Dione's Pick: Gone to the Woods by Gary Paulsen

I have long been a fan of Gary Paulsen’s books. Hatchet deeply touched my sense of adventure and survival. Growing up in south Louisiana, much of my childhood was spent at the camp living off what the land and gulf provided. Paulsen’s newest book, Gone to the Woods, depicts Paulsen’s own young life and the ways it shaped his adulthood.

The story begins in 1944 when “the boy” was five years old. The boy was sent from Chicago on a train alone to meet family in Minnesota. Thus, begins the arduous tale of Paulsen’s young life. Moving from a safe haven family farm to Manila, Philippines to live with his father in the military was another blow to the boy. He learned all about war casualties and how to survive on the streets. After the war, a move back to the United States left the boy in more dire circumstances. Both his mother and father were abusive his whole life and he had to rely on himself. Then the boy walked into a library at age 13 for the first time. His world changed. He began to learn about history and viewed himself differently. He learned about opportunity and eventually joined the Army where he excelled.

I was both appalled and outraged by the treatment of a child in the 1940s. Challenging would be an understatement to describe Paulsen’s childhood. For Paulsen to be able to look back and gather the wonderous moments of his frightful upbringing was remarkable. This book truly gave an uncensored look at Paulsen’s early life. I would highly recommend fans of Paulsen read this incredible tale of his own survival. He ultimately raised himself by relying on nature and books.

One meaningful line of the book was “That’s what came from books, the knowing of new things and then wanting more.”

Gone to the Woods is available at your library in book format, as well as on CloudLibrary in eBook format. Happy Reading!

Availability: Book; eBook in cloudLibrary
 Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it)
 Reviewer: Dione, Reference Librarian

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 Gone to the Woods

GENRE: Autobiographies & Memoirs; Biographies

TONE: Moving

LOCATION: Manila, Philippines; United States
 SUBJECT: Belonging; Books & Reading; Children; Children & Nature; Farms; Growing Up; Nature; Psychic Trauma in Children; Resilience in Children; Storytelling; Survival; Teenagers; United States Army; Wilderness Survival

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