Arctic Aurora
Canada's Northwest Territories--an area larger than California, Montana, and Wyoming combined--boast a population of less than 42,000 and, according to Holt, a wealth of terrifying roads, beautiful landscapes, bloodthirsty mosquitoes, and prime fishing spots. Best known for his fly-fishing guides, Holt here compiles a "road report" of his experiences in the territories. These straightforward essays, gleaned from nine trips, outline the people, towns, and wildlife of Canada's Far North. The author doesn't claim to be objective, and many of his frustrations have to do with "bizarrely dressed" tourists who "descend upon the community like a poorly imagined nightmare," and the environmental destruction wrought by oil and mining companies. While Holt is no Barry Lopez or Rick Bass, his love of open country and fishing rescue the book from becoming merely a list of motels, restaurants, and meals taken along the road. A curmudgeonly yet useful guide to planning a trek above the sixtieth parallel.Rebecca MakselCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved