Wilderness Mother

Elizabeth St Jacques is the author of Echoes All Strung Out and
Survivors: The Great Depression, 1929-1939.

During the summers of 1978 and 1979, Deanna Kawatski worked alone as
“the first female lookout attendant at [a] fire tower in a remote
corner of northwestern British Columbia.” Eventually marrying a hermit
from Wisconsin who lived in the B.C. wilderness, she began a memorable
back-to-nature adventure that would continue for 13 years.

In 15 chapters, the author leads us from the fire tower deeper into the
wilds to her husband’s secluded “house in the Ningunsaw Valley
[that] was a bare beginning then,” through daily chores, adding onto
the house, creating a farm, birthing and raising two bright, healthy
children, and dealing with a variety of emergencies. Without benefit of
electricity, indoor water, or other conveniences, a strong body,
creative thinking, patience, and courage were daily requirements for
survival. But for Kawatski, a devoted environmentalist whose love of the
land is as intense as her love for her children, living close to nature
is quality living. Yet, this author doesn’t submit to fantasizing or
sugar-coating. There are hardships and sometimes outright fear,
resentment, and anger, but also joys, discoveries, faithful friends, and
above all, love—for family, life, environment. The rich details of
flora, fauna, beasts, birds, and landscapes are pure poetry.

Splendidly told, this deeply moving story is as much an education as it
is a pleasure to read. With its heartbreaking conclusion Wilderness
Mother will haunt you for a long time.