Son of a Midnight Land

By: Atz Kilcher

Narrated by: Atz Kilcher

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

A powerful new memoir about growing up with a hard father in a hard land

Atz Kilcher learned many vital skills while helping his parents carve a homestead out of the Alaskan wilderness: how to work hard, think on his feet, make do, invent, and use what was on hand to accomplish whatever task was in front of him. He also learned how to lie in order to please his often volatile father and put himself in harm's way to protect his mother and younger, weaker members of the family.

Much later in life, as Atz began to reflect on his upbringing, seek to understand his father, and heal his emotional scars, he discovered that the work of pioneering the frontier of the soul is an infinitely more difficult task than any of the back-breaking chores he performed on his family's homestead. Learning to use new tools - honesty, vulnerability, forgiveness, acceptance - and building upon the good helped him heal and learn to embrace the value of resilience.

This revised perspective has enabled him to tell an enhanced and more positive version of the legacy his father created and has him doing the most rewarding work of his life: mapping his own inner wilderness while drawing closer to his adult children, the next stewards of the land he helped his father carve out of the Alaskan frontier.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2018 Atz Kilcher (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Wallowing In The Past, Abusing In The Present

I had every intention of loving Son of a Midnight Land. After all it gathers all my favorites: adventure, living off the land, memoir, resilience after hardship, courage to face the past, present, and future.
And the book does indeed have some of that. But not much. Mostly, it's a book about Atz telling us over and over and over, "The reason I'm so abusive is, well, it's my dad's fault. All of it!"
I did expect hard memories, but who hasn't had a rough childhood? Atz treats his wives, each of his children (and oh my, is he proud that he's Jewel's father, or what?) so abusively it's horrible. My husband told me that the man is showing courage for owning up to what he did, who he is, in such a public way, so I started cutting Atz some slack. But the more the book went on, the more whining I endured. He wasn't abusive, his "hand was filled with the devil". His children had a hard time when he was beating them, and he didn't want to be like his own father, so he stopped beating and started grabbing them by their shirts, shaking them until they chattered and shook. And so he stopped that, sometimes, and stuck to shaming and berating. And in an open letter to his kids as a whole, he apologizes for hitting them (not the rest) but then says, "Oh I failed; I was supposed to make you see your failings."
Yeesh!
Yes, there's some strength in the writing, some sheer poetry. He is, after all, a master storyteller. And when he describes butchering at an age when he was far too young to see it, it's the harshest, most honestly brutal thing I've ever heard. VERY strongly and well-written.
But for the most part, Atz is a man who says, "I've done wrong, it was my dad's fault."
He does show some insight. I only hope it's come early enough so that his grandson feels the honest love that's there.

Better than meletonine

Could not finish. This man had a lot to get off his chest and a huge need to make himself look good. Im sure this ramblimg self appreciation autobiography has filled his ego to last the rest of his life. I was expecting a story of homesteading in Alaska but got a odd life story. No wonder his children are such a confused lot.

A Difficult Critique

What disappointed you about Son of a Midnight Land?

As a fan of the show, I guess I expected much more. I have never written a book review, but feel compelled with this one. This book seemed to have a hidden agenda while exposing very little about life on the frontier.

What was most disappointing about Atz Kilcher’s story?

I believe Atz's main intention was to make amends with his children through this book. While openly taking accountability for his misdeeds, he tends to overly rely on his unfortunate upbringing and treatment by his father. I guess I have a hard time respecting the disrespect of the deceased in effort to find support from your offspring. In short, he threw his father under the bus in order to improve his own family relations. As someone born and raised as a farm kid in the Rockies, this simply isn't the "Cowboy Way."

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Atz read this book as the victim. I think he could have told the story more forthright.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Son of a Midnight Land?

Most of the personal dialogue directed to his children explaining his emotional turmoil.

Any additional comments?

I am glad I bought the book. I enjoy the romanticism of the show and wanted to learn more. Unfortunately life of the Kilcher homestead isn't what I hoped it would be. Rounding up the same 30 cows for "cattle drives" along the beach really isn't homesteading. It's an act. Perhaps I like the idea of the Kilcher homestead more than the reality of it..

Excellent audiobook!

I’ve listened to many audiobooks. This is one of the best. The author is not just a great storyteller, but also a gifted reader, which makes the book even better. I highly recommend this book.

Best Book!

This is hands down the best book I've ever listened to! the original music that was added topped of my listening experience. I grew up watching Alaska The Last Frontier with my dad. I ended up buying this book on Amazon and sending it to him. Thank you for sharing your stories and your healing with us! it has helped me tremendously. ❤️

Wonderful!

This was such a raw and honest account of Atz and his family. It gives me an even greater respect for them and the lives they lead.

Great book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s great when the writer reads the book! I appreciate how Atz worked through his tough times.

Listen to it several times

This author makes it easy listening and fun. It's a story you can relate to and brings joy and warmth to your heart. The love of family, memories of living on the homestead and just an overall good book.

Truly enjoyed

Thanks for sharing your life and lessons in a beautiful way. There was so much love and healing in the story.

Narcissist!

What a narcissistic little man! Don't bother with this book. It can be summed up in a few words... Blame, belittle, bully, make excuses and occasional half-hearted attempts at humility, rinse, repeat. I've read Jewel's book, so I had some idea what Atz was like, but now I despise him even more. He's just an unlikable person who thinks he can manipulate people into believing his bs.