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  • Forty Years in the Wilderness

  • One Woman’s Adventures and Struggles Homesteading in the Alaskan Wilderness
  • Written by: Dolly Faulkner
  • Narrated by: Janet Metzger
  • Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (77 ratings)

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Forty Years in the Wilderness

Written by: Dolly Faulkner
Narrated by: Janet Metzger
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Publisher's Summary

"The encounter was so sudden it took my breath away, and for a single moment I stood frozen, staring into the grizzly's eyes. It was so close I could reach out and touch its shaggy bronze fur."

Dolly Faulkner has many heart-stopping moments of terror and anxiety, living much of the time truly alone in the Alaskan wilderness. But she is not lonely, as the awesome space and beauty of the mountains fill her with appreciation of all things of nature.

Dolly Faulkner came to Alaska as a young woman with the dream of living in the wilderness. Forty Years in the Wilderness is a true reality of carving out a homestead in the Kilbuck Mountains near a minor hotsprings that the regional Native corporation is now trying to claim. She is now a senior citizen, still living in the wilderness after the death of her husband. Her struggles and adventures continue, so she has many more stories to tell.

©2012 Dolly Faulkner (P)2019 Tantor

What listeners say about Forty Years in the Wilderness

Average Customer Ratings
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Absolutely loved it.

What a great story! I listen to this book over and over imagining to be there with Dolly❤️💕💕 thank you! Narrator did an amazing job too!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Great and powerful story!!

I really loved this book, and had to listen every chance I got. highly recommend!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Subsistence

It is a way of life in the north. The strength and courage explained in this writing are the basis of daily living and survival… after many years of living in the north it is easy to relate to the struggles.
Bush pilots are a breed of men and women who are experts at what they do… they are the unsung hero’s of the north and the subsistence lifestyle is not for the faint of heart … great reading.

Rolly

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Would love to hear more!

I really enjoyed this story. Although I missed hearing what happens to the other two sisters, Lisa..etc. what a great story of a family that worked and lived in the tough Alaskan wilderness!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Jan
  • 2021-08-21

Really enjoyed this book!

I felt I was right there when listening to this book. The narration wasn’t quite in synch with the story which is the only reason I didn’t give it an overall 5 stars.

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loved it.

One of the best books I’ve listened to. Although I did not grow up in the secluded wilderness, there were a lot of similarities so it reminded me in many ways of my childhood, the hunting, cutting firewood, trapping and living off the land. Great life story. I wish Dolly and family all the best in finding a permanent way in saving their home.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • JJ
  • 2022-10-14

The narration is atrocious!

This was so irksome to listen to: the narrator's "performance" is stilted and unnatural, almost like she is learning to read at times. When will audiobook producers smarten up and raise the bar? Narrative quality matters immensely.

Aside from the narration, it's difficult to distil my reaction to Dolly's story: her husband was terribly abusive on many levels; and there is a very racist moment about 3/4 of the way through which changed how I felt about her. Some of her views are simplistic at times, but that is true of all of us at different stages of our lives. Not one of my favourites, that's for sure.

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