''The Final Frontiersman'' is a book by James Campbell that is set in
Alaska, following the life of
Heimo Korth
Heimo Korth is an American outdoorsman. He and his wife Edna are among the few permanent residents of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They live along the Coleen River, just south of the Brooks Range, and move between cabins seasonally. Strivi ...
in the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The book chronicles Korth learning how to trap and hunt with the
Eskimos
Eskimo () is an exonym used to refer to two closely related Indigenous peoples: the Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Greenlandic Inuit, and the Canadian Inuit) and the Yupik (or Yuit) of eastern Siberia and Alaska. A related thi ...
of
St Lawrence Island, which is where he met and married his wife Edna. Together they moved to ANWR as homesteaders.
Campbell recreates some trips that Heimo took to the
Alaskan Interior so that he could list the day-to-day activities. Azita Osanloo says that it is not till the end of the book that the author really gets inside the head of his subject. At that time he recounts the tragedy of Edna's and Heimo's first daughter, Coleen, who died during a canoeing accident.
Jim Campbell was originally told that his older cousin Korth was not interested in doing the book. Five years later,
Korth’s sister convinced Heimo to give Campbell a chance.
At the time Heimo Korth was not interested in sharing his life with the world.
Reviews
"The historical segments of the story provide depth and relevance to the Korth’s life" according to Jennifer Bogart of Blog Critics.
Azita Osanloo of ''
Boise Weekly
''Boise Weekly'' is a newspaper in Boise, Idaho, United States. It was founded in 1992 by Andy and Debi Hedden-Nicely and Larry Regan.
It is owned by Adams Publishing Group's Western Division and is part of ''The Idaho Press''.
It has an unaudi ...
'' says that the most interesting parts come at the end of the book and may be too late for readers.
Tyler D. Johnson, writing for the ''
New York Times'', says "Campbell's narrative are sometimes abrupt, but he has an acute eye for the details of the Korths' lives"
See also
* ''
Coming into the Country '' – 1976
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Final Frontiersman
2004 non-fiction books
American biographies
Biographical books
Books about Alaska