Customer Reviews

Life in the Bush

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I found this book hard to put down. It is a very well written account of life in Algonquin Park and an amazing portrait of the author's father... a man I wish I had the pleasure of meeting. Having spent many holidays in Algonquin, I find myself wanting to go and explore and to find the places they lived, worked and fished.

A wonderful book that not only tells the story of a fascinating individual but will touch anyone who grew up experiencing Canada's wilderness, lakes, fishing, hockey, etc. It is truly a uniquely Canadian book that also gives us a revealing glimpse into our past. Enjoy!

At times this book reads more like Field & Stream than a memoir, however Duncan's life does grow on you. In a busy, complex world were many of us spend hours picking say, the right wallpaper or colour necktie, Duncan's world slides into simpler pleasures without effort, expense or trouble. I was hoping though, to read more about how father and son related to each other. The reader is just left with the last few pages to get any real meaning out this plot.

This is a wonderful, heartfelt account of life in the backwoods of eastern Ontario in the early 20th century. The main character is Duncan MacGregor, a larger-than-life person who has decided to carve out an existence for himself in one of the lovelier yet challenging wildernesses known to Canadians: the Algonquin Park, home of Canada's Group of Seven. Written by his sportswriter son, Rory, "A Life in the Bush" is a fitting tribute to an heroic man who took his family into the backwoods to live out a dream. This book is full of tales of brilliant adventure, quiet musings, near disasters, and enduring nostalgia. Combined, these features reflect a desire on the part of Dunc and his pioneering clan at Brule Lake to be a vibrant part of a natural world of forest, lakes, wildlife and insects. There are many sides to this powerful paterfamilias. His love for baseball, his sense of independence and his connection with others in the community were all legacies that left their lasting mark on Roy and his siblings. While the remarkable and colorful actions of the unflappable and personable Duncan remain the author's main focus, there is also plenty of space given to describing the lives of his children as they shared intimate moments with him. He taught them how to fish, canoe, trap, hunt, conserve and preserve nature and, above all else, enjoy its immense freedoms and pleasures. The most rewarding part of this work is the author's ability to take his readers into the many out-of-the-way haunts of the Algonquin region where he got to know his father better. The lessons learned here are enormous and priceless: for instance, there is nothing more rewarding than to have a lasting relationship with the land in its primeval beauty and power. Books like this are a reminder that cherished memories can live on as long as they start out being shared between generations. A friend of mine who grew up in the Ontario Lakes District - Cottage Country - years ago recently commented on Duncan MacGregor's life by saying that there were thousands more lakes in that area, just beyond civilization, still awaiting an adventure seeker of the Duncan MacGregor ilk. A great memoir for anyone who wants to see how majestic pre-Cambrian landscape can shape character.