• Forty Years in the Wilderness

  • One Woman’s Adventures and Struggles Homesteading in the Alaskan Wilderness
  • By: Dolly Faulkner
  • Narrated by: Janet Metzger
  • Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (180 ratings)

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Forty Years in the Wilderness  By  cover art

Forty Years in the Wilderness

By: Dolly Faulkner
Narrated by: Janet Metzger
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Publisher's summary

"The encounter was so sudden it took my breath away, and for a single moment I stood frozen, staring into the grizzly's eyes. It was so close I could reach out and touch its shaggy bronze fur."

Dolly Faulkner has many heart-stopping moments of terror and anxiety, living much of the time truly alone in the Alaskan wilderness. But she is not lonely, as the awesome space and beauty of the mountains fill her with appreciation of all things of nature.

Dolly Faulkner came to Alaska as a young woman with the dream of living in the wilderness. Forty Years in the Wilderness is a true reality of carving out a homestead in the Kilbuck Mountains near a minor hotsprings that the regional Native corporation is now trying to claim. She is now a senior citizen, still living in the wilderness after the death of her husband. Her struggles and adventures continue, so she has many more stories to tell.

©2012 Dolly Faulkner (P)2019 Tantor

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What listeners say about Forty Years in the Wilderness

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The wilderness was not her toughest challenge.

Captivating story with a lot of cringe worthy moments specific to domestic abuse. While I enjoyed Dollys love for White Bear and nature around her, the abuse the family endured and continued to allow from Harry was difficult to hear. The excuses for his physical, verbal abuse, and marital indiscretion was very disappointing and sad.
I enjoyed the build up of her independence and badassery as a homesteader but hated how quickly she was reduced to nothing when Harry came around.
The true hero in this story is Jillian. Adventurous, brave, and compassionate. I’d love to hear more about her stories and perspective.

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loved this book!

I found my self enthralled in the story. I want to be apart of their family.

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Good story but read with caution

I'll start by saying I enjoy books about survival in the wilderness and love hearing how people deal with situations differently. However let me WARN you, HARRY is not just an abusive husband and father but CRUEL. This story will make you mad at the amount of abuse Dolly endures not only from Harry but his 2 crazy daughters from a previous relationship. With that said this story is well written and I enjoyed reading of her adventures and those of her young son and daughter. It has its moments that will make you laugh and others where you cry for the loses she endures. We learn of a land dispute that she is currently having that will make you irate and want to do something to help her. Maybe someone reading this book will have an idea that can help her with her land issue. if you can get past her asshole husband and read the entire book, I feel like most folks will be cheering Dolly and her now grown daughter on and hope she is able to keep her homestead. I wanted to stop reading because the abuse really bothered me but I'm glad I kept going. She has 2 more books after this and I will read them. ..UPDATE...I have now read all 3 of her books and so glad I did. I couldn't stop reading them, I must say they may be the best books I've read about living in Alaska and I have read many. They also rank in my top 5 books about homesteading anywhere. I do hope she continues to write , she has a special gift with her style of writing.

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Awesome

Just a well documented experience for James and his daughter. Also narrated very well. Non fiction books is all i read and listen to, and this one rates at the top of my list. Enjoy to all that read or listen to this book. Much Thanks to James and Aiden.

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love this book

This was a very good book could not put it down very very nice thanks

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Very Interesting Read

I truly enjoyed this family's story of living off grid in the wilderness of Alaska. Their lives were full of hardship and obstacles they had to work through. I would highly recommend.

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Wonderful story of enduring the good and bad in life

Such a wonderful story of your life! I hope you saved your Homestead. I’ll be praying and following along on your journey

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honest

an honest look into an imperfect, human experience. interesting from start to finish, albeit with some difficult spots regarding domestic violence.

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What an amazing life!

I enjoyed the book overall, but it was hard to hear yet another woman who did not protect herself or her children from a cruel man who physically and emotionally abused them all, and who cheated. Her "oh golly" attitude was hard to take, but in all other aspects of her life she was one very smart and very tough cookie. I truly hope she gets to keep her land and not just for the rest of her life but for her children's futures as well.

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Could not stop

This is a well told story of an impressive women and her amazing life homesteading in the Alaskan Wilderness. I was sad when it was over.

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