A Book of Grey Owl: Pages from the Writings of Wa-Sha-Quon-Asis

by Grey Owl

First published in 1940, The Beavers contains a selection of the writings of Grey Owl (born Archibald Stansfeld Belaney). Intended for young readers, the volume was edited by E. E. Reynolds and illustrated by Stuart Tresilian, and is divided into two parts. The first part is taken from Grey Owl's book The Adventures of Sajo and her Beaver People and presents the story of two First Nations children in northern Canada and two baby beavers which they rear. The second part contains a selection of other stories related to beavers taken from Grey Owl's other books, including, The Men of the Last Frontier, Tales of an Empty Cabin, and Pilgrims of the Wild. A glossary of terms used in the stories is included at the end of the book.

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

About the author

Grey Owl (or Wa-sha-quon-asin, from the Ojibwe wenjiganoozhiinh, meaning "great horned owl" or "great grey owl") was the name Archibald Belaney adopted when he took on a First Nations identity as an adult. A British native, he was most notable as an author and one of the "most effective apostles of the wilderness". While his writings showed his deep knowledge and concern about the environment, Belaney's account of his origins as "Grey Owl" was mostly fictional. The consequences of the revelation were dramatic. Publishers immediately ceased producing his books under the name Grey Owl. In some cases his books were withdrawn from publication.
(from wikipedia)

Reviews

[Zahra Rose Duxbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it is called the Wilderness, it is not waste or barren land. In these tremendous forests, broken by innumerable lakes, there is both animal and human life which lives much as it did centuries ago. Civilisation, like ripples from a restless lake, has lapped against its fringes, altering these but not changing its essential character.

A pretendian he might have been in blood, but never spirit. This man loved nature with all he had. Everything he wrote was heartfelt; from the stories of Sajo and her beaver people to his own–Jelly Roll, Rawhide, and their brood of offspring. Sure, some lingo is dated and can be saccharine at times, but I much prefer sentiment to a lack thereof. Five stars. Grey Owl, the man you were.

[Robert Collette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, often poetic writing from a man who loved nature probably more than the life that allowed him to. He was and I believe still remains a mystery on many fronts and ironically his end was brought on by the demon that so many of his adopted peoples would struggle with, his own use of alcohol probably exacerbated by his experiences as a sniper in France during WW1, where he was wounded twice. For any faults he had, I would still recommend reading his writings, for their beauty begs forgiveness of any of the trespasses he might have committed. In my mind he is still a mythical figure and I hope one day to visit the places where he lived and died.