The Only Kayak Audiobook By Kim Heacox cover art

The Only Kayak

A Journey into the Heart of Alaska

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The Only Kayak

By: Kim Heacox
Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
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Winner of the 2020 National Outdoor Book Award for Outdoor Classic!

In this coming-of-middle-age memoir, Kim Heacox, writing in the tradition of Abbey, McPhee, and Thoreau, discovers an Alaska reborn from beneath a massive glacier, where flowers emerge from boulders, moose swim fjords, and bears cross crevasses with Homeric resolve. In such a place Heacox finds that people are reborn too, and their lives begin anew with incredible journeys, epiphanies, and successes. All in an America free of crass commercialism and overdevelopment.

Braided through the larger story are tales of gold prospectors and the cabin they built sixty years ago; John Muir and his intrepid terrier, Stickeen; and a dynamic geology professor who teaches earth science "as if every day were a geological epoch."

Nearly two million people come to Alaska every summer, some on large cruise ships, some in single kayaks—all in search of the last great wilderness, the Africa of America. It is exactly the America Heacox finds in this story of paradox, love, and loss.

©2005, 2020 Kim Heacox (P)2023 Tantor Conservation Environment Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Travel Writing & Commentary
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disliked the narration, seemed tongue and cheek, sounded like snarky attitude, liked the story, just think a different style of narration,different voice might have served the content better.

good story, liked part about Japanese photographer best

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It is good to remember that future generations will judge us based on what we view as atrocities and what we do not. This book is a good reminder of that which we should always remember.

Environmental memoir at its finest

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As someone who loves nature and the beauty that is Glacier Bay I was struck at how amazing it must be to live near this area. I would love to kayak in Alaska and found myself longing to live there. There is a lesson here though. One that I want to support. Keep our wild places wild.

The beauty of our world

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What starts as an adventure story with well crafted word pictures evolves into a love story with the Alaskan wilderness. From there it becomes a life story that looks with clarity and insight at humanity’s capacity to destroy what we love. Be prepared for soul searching.

A journey not a tour

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Great descriptions of the subtlety and beauty of nature, sometimes more philosophical than I cared to be.

More than just a paddle

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Narrator’s voice was annoying to me. That kept me from focusing on the story. I think I only got to chapter 3 or 4 and barely remember what happened in the story.

Narrator 👎👎

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The novel offers interesting liberal environmental ideas, but I often found myself skipping through it because I kept dozing off. I didn't feel invested in the story, and Matthew Josdal's average narration didn't enhance the experience.

Liberal

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