From Publishers Weekly\nIt takes character to live in the sparsely populated, boggy North Woods wilderness of Minnesota, where the snows come in October, and winter temperatures dip to -50 F, where a sure sign of spring is an insect-splattered windshield. Leschak and his wife built a log cabin on their 40 acres of logged-over land, clearing stumps by hand. Here he gives an engaging and affectionate portrait of friendly isolation in the township of Side Lake (by comparison, Lake Wobegon is a metropolis). He writes about the limits of self-reliance, noting that wood heat is de rigueur, calling for a chain saw. He conjures up a mouth-watering, ideal blueberry patch, goes hiking on an abandoned trail, attempts white-water canoeing in flood stage. Other topics include the local volunteer fire company, moose hunting, saunas, firewood rustlers, social hours at the tavern, the pleasure of watching sunsets. Readers will be captivated by Side Lake. 
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.\nFrom Library Journal\nThis book of essays begins with the author in the big city, but he soon finds himself returning to the sparsely settled northern Minnesota backwoods he'd sought to escape. He and his new wife clear land for a log cabin; disdaining any kind of log-house kit, they rely on "rough and sundry native logs." The reader is taken on adventures that include a moose hunt, a wild canoe ride down a swollen springtime river, and a late-night fire with the local volunteer fire department. Leschak is part philosopher, part nature writer, and part hell-raiser, so each entry in this delightful book is a treat. Every word rings with the sincerity of a life richly and fully lived. Anyone who has ever dreamed of forsaking the impersonality and hubbub of modern living will revel in Leschak's stories. Randy Dykhuis, Grace A. Dow Memorial Lib., Midland, Mich. 
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Letters from Side Lake: A chronicle of life in the North Woods

History

Peter M. Leschak

Americas

Perennial Library

Minnesota author Peter Leschak presents his second book of Northwoods tales (following Letters from Side Lake , published in 1987). With stories about fighting fires for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), white-water canoeing on the Little Fork River, and skiing across a frozen lake in a blizzard, Leschak captures the drama and unique majesty of Minnesota s Northwoods.

The Bear Guardian: Northwoods Tales and Meditations

Science & Math

Nature & Ecology

North Star Press of St. Cloud

SECOND PRINTING. May 1995 North Star Press trade paperback, Peter M. Leschak (Ghosts of the Fireground: Echoes of the Great Peshtigo Fire and the Calling of a Wildland Firefighter). Hellroaring chronicles award-winning author Peter Leschak's adventures as a DNR and US Forest Service wildland firefighter. In clear, vivid language, he describes the danger, the difficulty, and the excitement of dealing with a powerful, capricious enemy--forest fire--letting readers see its many forms. - Google Books

Hellroaring: The Life and Times of a Fire Bum

Biographies & Memoirs

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Peter M. Leschak. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Peter M. Leschak