Arctic Homestead

The True Story of One Family's Survival and Courage in the Alaskan Wilds

De: Norma Cobb, Charles W. Sasser

Narrado por: Emily Beresford

In 1973, Norma Cobb, her husband Lester, and their five children pulled up stakes in the lower 48 and headed north to Alaska to follow a pioneer dream of claiming land under the Homestead Act. The only land available lay north of Fairbanks near the Arctic Circle where grizzlies outnumbered humans 20 to one.

In addition to fierce winters and predatory animals, the Alaskan frontier drew the more unsavory elements of society's fringes. From the beginning, the Cobbs found themselves pitted in a life or death feud with unscrupulous neighbors who would rob from new settlers, attempt to burn them out, shoot them, and jump their claim.

The Cobbs were chechakos, tenderfeet, in a lost land that consumed even toughened settlers. Everything, including their "civilized" past, conspired to defeat them. They constructed a cabin and the first snow collapsed the roof. They built too close to the creek and spring breakup threatened to flood them out. Bears prowled the nearby woods, stalking the children, and Lester Cobb would leave for months at a time in search of work. But through it all, they survived on the strength of Norma Cobb - a woman whose love for her family knew no bounds and whose courage in the face of mortal danger is an inspiration to us all. Arctic Homestead is her story.

©2000 Norma Cobb and Charles Sasser (P)2018 Tantor

Narration was hard to take

The story was good and worthy, but would have been far better reading it than listening to it. There was so much emphatic drama on almost every word and I kept thinking how it was way too much. There was a lot of events happening continuously, but I can’t imagine the author putting that kind of drama into each sentence.

Good book highly recommend it .

I loved the story all the details of life in the wild Alaska the families struggles and strengths. Narration could of been better but you did get use to it

Great story! If you love the outdoors and adventure, you’re in for a treat.

This story was terrific. If you’re into all the outdoorsy, wilderness adventure stuff, hunting, survival, overcoming adversity, this will be great for you!

Good story, reading performance could be better

Great story about the last pioneer woman in Alaska, wish the reading performance was better.

Enjoyable Story

Some Alaska facts are exaggerated and distorted, but I like the basic message of belief in God and hard work.

Fascinating read

Great detailed story, of the will to live as you wish
Hard to put down

An excellent read for somebody who has spent a couple of years in the area.

Excellent audiobook to listen to while you’re on a boring drive. Due to the fact that I was stationed at Fort Waynewright and pretty much had driven the entire road system, including a trek up to Manley Hot Springs on roads that don’t appear to have been improved since Tubulcane walk the Earth, and was therefore somewhat familiar with the physical territory, they were operating in which when I first experienced it in the early 2000s was probably a lot superior to the way they found it in the early 70s., added to my enjoyment of the book immensely. An excellent story, a great way for kids to grow up even when you count for the grease fires, gunshot wounds and bear attack. Not to mention a few Bigfoot sightings. The critique I have of the author is that I think she’s a little too hard on modern American men, not that she’s wrong, but you do understand you’re married to a superhuman dude right.

Good story about real Alaskan pioneers

Good story about real Alaskan pioneers, how much effort they needed to survive in wilderness, and finally to get successful in gold mining.

Great story

What a great story about something I always wanted to do. Excellent detail. Thank you for the intriguing story

Great Story

Loved the story. Only think I didn't like was the last 5 minutes where she talks about how everyone raises their kids wrong because they aren't raised like she raised hers.