Her Place in the Woods by David Hakensen

Helen Hoover’s stories of her life in the wilderness have inspired many and ranked her among one of the best nature writers of her time, alongside Sigurd Olson, Rachel Carson, and Calvin Rutstrom. Her books and stories, including A Place in the Woods, became bestsellers and were adapted for the book-of-the month club as well as anthologized in popular magazines.   Author David Hakensen’s biography Her Place in the Woods reveals the inspiration and daily life of Hoover and her husband as they made their primitive home on the shores of Gunflint Lake along the trail.

Rich with detail and informed by impressive scholarship, Her Place in the Woods, fleshes out Hoover’s life among the deer and other animals of the Gunflint Trail, as well as her early life and career as a metallurgist in Chicago with International Harvester, where she solved a long-standing problem with the manufacture of discs for farm implements and earned a patent.

Hakensen had access to letters, conversations, and the author’s papers. He details her frustrations with publishers, editors, and the occasional hunter, as well as her joy at making a home in a rustic cabin nestled among old growth pine on the Gunflint Trail in Northern Minnesota. From the trials and tribulations of a writer learning the ropes to her joys at developing relationships with a family of deer who visited her yard, Hakensen has captured the essence of Helen Hoover and gifted readers with a more intimate glimpse into her life. Her Life in the Woods is the first complete biography of the beloved author and is an excellent companion book to her books, stories, and essays. From struggling author to millions of fans all over the world, Hoover’s books stand the test of time and continue to inspire young naturalists. Listen to my interview with David Hakensen on WTIP Radio, 90.7 Grand Marais, MN on September 25 at 7pm and the 27th at 6am on Superior Reads.