Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Univ Of Minnesota Press (2017), Edition: Reprint, 232 pages
Description
"In her search for land to call her own--among tall pines and on a lake--newly single mom Sarah Stonich seeks a sense of permanence, a legacy for her son, and a connection to her heritage. Along this way, Stonich recalls family lore, meets remarkable characters, considers another go at love, and, finally, builds a cabin. But when her precious patch of land is threatened, she discovers that family is no less treasured with or without a piece of earth"--Provided by publisher.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Evie-Bookish
Sarah Stonich is a magical writer. She paints with words. Through her wonderfully descriptive passages, one can almost taste the sweetness of late autumn afternoons in the woods of far Northern Minnesota, hear the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves, feel the unbelievable coldness of
Shelter is a true story of one amazingly brave woman, who one day finds herself longing for change. In Sarah's case, change means buying a distant and raw piece of land, isolated for most of the year. The forty-some-acre parcel comes with no amenities, no power, no road.. no anything! And yet in Sarah's eyes this is the most beautiful place in the world and deep inside she knows, this is the place she was looking for all along.
Nothing comes easily in a place like that and so Sarah has to build everything from the ground up, working very hard every step along the way, facing hardships and overcoming many obstacles. She shares her good and bad experiences, her hopes and fears. She also talks about the land and it's ancestors, her neighbors, friends, relatives and closest family members. She shares interesting anecdotes about local people and animals, and even opens up about very personal matters, like her dating stories or how her grandparents met and fell in love, and how they came to settle down in the exact same area a century before herself. What she really does here, though, is share a piece of her soul and dreams, and that's exactly why reading this book feels so special.
This book is like a magical chest filled with captivating, humorous stories, interesting facts and anecdotes. It's 200 pages of pure wonderful, written with beautiful, evocative language. It's the kind of book you'd read when you're feeling home-sick or you find yourself in need of something that will comfort you and fill you up with positive energy and strength. It's no doubt an amazing treat for anyone who likes outdoors, camping, hiking, breathing in the fresh, clean air and enjoying remote, untouched locations. Whether you're a land owner yourself or not, whether you spend your free days exploring wilderness or prefer to stay at home and read books, wrapped tightly in a blanket - this book is something you ought to have on your bookshelf. It's an inspiring and eye-opening read, very vibrant and nostalgic. I loved every bit of it and would definitely recommend it to everyone!
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Minnesota's Winter. Her latest novel, Shelter, is a memoir of a journey into the wilderness, inspired by the longing to find her very own piece of perfect land, a shelter, that would become her remote writing retreat.Shelter is a true story of one amazingly brave woman, who one day finds herself longing for change. In Sarah's case, change means buying a distant and raw piece of land, isolated for most of the year. The forty-some-acre parcel comes with no amenities, no power, no road.. no anything! And yet in Sarah's eyes this is the most beautiful place in the world and deep inside she knows, this is the place she was looking for all along.
Nothing comes easily in a place like that and so Sarah has to build everything from the ground up, working very hard every step along the way, facing hardships and overcoming many obstacles. She shares her good and bad experiences, her hopes and fears. She also talks about the land and it's ancestors, her neighbors, friends, relatives and closest family members. She shares interesting anecdotes about local people and animals, and even opens up about very personal matters, like her dating stories or how her grandparents met and fell in love, and how they came to settle down in the exact same area a century before herself. What she really does here, though, is share a piece of her soul and dreams, and that's exactly why reading this book feels so special.
This book is like a magical chest filled with captivating, humorous stories, interesting facts and anecdotes. It's 200 pages of pure wonderful, written with beautiful, evocative language. It's the kind of book you'd read when you're feeling home-sick or you find yourself in need of something that will comfort you and fill you up with positive energy and strength. It's no doubt an amazing treat for anyone who likes outdoors, camping, hiking, breathing in the fresh, clean air and enjoying remote, untouched locations. Whether you're a land owner yourself or not, whether you spend your free days exploring wilderness or prefer to stay at home and read books, wrapped tightly in a blanket - this book is something you ought to have on your bookshelf. It's an inspiring and eye-opening read, very vibrant and nostalgic. I loved every bit of it and would definitely recommend it to everyone!
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
Lots and lots of information magnificently conveyed.
Shelter is a love affair with the land....a land filled with nature's beauty.
"Pristine, undeveloped......that description had an almost whimsical ring to it....page 58.....Sarah loved her emergent forest.
Ms. Stonich's writing style is
Her family stories were great, and the interaction with the townspeople was delightful. She will also let you in on the secrets of living in a small town and living with no luxuries.
Not only will you have great descriptions of landscapes, but you will thoroughly enjoy the descriptions of the generations of the Stoniches and their delicious food and family traditions. Weaved into the book are touches of Sarah's personal life.
Shelter is not only a literary work of love, but also a book you will want to re-read to be sure you didn’t miss any of the details.
It is not something I normally would read, and it did get a little tedious at times, but the writing was outstanding and made it worth the reading journey. 4/5
Shelter is a love affair with the land....a land filled with nature's beauty.
"Pristine, undeveloped......that description had an almost whimsical ring to it....page 58.....Sarah loved her emergent forest.
Ms. Stonich's writing style is
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impeccable. Learning about the wilderness and "cabin living" couldn't have been described better. You will feel her love of the land and also her little cabin along with the hardships of living without electricity and running water. The descriptions of the untouched wilderness was so good you could visualize the land in detail. Her family stories were great, and the interaction with the townspeople was delightful. She will also let you in on the secrets of living in a small town and living with no luxuries.
Not only will you have great descriptions of landscapes, but you will thoroughly enjoy the descriptions of the generations of the Stoniches and their delicious food and family traditions. Weaved into the book are touches of Sarah's personal life.
Shelter is not only a literary work of love, but also a book you will want to re-read to be sure you didn’t miss any of the details.
It is not something I normally would read, and it did get a little tedious at times, but the writing was outstanding and made it worth the reading journey. 4/5
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LibraryThing member m.belljackson
While I enjoyed the writing, notably the landscape descriptions,
the early movie and book references to the author and her father's beloved GONE WITH THE WIND,
with its racism and brutal African American stereotyping is horrifying.
As well, her personal comment "Do I need to know more about the Civil
GONE WITH THE WIND...? begs the obvious...unless Stonich is a closet right white supremely
lost thinker, YES, SHE DOES!
The only reason I kept reading through this seemingly endless and plodding tale of financial and workload woe
was to see if she'd redeem any of this. Alas, non.
Last visit to this formerly all liked author.
the early movie and book references to the author and her father's beloved GONE WITH THE WIND,
with its racism and brutal African American stereotyping is horrifying.
As well, her personal comment "Do I need to know more about the Civil
Show More
War than is in GONE WITH THE WIND...? begs the obvious...unless Stonich is a closet right white supremely
lost thinker, YES, SHE DOES!
The only reason I kept reading through this seemingly endless and plodding tale of financial and workload woe
was to see if she'd redeem any of this. Alas, non.
Last visit to this formerly all liked author.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
7.75 inches
ISBN
1517902649 / 9781517902643