A wilderness memoir from the city—what a lucky find!

I stumbled over Olsen’s self-published memoir while randomly scanning the shelves in a Burlington, Ontario Value Village—quite a distance removed from its Northern Saskatchewan setting! On the strength of the cover picture and the promise of an authentic window into winter trapline life, I paid my money and took my chances.

I made the right decision.

In Within the Stillness, Keith Olsen recounts one winter he spent as a child with his parents on a Northern Saskatchewan trapline. Olsen’s prose is simple and direct. He tells his story with vivid details and little philosophical commentary.

I enjoyed every page of this book, devouring it in half a day. If, like me, you’re a wilderness camper awaiting your next fix, Within the Stillness will whet your appetite for your next adventure.

Olsen, Keith. Within the Stillness: One Family’s Winter on a Northern Trapline. Your Nickel’s Worth, 2011.