Cabin at Singing River: One Woman's Story of Building a Home in the Wilderness

by Chris Czajkowski

Book Overview

Chris Czajkowski came to Canada's attention in the mid-1980s when she began writing to CBC Radio's Morningside about a particularly unusual adventure: in her late thirties, she headed into the pristine wilderness of British Columbia's Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. There, she single-handedly cleared the land and -- despite a total lack of experience in construction -- built her own house.

More than simply a lyrical celebration of the natural world,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1551928329
• ISBN13: 9781551928326
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Raincoast Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

An interesting tale of life in the wilderness

This is the story of Chris Czajkowski (pronounced the same as the composer Tchaikovsky). Wanting a quieter life, she leaves Salmon Arm, in British Columbia's Okanagan region. She sets up her new life some 700 miles to the northwest, in the remote Coast Mountains of South Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. Her only neighbors are Jack and Trudy Turner who have a homestead across the river from her. This book chronicles Chris' experiences in setting up a new life south of Lonesome Lake, along the Atnarko River (the "singing river" in the title refers to the musical sound of the water, not the name of the river itself). It takes a day (sometimes two) to hike to Highway 20, so she's almost entirely on her own when it comes to building her cabin. The Turners help when they can, but when the chainsaw breaks down or new materials are required, a hike out to civilization is often required. The story of the 18-month project of building the cabin is interspersed with tales of life in the wilderness. She tells of the rhythms of the seasons, the wildlife she encounters, and the explorations she undertakes to familiarize herself with the surrounding area. Her descriptions enable the reader to see the gorgeous British Columbia scenery as if they were there themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Many of us have, at some time or another, dreamed of living off the land, away from civilization. This book allows you to do that vicariously through Chris' experience and also makes you realize just how hard it is!

A reminder of the essentials

This book is inspiring, you melt away while reading it, wishing to just take her place. It also makes you realize of all we don't really need and how beautifull nature truely is. The accomplishment of this woman is amazing. Her journey is beautifull. I honestly cannot find other words to describe it... other thn bearth taking.