baby and the intimate way he is able to describe the experience, is amazing.

[Christy]

Such a beautifully written book, but I have never cried so hard over a piece of writing. When they lost the first baby, I bawled for 10 minutes. And when then finally had the baby at the end, I bawled for another 10 minutes. It was refreshing to read about how much he and Amy care for each other and how much of a team they were no matter how bad (or good) things got.

[Wilsar]

This was beautiful, heartwarming, heart wrenching, authentic, real, sad, human, and raw. I can't recall the last time I sincerely cried while reading a book (maybe when I was in high school and was an avid reader) but this book struck a cord. I read it with smiles and tears equally. They're such a beautiful and flawed couple and would love to meet them and give them a big hug.

[Amy]

sent by Jonathan with a lovely note! Treasure!