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A review by cher_n_books
Pilgrim's Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier by Tom Kizzia
4.0
3.5 stars - It was really good.
A fascinating true story that takes a significant plot twist in the middle making it almost feel like two separate books about two different subjects.
The first half deals with Hale's interesting start to life and his ties to Fort Worth and TCU (hitting close to home for this Texas girl). From there you find yourself pulling for the rugged pioneer and his large family as they try to homestead in the brutal environment of Alaska. How dare big government infringe on the little man's rights? Oh wait, maybe that's not how it was at all. Suddenly you are unsure as you start to see the wild gooseberry chase that the Pilgrim/Hale family sends the government on, in a pompous display of wastefulness, spite and disregard for others.
Now that you are starting to see another side of the Pilgrim/Hale family, the story took a twist to shed light on the family dynamics. At this point you see Hale for the delusional hypocrite that he really is, let alone abusive monster. I particularly love how he was ready to make the world burn and bring war to anyone that took a piece of garbage that belonged to him, while simultaneously teaching his kids how to steal from everyone in their reach.
It is amazing that the author was able to write such a neutral and fair representation of the events and "man", knowing how things ultimately end. Speaking of how things end,
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Favorite Quote: They still believe Jesus is coming. But there are lives to be led in the meantime.
First Sentence: In the winter of 2002, a man with the wild gray beard of a biblical prophet showed up in the remote Alaska ghost town of McCarthy with his wife and fourteen children.
A fascinating true story that takes a significant plot twist in the middle making it almost feel like two separate books about two different subjects.
The first half deals with Hale's interesting start to life and his ties to Fort Worth and TCU (hitting close to home for this Texas girl). From there you find yourself pulling for the rugged pioneer and his large family as they try to homestead in the brutal environment of Alaska. How dare big government infringe on the little man's rights? Oh wait, maybe that's not how it was at all. Suddenly you are unsure as you start to see the wild gooseberry chase that the Pilgrim/Hale family sends the government on, in a pompous display of wastefulness, spite and disregard for others.
Now that you are starting to see another side of the Pilgrim/Hale family, the story took a twist to shed light on the family dynamics. At this point you see Hale for the delusional hypocrite that he really is, let alone abusive monster. I particularly love how he was ready to make the world burn and bring war to anyone that took a piece of garbage that belonged to him, while simultaneously teaching his kids how to steal from everyone in their reach.
It is amazing that the author was able to write such a neutral and fair representation of the events and "man", knowing how things ultimately end. Speaking of how things end,
Spoiler
I cannot even describe the ways I would have desecrated that man's corpse if I was his wretched wife. After putting up with his abuse and poverty stricken lifestyle for over 30 years, he wants to be buried with his first wife that he was with for all of five minutes and almost certainly killed? Let someone else bury his sorry arse and good riddance.-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: They still believe Jesus is coming. But there are lives to be led in the meantime.
First Sentence: In the winter of 2002, a man with the wild gray beard of a biblical prophet showed up in the remote Alaska ghost town of McCarthy with his wife and fourteen children.