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The Twenty-Ninth Day: Surviving a Grizzly Attack in the Canadian Tundra
A six-hundred-mile canoe trip in the Canadian wilderness is a seventeen-year-old's dream adventure, but after he is mauled by a grizzly bear, it's all about staying alive.
This true-life wilderness survival epic recounts seventeen-year-old Alex Messenger's near-lethal encounter with a grizzly bear during a canoe trip in the Canadian tundra. The story follows Alex and his five companions as they paddle north through harrowing rapids and stunning terrain. Twenty-nine days into the trip, while out hiking alone, Alex is attacked by a barren-ground grizzly. Left for dead, he wakes to find that his summer adventure has become a struggle to stay alive. Over the next hours and days, Alex and his companions tend his wounds and use their resilience, ingenuity, and dogged perseverance to reach help at a remote village a thousand miles north of the US-Canadian border.
The Twenty-Ninth Day is a coming-of-age story like no other, filled with inspiring subarctic landscapes, thrilling riverine paddling, and a trial by fire of the human spirit.
This true-life wilderness survival epic recounts seventeen-year-old Alex Messenger's near-lethal encounter with a grizzly bear during a canoe trip in the Canadian tundra. The story follows Alex and his five companions as they paddle north through harrowing rapids and stunning terrain. Twenty-nine days into the trip, while out hiking alone, Alex is attacked by a barren-ground grizzly. Left for dead, he wakes to find that his summer adventure has become a struggle to stay alive. Over the next hours and days, Alex and his companions tend his wounds and use their resilience, ingenuity, and dogged perseverance to reach help at a remote village a thousand miles north of the US-Canadian border.
The Twenty-Ninth Day is a coming-of-age story like no other, filled with inspiring subarctic landscapes, thrilling riverine paddling, and a trial by fire of the human spirit.
272 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2019
794 people are currently reading
6917 people want to read
About the author
Alex Messenger
4 books51 followersAlex Messenger is a Duluth, Minnesota, author, marketer and photographer who, at seventeen, was mauled by a grizzly bear. In the decade since, he's worked as a wilderness guide and volunteer search-and-rescue operator. His love of adventure, nature, and cultures has taken him all over the globe, but the north woods and canoe country have always been among his favorite subjects. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Men’s Journal, National Parks magazine, Outside Online, and Backpacker magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 555 reviews
November 16, 2020
4.25 enthralled ★★★★✩
⤐ Overall.
EDIT: I really want this to be translated into German, my Dad would LOVE this!
Gut-wrenching doesn't even begin to describe what I've felt reading Alex's words. I think at some point I even experienced sympathy pains. The simplicity of Alex's story-telling bears an honesty to it that makes it hard for the reader not to be sucked into this book. He managed to portal me from my rainy home in Nürnberg to the Canadian tundra whenever I opened the book. It made it hard to put down and easy to come back, just what I look for in my reads.
I did catch myself getting impatient because the title is somewhat misleading. It makes it sound as if the entire book is almost solely focused on the happening and echo of the bear attack. A good part of the book is dedicated to the month before it happens, though.
⤐ What’s happening.
Alex and five of his friends set out for the adventure of a lifetime, paddling through the stunningly picturesque wilderness of Canada. What starts out to be a light survival trip changes drastically on their 29th day in the boat: Alex is mauled by a bear. Now the real fight to survive begins.
_____________________
Writing quality + easy of reading = 4*
pace = 4*
enjoyability = 4*
insightfulness = 4*
_____________________
This eArc was provided by Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!
This book is for you if… a stunning cover, combined with an autobiographic survival story with lots of love for the wonders and weirdnesses of nature, wake your interest.
⤐ Overall.
EDIT: I really want this to be translated into German, my Dad would LOVE this!
Gut-wrenching doesn't even begin to describe what I've felt reading Alex's words. I think at some point I even experienced sympathy pains. The simplicity of Alex's story-telling bears an honesty to it that makes it hard for the reader not to be sucked into this book. He managed to portal me from my rainy home in Nürnberg to the Canadian tundra whenever I opened the book. It made it hard to put down and easy to come back, just what I look for in my reads.
I did catch myself getting impatient because the title is somewhat misleading. It makes it sound as if the entire book is almost solely focused on the happening and echo of the bear attack. A good part of the book is dedicated to the month before it happens, though.
⤐ What’s happening.
‘As my gaze snapped onto the horizon, the brown shape becomes instantly visible. It was not a musk ox. This was much worse.’
Alex and five of his friends set out for the adventure of a lifetime, paddling through the stunningly picturesque wilderness of Canada. What starts out to be a light survival trip changes drastically on their 29th day in the boat: Alex is mauled by a bear. Now the real fight to survive begins.
Con:
⇢ no rabies vaccine
⇢ grizzly bears are not the only threats nature holds
⇢ spending 5 weeks with the same 5 people is strenuous
Pro:
⇢ friends are expertly trained at treating injuries
⇢ landscape still mesmerising
⇢ nothing like getting bit by a bear to become friends for life
_____________________
Writing quality + easy of reading = 4*
pace = 4*
enjoyability = 4*
insightfulness = 4*
_____________________
This eArc was provided by Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!
May 12, 2022
Wow!
Years ago, I went to Yosemite with my friend Mary Chow, and we took a raft down the river. I learned that riding the rapids was fun, and so we headed for every rapid we saw. Of course, they were child’s play. What Alex and his crew experienced was dangerous. Still, there were many more things that were dangerous on Alex's trip than just rapids. Even the title of this book lets you know that Alex was going to be attacked on the 29th day.
One experience, that they had, left me wondering why they were even taking a canoe
on waters that were filled with ice. First, they came upon a bird whose feet were stuck in the ice. I imagined that it was just resting on the water when the ice closed in on it, and it could not fly away in time. I admit, this story affected me more than the bear attack. I don’t know why, but I still think about that poor goose. After that, the ice kept trying to close in on Alex’s canoe. The other two canoes were far ahead of him.I kept seeing him needing to abandon his canoe and trying to get all of his supplies out before the ice crushed his canoe. The reader of this review will have to read this book to see what happens next.
Alex kept writing down the date of each journal entry, so I wasn’t too concerned about the bear attack, yet. Then around the 20th day that ended, but I had not noticed. By the time I did notice, it was too late because I was not going to go back and count the days. This drove up the tension. Then all the sudden he wrote, the 29th. If he had meant to do this or not, it worked. And now I was waiting for the bear attack.
Alex really writes well, and it felt that I was right there with him all the way. I am ready for another true adventure. Just not one about a bear attack or a goose getting his feet caught in the ice.
Years ago, I went to Yosemite with my friend Mary Chow, and we took a raft down the river. I learned that riding the rapids was fun, and so we headed for every rapid we saw. Of course, they were child’s play. What Alex and his crew experienced was dangerous. Still, there were many more things that were dangerous on Alex's trip than just rapids. Even the title of this book lets you know that Alex was going to be attacked on the 29th day.
One experience, that they had, left me wondering why they were even taking a canoe
on waters that were filled with ice. First, they came upon a bird whose feet were stuck in the ice. I imagined that it was just resting on the water when the ice closed in on it, and it could not fly away in time. I admit, this story affected me more than the bear attack. I don’t know why, but I still think about that poor goose. After that, the ice kept trying to close in on Alex’s canoe. The other two canoes were far ahead of him.I kept seeing him needing to abandon his canoe and trying to get all of his supplies out before the ice crushed his canoe. The reader of this review will have to read this book to see what happens next.
Alex kept writing down the date of each journal entry, so I wasn’t too concerned about the bear attack, yet. Then around the 20th day that ended, but I had not noticed. By the time I did notice, it was too late because I was not going to go back and count the days. This drove up the tension. Then all the sudden he wrote, the 29th. If he had meant to do this or not, it worked. And now I was waiting for the bear attack.
Alex really writes well, and it felt that I was right there with him all the way. I am ready for another true adventure. Just not one about a bear attack or a goose getting his feet caught in the ice.
August 5, 2024
For several years, Alex Messenger had been working his way through Camp Menogyn’s canoe, portage, and backcountry camping adventure program. At the age of seventeen he was invited to join the Minnesota camp’s longest and most remote trip that Menogyn offers. The Hommes du Nord is a forty two day, 600 mile whitewater canoeing and portage trip to the Northwest Territories remote wilderness area in Canada.
In this book, Alex details the invigorating challenges the group encountered on the trip as well as providing a vivid description of the breathtaking scenery and ancient encampments they viewed along the journey.
The trip was challenging, but the group was enjoying the backcountry adventure. However, on the 29th day, Alex was attacked by a grizzly bear. As his condition worsened, Alex would find himself in a struggle to survive.
The story begins slowly, as detailed descriptions of canoeing and positioning are given. If you aren’t familiar with canoeing, it’s hard to understand some of the techniques and terminology used. But the story picks up and then it’s hard to put down.
This is a story of camaraderie, perseverance, determination, and survival that is unforgettable!
Praise for The Twenty-Ninth Day includes:
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller
Finalist for the 2020 Minnesota Book Award
An Outside Magazine Pick of Best Winter Books
A Midwest Indie Bestseller
In this book, Alex details the invigorating challenges the group encountered on the trip as well as providing a vivid description of the breathtaking scenery and ancient encampments they viewed along the journey.
The trip was challenging, but the group was enjoying the backcountry adventure. However, on the 29th day, Alex was attacked by a grizzly bear. As his condition worsened, Alex would find himself in a struggle to survive.
The story begins slowly, as detailed descriptions of canoeing and positioning are given. If you aren’t familiar with canoeing, it’s hard to understand some of the techniques and terminology used. But the story picks up and then it’s hard to put down.
This is a story of camaraderie, perseverance, determination, and survival that is unforgettable!
Praise for The Twenty-Ninth Day includes:
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller
Finalist for the 2020 Minnesota Book Award
An Outside Magazine Pick of Best Winter Books
A Midwest Indie Bestseller
January 26, 2023
Wow, what an amazing story of survival in the deep tundra. This book is very descriptive of what happened to Alex on his journey. From the start you get sucked into this story and it is like you are there. You feel the anxiety growing and you know something is going to happen. One minus point because sometimes the technical terms for canoeing were a little too much for my taste but overall great read!
This is a ARC from the publisher, which I got for a honest review.
This is a ARC from the publisher, which I got for a honest review.
September 11, 2022
What a great audiobook. The author, Alex Messenger, narrates it himself. He has such a calm and mesmerizing voice, it was a pleasure to listen to him.
This is the story of Alex Messenger, who - at the age of 17 in 2005 - went on a six-week canoe trip in the Yukon and was attacked by a grizzly bear on the 29th day.
For the first half of the book he takes us through the first four weeks of his canoeing trip. Initially, I thought “seriously, we need to hear about these entire four weeks?” But it’s actually important. Messenger sets the scene perfectly, taking us along with him on this insightful journey. He describes the landscape, flora and fauna of northern Canada. The wilderness there is largely untouched by most except indigenous people. His mesmerizing voice lulls you into a dreamy state as he helps you smell the air and water and makes you feel like you’re with him in the tent or canoe. It is calm, peaceful, beautiful, zen.
So when he is attacked by the grizzly bear, the scene is all the more jarring in its intensity. How does such violence exist in such calm beauty? Messenger makes you feel the bear’s claws, teeth and power. It’s a horrifying scene that had me grimacing in imagined pain and holding my breath at times.
Messenger continues after the bear scene, his voice more intense, less dreamy, definitely ‘in the moment’ as he describes his injuries, the improvised medical care by his teammates and his eventual evacuation by helicopter and subsequent events.
I love survival stories and Messenger’s was excellent. I was impressed by his bravery and resilience during this life-changing event. I appreciated that it wasn’t overly sentimental. I think it was a story perfectly told.
Recommended for people who enjoy wilderness/ survival stories.
This is the story of Alex Messenger, who - at the age of 17 in 2005 - went on a six-week canoe trip in the Yukon and was attacked by a grizzly bear on the 29th day.
For the first half of the book he takes us through the first four weeks of his canoeing trip. Initially, I thought “seriously, we need to hear about these entire four weeks?” But it’s actually important. Messenger sets the scene perfectly, taking us along with him on this insightful journey. He describes the landscape, flora and fauna of northern Canada. The wilderness there is largely untouched by most except indigenous people. His mesmerizing voice lulls you into a dreamy state as he helps you smell the air and water and makes you feel like you’re with him in the tent or canoe. It is calm, peaceful, beautiful, zen.
So when he is attacked by the grizzly bear, the scene is all the more jarring in its intensity. How does such violence exist in such calm beauty? Messenger makes you feel the bear’s claws, teeth and power. It’s a horrifying scene that had me grimacing in imagined pain and holding my breath at times.
Messenger continues after the bear scene, his voice more intense, less dreamy, definitely ‘in the moment’ as he describes his injuries, the improvised medical care by his teammates and his eventual evacuation by helicopter and subsequent events.
I love survival stories and Messenger’s was excellent. I was impressed by his bravery and resilience during this life-changing event. I appreciated that it wasn’t overly sentimental. I think it was a story perfectly told.
Recommended for people who enjoy wilderness/ survival stories.
August 16, 2024
The Twenty-Ninth Day
By Alex Messenger
This book caught my eye with the great cover and mysterious title. The blurb reeled me in. The fact that it's a non-fiction made it very intriguing that I had to get it!
A 17 year old boy and his friends, with a professional guide, take an adventurous vacation rafting through the Canadian tundra. They were to be on a 40-something day trip.
The author explains the trip so well I felt like I was there. He talks about the mistakes they made, the wildlife they see, the different types of rapids, and so much more!
Then, on the 29th day, he gets attacked by a grizzy bear. How he survived, how his guide and team helped keep him alive, and how they get him to safety.
I have read a lot of survival stories, but this rates up there as one of the better ones. The writing made it fresh and relatable. I also have a fear of bears. My family took vacations in Northern California every year when I was young . We camped in parks where it was well known that bears raid campsites to get food. I knew it was just a matter of time before someone would die.
By Alex Messenger
This book caught my eye with the great cover and mysterious title. The blurb reeled me in. The fact that it's a non-fiction made it very intriguing that I had to get it!
A 17 year old boy and his friends, with a professional guide, take an adventurous vacation rafting through the Canadian tundra. They were to be on a 40-something day trip.
The author explains the trip so well I felt like I was there. He talks about the mistakes they made, the wildlife they see, the different types of rapids, and so much more!
Then, on the 29th day, he gets attacked by a grizzy bear. How he survived, how his guide and team helped keep him alive, and how they get him to safety.
I have read a lot of survival stories, but this rates up there as one of the better ones. The writing made it fresh and relatable. I also have a fear of bears. My family took vacations in Northern California every year when I was young . We camped in parks where it was well known that bears raid campsites to get food. I knew it was just a matter of time before someone would die.
May 19, 2022
I did not enjoy this book at all for two main reasons:
1. He's trying way too hard to be a writer. It's not just the words that obviously came straight from the thesaurus that his 10th grade English teacher likely gave him. It's like he's trying to write fiction rather than a historical account of events. There's a level of detail added to the background, intention added to natural events, drama added to the human and animal interactions, and heavy handed foreshadowing that I just don't believe. For me this is another strike against people who write the book of their own story. I get that it would feel weird - a book about someone surviving a grizzly attack should probably be written in first person. But a better editor or a co-writer could have prevented the tone of this book from being so unenjoyable and distracting that I didn't care about the parts of the story that were at least compelling.
2. I don't think there's enough story here to tell. The bear doesn't show up until halfway through! The endless details of the rivers rafted and the weather endured and the fish caught all sound nice, but don't add enough to the story to justify their existence, at least in that length. Don't get me wrong, surviving a bear attack on a high school trip in the remote Canadian wilderness is insane. And there was some intrigue after the fact, dealing with extraction and infection, but not very much. What makes the story "happy" (that he survives with almost no serious complication) also makes the story boring, as crazy as that may sound. I appreciated the short length, but it was almost entirely fluff.
I listened to and read this book simultaneously, and he read it himself, which I've had mixed experiences with. His voice is so bored, it's like not even he believes the dramatic effects he tried to create. If that's just your voice, hey I can relate. Hire a professional. I was almost surprised the cover art wasn't a picture of a bear he drew himself.
1. He's trying way too hard to be a writer. It's not just the words that obviously came straight from the thesaurus that his 10th grade English teacher likely gave him. It's like he's trying to write fiction rather than a historical account of events. There's a level of detail added to the background, intention added to natural events, drama added to the human and animal interactions, and heavy handed foreshadowing that I just don't believe. For me this is another strike against people who write the book of their own story. I get that it would feel weird - a book about someone surviving a grizzly attack should probably be written in first person. But a better editor or a co-writer could have prevented the tone of this book from being so unenjoyable and distracting that I didn't care about the parts of the story that were at least compelling.
2. I don't think there's enough story here to tell. The bear doesn't show up until halfway through! The endless details of the rivers rafted and the weather endured and the fish caught all sound nice, but don't add enough to the story to justify their existence, at least in that length. Don't get me wrong, surviving a bear attack on a high school trip in the remote Canadian wilderness is insane. And there was some intrigue after the fact, dealing with extraction and infection, but not very much. What makes the story "happy" (that he survives with almost no serious complication) also makes the story boring, as crazy as that may sound. I appreciated the short length, but it was almost entirely fluff.
I listened to and read this book simultaneously, and he read it himself, which I've had mixed experiences with. His voice is so bored, it's like not even he believes the dramatic effects he tried to create. If that's just your voice, hey I can relate. Hire a professional. I was almost surprised the cover art wasn't a picture of a bear he drew himself.
November 9, 2019
This book recounts the true story of the author's trip through the Canadian wilderness at 17. Alex Messenger spent summers and winter breaks trekking through the wilderness building up to this longest and most remote trek available from Camp Menogyn. 42 days of hiking, canoeing, portaging.....sleeping, eating and living in the wilderness with five other teens. 42 days of wild rivers, lakes, and forest. Fresh air and freedom. A 17 year old boy's dream. Until.....
......the grizzly bear.
I love adventure stories, especially those set in remote wilderness areas. This book was such an exciting and enjoyable read. It grabbed my attention immediately and held it throughout. I can't imagine what I would do if I was badly mauled by a grizzly bear far away from a hospital or any assistance other than a group of friends. These boys wanted an adventure....and they got much more than they bargained for. It definitely proves wilderness is beautiful....but also very dangerous and unpredictable.
This is an incredible story of strength in incredibly dangerous circumstances. Great book!
**I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
......the grizzly bear.
I love adventure stories, especially those set in remote wilderness areas. This book was such an exciting and enjoyable read. It grabbed my attention immediately and held it throughout. I can't imagine what I would do if I was badly mauled by a grizzly bear far away from a hospital or any assistance other than a group of friends. These boys wanted an adventure....and they got much more than they bargained for. It definitely proves wilderness is beautiful....but also very dangerous and unpredictable.
This is an incredible story of strength in incredibly dangerous circumstances. Great book!
**I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
March 1, 2020
3.75 stars Thanks to Edelweiss and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Publishes November 12, 2019.
Six men start on the canoe trip of their dreams - 600 miles in the Canadian desolate wilderness, on raging rapids and as self contained as they believe they need to be.
However, Alex, the youngest member at 17, does not end his trip as he had predicted. During the trip Alex encounters a grizzly bear. Mauled, severely bitten, but miraculously alive, this is Alex's story of twenty nine days into the trip of a lifetime and how he survived the remaining trek.
This book includes many pictures that were taken on this trip. The description of the lakes, rivers, rapids and tundra presents it's own vivid picture. The mistakes they made, the surprising luck they had, and the horrible conditions that they faced keep the pages turning quickly. Narrated by Alex himself, the bear attack comes alive with intense powerful detail.
Nature lover, animal lover, hiker, rapid rider, everyone will find something in this book that they love. One non-fiction book that should not be missed.
Six men start on the canoe trip of their dreams - 600 miles in the Canadian desolate wilderness, on raging rapids and as self contained as they believe they need to be.
However, Alex, the youngest member at 17, does not end his trip as he had predicted. During the trip Alex encounters a grizzly bear. Mauled, severely bitten, but miraculously alive, this is Alex's story of twenty nine days into the trip of a lifetime and how he survived the remaining trek.
This book includes many pictures that were taken on this trip. The description of the lakes, rivers, rapids and tundra presents it's own vivid picture. The mistakes they made, the surprising luck they had, and the horrible conditions that they faced keep the pages turning quickly. Narrated by Alex himself, the bear attack comes alive with intense powerful detail.
Nature lover, animal lover, hiker, rapid rider, everyone will find something in this book that they love. One non-fiction book that should not be missed.
March 7, 2023
This is not a book about a bear attack. It's a book about a 17 year old on a canoe trip with some people I assume we're his friends but can't be positive because we get no background info on them or the author at all. It's a book about canoeing and fishing and portaging. Repeatedly. Over and over. That's the entire book. Oh and in the middle of it he's bitten by a bear. But that very briefly happens and then there's some bits about him having his leg cleaned. In detail repeatedly. It was very difficult to finish and one of the most boring books I've ever read. Which is shocking for a story involving someone surviving a grizzly attack. This book could've easily been half the length and lost nothing of value to the story.
October 6, 2019
If it indicates anything, I flew through this book in about a day.
The Twenty-Ninth Day is a memoir about Alex Messenger's fateful trip into the Canadian tundra and the bear attack that changed his life. If anything, the writing is easy to read, the descriptions of nature are engaging. If you know anything about my reading taste, you know that I love descriptions of nature, whether the prose is spare or purple. In that sense, you're gonna be so satisfied with this book. You can tell that Messenger was really present and appreciative of his surroundings during these events, and I love that.
That said, I expected this to be more about bears and the bear attack itself. But I found the actual event and the accounts of Messenger's healing happened way too fast. There wasn't enough introspection for me to really connect emotionally. How did it affect his relationships with his fellow trekkers? How did it change his life mentally and physically as he healed? These were glossed over, in my opinion, and those were the things I would've valued most in a book like this.
Although it has to be said: If you don't care about anything I mentioned in the previous paragraph, you're still gonna love this. If you're looking for a true-life adventure book, this is it. This book will make you love the Canadian taiga and make you want to go on your own trek. I recommend it as long as you know exactly what you're getting into.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for a fair review.
The Twenty-Ninth Day is a memoir about Alex Messenger's fateful trip into the Canadian tundra and the bear attack that changed his life. If anything, the writing is easy to read, the descriptions of nature are engaging. If you know anything about my reading taste, you know that I love descriptions of nature, whether the prose is spare or purple. In that sense, you're gonna be so satisfied with this book. You can tell that Messenger was really present and appreciative of his surroundings during these events, and I love that.
That said, I expected this to be more about bears and the bear attack itself. But I found the actual event and the accounts of Messenger's healing happened way too fast. There wasn't enough introspection for me to really connect emotionally. How did it affect his relationships with his fellow trekkers? How did it change his life mentally and physically as he healed? These were glossed over, in my opinion, and those were the things I would've valued most in a book like this.
Although it has to be said: If you don't care about anything I mentioned in the previous paragraph, you're still gonna love this. If you're looking for a true-life adventure book, this is it. This book will make you love the Canadian taiga and make you want to go on your own trek. I recommend it as long as you know exactly what you're getting into.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for a fair review.
April 6, 2022
A big thank you to my goodreads friend Jessaka for bringing this book to my attention. It was fantastic.
I love adventure, and I love true adventure stories. I have my own adventure stories. Sometimes my adventures involve suspenseful and perilous events – like the time I accidentally left my entire food bag on the trail in The Maze of Canyonlands National Park and not discovering that fact until many miles later. That, to me, was a disaster.
To the author of this book, Alex Messenger, who details his experiences as a teenager on a 40-something-day, multi-hundred-mile canoe trip through Canadian tundra, my adventures and mis-adventures would be nothing. The highlight of this story happens on day (you guessed it) 29, when he is seriously mauled by a grizzly bear. But that's only a part of the overall sticky situation he and his five companions found themselves in.
For me, this was close to being a perfect book. The story is gripping. The descriptions of the surroundings and events were so good I could really picture in my mind what it must have been like to be there. I was just as enthralled during the many early chapters as I was with the few chapters that dealt with the bear attack and its immediate aftermath.
This is an all-around great adventure, outdoor, survival, and coming-of-age story. I will be adding it to my list of favorite outdoor books, which includes Desert Solitaire, Into Thin Air, and Indian Creek Chronicles.
I love adventure, and I love true adventure stories. I have my own adventure stories. Sometimes my adventures involve suspenseful and perilous events – like the time I accidentally left my entire food bag on the trail in The Maze of Canyonlands National Park and not discovering that fact until many miles later. That, to me, was a disaster.
To the author of this book, Alex Messenger, who details his experiences as a teenager on a 40-something-day, multi-hundred-mile canoe trip through Canadian tundra, my adventures and mis-adventures would be nothing. The highlight of this story happens on day (you guessed it) 29, when he is seriously mauled by a grizzly bear. But that's only a part of the overall sticky situation he and his five companions found themselves in.
For me, this was close to being a perfect book. The story is gripping. The descriptions of the surroundings and events were so good I could really picture in my mind what it must have been like to be there. I was just as enthralled during the many early chapters as I was with the few chapters that dealt with the bear attack and its immediate aftermath.
This is an all-around great adventure, outdoor, survival, and coming-of-age story. I will be adding it to my list of favorite outdoor books, which includes Desert Solitaire, Into Thin Air, and Indian Creek Chronicles.
December 12, 2020
While the story and setting are interesting the writing reads like a high school English essay. I found it too painful to read. DNF and I always try to finish.
October 21, 2020
Interesting first-hand account, but the author somehow never set the scene for me.
Nothing at all about the camp program from which the trip originated and nearly nothing on the five other people on the expedition. Detailed descriptions of EVERY SINGLE lake trout they caught (and there were a LOT) but it's not until halfway through the book we get some description of the canoes they're in.
Short on grizzly biology and behavior, heavy on dressing and redressing the bite wound.
The route was described well enough though that I could follow along on Google Earth, which was cool. Makes me want to visit northern Cananda.
Nothing at all about the camp program from which the trip originated and nearly nothing on the five other people on the expedition. Detailed descriptions of EVERY SINGLE lake trout they caught (and there were a LOT) but it's not until halfway through the book we get some description of the canoes they're in.
Short on grizzly biology and behavior, heavy on dressing and redressing the bite wound.
The route was described well enough though that I could follow along on Google Earth, which was cool. Makes me want to visit northern Cananda.
July 27, 2021
This book is Messenger’s account of being attacked by a grizzly bear during a canoe trip in northern Canada. Too bad the book mainly covers the 600-mile canoe trip and not the actual attack. Although a book’s pace should naturally pick up with a dramatic event such as a bear attack, it did not stay there long enough for me to take in the drama. I felt the actual attack was over in just a few reading moments, compared to the amount of description given to the canoe trip.
This book is up for several awards, and I can see Messenger’s gift for describing scenes. But overall, I found this short book too lengthy and dreary.
This book is up for several awards, and I can see Messenger’s gift for describing scenes. But overall, I found this short book too lengthy and dreary.
January 3, 2023
The allure of this story feels totally lost by the author, as if the reader cares more about geology, their breakfast, and cliches about the mystery of the wilderness than why anyone would actually read this book - the story of surviving a grizzly attack in the wilderness. Worth reading, but a great story is muddied by the author writing like it was their English class assignment with a 300 page count minimum.
June 20, 2019
This was a quick read for me. I flew through it, wanting to know what happens next at every turn. I didn't know much about canoeing and enjoyed learning some about it. A lot can go wrong on these adventures and the determination to keep going strong, to not be beaten, is very evident. The book is well-written and had me emotional at a few points. I highly recommend.
September 22, 2021
"...At the moment, as the crow flies, we were 240 miles from the nearest villages of Baker Lake to the northeast, and Stony Rapids to the southwest. We were 300 miles west of Hudson Bay, east of Great Slave Lake, and northeast of Lake Athabasca. Between us and those tiny hamlets of dirt roads and ATVs was nothing. Pure wilderness. I was 1,263 miles from home..."
WOW, what a story! I love books about real-life-sagas, and this one did not disappoint...
Author Alex Messenger is from Duluth, Minnesota. He is a writer, marketer, and photographer who, at seventeen, was mauled by a grizzly bear. In the decade since, he's worked as a wilderness guide and volunteer search-and-rescue operator.
Alex Messenger:
As noted, the book tells the story of a ~550+ mile canoe trip in the far-north Canadian wilderness taken by the then 17-year-old author, as well as five of his friends. The six would travel in 3 canoes, using detailed maps to navigate, and packed most of their own food.
The group:
Messenger tells this story in an engrossing manner. He's got a great writing style that makes this one very readable. He gets the book off on a good foot with a well-written prologue. The audiobook version I have was also read by the author, which is a nice touch I always appreciate.
The PDF version I have also featured many pictures. A nice touch, again.
The first part of the book details much of the preparation that the sextet underwent prior to this trip. Messenger writes of the extensive canoe practice, training for the navigation of dangerous rapids, the food assembly, as well as contingency plans for a possible bear encounter.
Sadly, this extensive planning didn't include bringing a gun, for some reason. A catastrophically short-sighted and downright negligent bit of naiveté (IMHO) that would have disastrous and near-fatal repercussions in time...
Messenger and five friends planned to spend 49 days canoeing through the barrens: (Photo by the author)
Navigating rapids on packed canoes, and being hundreds of miles from the nearest town seems risky enough. Messenger also details the various dangers posed by different technical aspects of paddling down rapids: Swamping (water coming into the canoe), recyclers (swirling torrent pools), leg-jammers (underwater objects that catch your leg, trapping you in the flow) and submerged trees all posed potentially life-threatening risks to these intrepid canoe travelers, not to mention the grizzly bears that inhabit the area.
Not for all the tea in China would you catch me on a trip like this without multiple firearms. At a bare minimum; a scoped large-bore rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun. This group didn't have any firearms, sadly. They had "bear-bangers," bear spray, and put a lot of import into the extremely rare nature of grizzly bear attacks on campers prior to this.
The preparations the young men made for a bear encounter did not work to prevent the attack that Messenger suffered, unfortunately. I can't imagine the horror of being in a similar scenario. The description of the attack in the book is downright stomach-churning, as are the descriptions of the improvised field surgeries conducted on Messenger's injuries...
***********************
The Twenty-Ninth Day was one of the better real-life sagas I have read.
This incredible story was told very well here by the author.
I would definitely recommend this one to anyone interested.
5 stars.
WOW, what a story! I love books about real-life-sagas, and this one did not disappoint...
Author Alex Messenger is from Duluth, Minnesota. He is a writer, marketer, and photographer who, at seventeen, was mauled by a grizzly bear. In the decade since, he's worked as a wilderness guide and volunteer search-and-rescue operator.
Alex Messenger:
As noted, the book tells the story of a ~550+ mile canoe trip in the far-north Canadian wilderness taken by the then 17-year-old author, as well as five of his friends. The six would travel in 3 canoes, using detailed maps to navigate, and packed most of their own food.
The group:
Messenger tells this story in an engrossing manner. He's got a great writing style that makes this one very readable. He gets the book off on a good foot with a well-written prologue. The audiobook version I have was also read by the author, which is a nice touch I always appreciate.
The PDF version I have also featured many pictures. A nice touch, again.
The first part of the book details much of the preparation that the sextet underwent prior to this trip. Messenger writes of the extensive canoe practice, training for the navigation of dangerous rapids, the food assembly, as well as contingency plans for a possible bear encounter.
Sadly, this extensive planning didn't include bringing a gun, for some reason. A catastrophically short-sighted and downright negligent bit of naiveté (IMHO) that would have disastrous and near-fatal repercussions in time...
Messenger and five friends planned to spend 49 days canoeing through the barrens: (Photo by the author)
Navigating rapids on packed canoes, and being hundreds of miles from the nearest town seems risky enough. Messenger also details the various dangers posed by different technical aspects of paddling down rapids: Swamping (water coming into the canoe), recyclers (swirling torrent pools), leg-jammers (underwater objects that catch your leg, trapping you in the flow) and submerged trees all posed potentially life-threatening risks to these intrepid canoe travelers, not to mention the grizzly bears that inhabit the area.
Not for all the tea in China would you catch me on a trip like this without multiple firearms. At a bare minimum; a scoped large-bore rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun. This group didn't have any firearms, sadly. They had "bear-bangers," bear spray, and put a lot of import into the extremely rare nature of grizzly bear attacks on campers prior to this.
The preparations the young men made for a bear encounter did not work to prevent the attack that Messenger suffered, unfortunately. I can't imagine the horror of being in a similar scenario. The description of the attack in the book is downright stomach-churning, as are the descriptions of the improvised field surgeries conducted on Messenger's injuries...
***********************
The Twenty-Ninth Day was one of the better real-life sagas I have read.
This incredible story was told very well here by the author.
I would definitely recommend this one to anyone interested.
5 stars.
September 18, 2023
Intriguing true story about a 17 year old on a 40 day canoe trip through northern Canada- Nunavut and Baker Lake etc. The description of what he went through sounded awful even though he was not as bad off as many that are mauled. What he did and what the bear did in the physical altercation was pretty amazing- essentially he acted like a matador and kept dodging the attack, but this seemed to piss the bear off more. After the mauling, there is a lot of descriptions of the wound and how it had to be debrided often, so this could be hard to stomach for some. In the end he does have to choppered out, but held on a good week before his wounds needed more attention and they were in a spot for a helicopter to land. The descriptions of the whitewater canoeing and portaging across ice sounded very dangerous to me. The author read the audiobook, and he had a nice voice but also was calming and even soporific, which didn’t match the danger sometimes. All in all a good account.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2021
Cool book. Definitely worth the read if you like outdoor adventure.
January 22, 2025
There’s a realism here that I loved so much. I felt like I was there, in the Canadian wilderness watching this story unfold. Great read.
July 29, 2022
It is very hard to imagine being attacked by a grizzly, on a 500 mile canoe trip at the age of 17. Unreal the story that transpired for this young guy and how he lived.
February 20, 2022
“The purpose of a journey is to experience those things that can’t be explained and to forge the memories that will never be forgotten, the ones that change you forever.”~Alex Messenger
This is the incredible story of the summer between his junior and senior high school years when Alex, a 17 year old boy, went on a canoeing trip deep into the Canadian wilderness and survived a bear attack. I love the way Alex wrote this book like a daily diary entry of the trip using his and his canoeing troops' memories as well as his own written diary accounts to recall the events that led to a dangerous encounter with a grizzly that forever changed his life. Following the account of his survival of the attack and the aftermath of his canoeing troop trying to get Alex back to civilization as Alex's body was trying to fight off the growing infection and sepsis threatening to take over.
This is the incredible story of the summer between his junior and senior high school years when Alex, a 17 year old boy, went on a canoeing trip deep into the Canadian wilderness and survived a bear attack. I love the way Alex wrote this book like a daily diary entry of the trip using his and his canoeing troops' memories as well as his own written diary accounts to recall the events that led to a dangerous encounter with a grizzly that forever changed his life. Following the account of his survival of the attack and the aftermath of his canoeing troop trying to get Alex back to civilization as Alex's body was trying to fight off the growing infection and sepsis threatening to take over.
January 14, 2020
Alex Messenger has done himself proud with this debut effort at writing. Knowing about the attack from Alex, we wondered how he would expand it into a book length work. We were not disappointed. His account of canoeing across huge lakes full of ice shards always threatening to maroon them in a sea of unstable ice and his descriptions of moving through unknown white waters are riveting and every bit as engaging as the encounter with the bear. Alex also did a masterful job of describing the medical challenges that followed, both physically and psychologically. The 29th Day will take its place among a handful of classic wilderness tales or true-life adventure.
September 18, 2020
I’m a sucker for survival stories, but this felt dry to me. Just a who, what, when, where. I felt no connection with the people, they were just backdrops to nature. I felt like he started to get into the emotion after the bear attack, but then it was “oh and I got medical help, the end.” It felt cut short. I wanted more of the recovery, more of how it shaped who he is today.
Amazing adventure and power to people who find the endless frozen tundra interesting... but, if anything, it cemented into place my desire to never find myself there. 😬
Amazing adventure and power to people who find the endless frozen tundra interesting... but, if anything, it cemented into place my desire to never find myself there. 😬
April 7, 2021
Very interesting story, especially if you’re any sort of outdoors enthusiast, but my lanta is the narrator incredibly boring! Albeit I enjoyed the first-hand experience from the author, being attacked by a grizzly bear shouldn’t have the same monotone description as watching golf on TV or attending a Catholic mass wedding. I would recommend reading this book in lieu of listening.
February 25, 2020
Everyone's worst-case senario if you're camping in the wilderness. The author did a good job covering his perspective, but where were the others? Including them would have made this an amazing story.
June 18, 2022
okay, I am not normally a quitter when I comes to reading a really good book, but this food made me very squeamish. I was at like 89% finished. but just hearing him describe his would in such vivid detail *shudders* I couldn't. I mean I knew what I was reading before I even started but I don't know why my brain didnt think about it being super gross.
March 8, 2023
A riveting read with such remarkable attention to detail. Alex Messenger takes us on his true life adventure from beginning to end and does an incredible job making the reader feel like they are right there with him. I can only imagine how hard it might have been for him to re-live this account and write it all down. Ultimately, however, this book is not just about his survival from a grizzly bear attack as noted from the title but a true guide to living and traveling through the bitter wilderness of the Canadian Tundra with all the beauty as well as difficulties that can occur there.
June 28, 2023
This is quite different to what I have read in the past. I'm not really sure how I'm feeling about it. I don't think that this is really about the bear attack so much, because that took up maybe a third of the book in terms of the attack and the aftermath. The book was more about their trip which was interesting, but it's not really what I was looking for in the book.
It was well written and I did enjoy the prose but it was a little bit repetitive. I don't think if I heard the term “untamed tundra” or “a never ending tundra” again it would be too soon. There was lots of repetitive writing and they did find this to be quite boring.
He did a good job at capturing the beauty of northern Canada and the scenery.
It was well written and I did enjoy the prose but it was a little bit repetitive. I don't think if I heard the term “untamed tundra” or “a never ending tundra” again it would be too soon. There was lots of repetitive writing and they did find this to be quite boring.
He did a good job at capturing the beauty of northern Canada and the scenery.
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