THE HEALING WOODS

by Martha Reben ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 1952

The author, after three and a half years in bed and another threatened lung operation, hires Fred Rice, a guide, to take her out into the woods for a summer and this is the story of the year and a half that took her from invalidism to health. In a woodsman's camp on a pond in Saranac Lake, she learned to thrive on hardships, to live without pampering and to be self-sufficient. There's the continuous performance of the woodland creatures, on land, in the air and in the water and the friends she made among the 'coons, flying squirrels and drakes; Rice taught her how to watch- and eventually, hunt -- deer, beaver, fox, partridge and eagles, how to fish and how to become woods-wise so that when he had to leave her alone in camp she didn't get lost, even if she did get frightened. A winter in a cabin near town, and then a return, with a fellow invalid (who wasn't as lucky as she) for another summer, wind up her experiences in fortitude, self reliance and tranquility. The emphasis is on the outdoors rather than sickness and if the telling leaves something to be desired, the material is well worthwhile in its picture of Adirondacks wild life.

Pub Date: April 4, 1952

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Crowell

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1952

Categories: NONFICTION