So my 90 year-old mother was reading this book ("They Almost Always Come Home") and thought I "would like it."  For the first time that I can recall, I actually took Mom up on a book endorsement.  This was mainly because of the canoe on the front cover and the fact that Mom said it was about "that Quetico place you go to so often."  Such was enough to get me started, anyhow.

Ok, Quetico purists, let's get this out of the way right up front: there are some minor faux pas throughout regarding locations and logistics.  The author is clearly not a voyageur or, at least, not a fully-striped Quetico voyageur like many on this forum.  You WILL find some issues much as we have with other enjoyable novels about the park that have been reviewed here.  Nevertheless, I found the book to be a worthwhile read... even with the author's religious convictions oozing throughout. 

Frankly, this is as much a book about faith as it is about our favorite wilderness area.  It is a worthy effort on both accounts.

What made me read past the first few pages was the similarity of the tale to an episode that occurred this past summer regarding one QJ notable whose SPOT Messenger malfunctioned.  His wife contacted me to find out if I had received anything.  Before long, we had a virtual "APB" put out across all the Quetico media regarding this gentleman's whereabouts.   Fortunately, our good buddy emerged from the woods "on time."   

THIS story is about somebody who did NOT come out as expected.

On another thread someplace I was kidding around about having an opportunity to "go into the woods myself after my buddy" to rescue him... and that maybe we should plan on that for next year!  A day or two later I found myself reading this book about somebody whose wife actually did that.

I found "They Almost Always Come Back" book to be an entertaining adventure despite obvious sunspots of naivety, here and there.  "Location" clearly has much to do with my enjoyment.  Even if the author hasn't been to Quetico (I suspect she has been), it's clear she has rubbed elbows with folks that have.  Even though I wanted to dope-slap her protagonist through the first hundred pages or so of the book, that character "evolved" during her journey... and I may have missed the point, at first, about that being a main point of the book.

The main character grows in many ways: emotionally, spiritually, and, eventually, in her appreciation of the (Quetico) wilderness.

I give "They Almost Always Come Back" a "Thumbs Up" endorsement  .  Having said that, I'm not all that sure I want my wife to read it anytime soon.

And, hey, MagicPaddler, you - more than anybody - DEFINITELY don't want YOUR wife to read this book... ever!!!

Later,

Jimbo   

Jim
I will not suggest it to here