Northwind

By: Gary Paulsen

Narrated by: JD Jackson

Length: 3 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

This stunning audiobook from the survival story master, set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, does for the ocean what Hatchet does for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person’s battle to stay alive against the odds, where the high seas meet a coastal wilderness.

When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. But the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to “the heartbeat of the ocean...the pulse of the sea”.

With hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.

A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

©2022 Gary Paulsen (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

2022, Audible.com Best of the Year, Long-listed

2022, Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

2022, School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

Feels unfinished

Excellent writing and performance. It feels like part 1 of a three part book. A little disappointed, but mainly because I want it to be more… it feels like it should be more.

Terrible narrator

It’s basically the same story as Hatchet, just in Scandinavian oceans instead of Canadian forest. It works better in Hatchet. The narrator is truly terrible, and a complete mismatch for the material.

Excellent

Another excellent story from legendary author Gary Paulsen. His imagining of the life of an ancient Norse boy, on his own in a canoe going north on the coast of Scandinavia? Iceland? The British Isles? Is simple and fascinating.

not a bad listen .. but....

I have heard many gary paulsen books and this isnt in the top 5 by any means but not a bad book it just kinda goes nowhere

Great book by G. Paulsen and great audio narrator

When I started listening to this book I felt a little lost in understanding this book at first. I have read all Paulsen's books and knew it would get better.

It did! I felt a part of the book, seeing in my mind and feeling the emotions of the storyline.

I felt fear and other times the awe of Leif as he paddled his canoe through cold water as a pod of whales surrounds him.

I'm going to reread this book many times!

classic Paulsen

very pleasent read, fun, easy. like hatchet but the main character (Leif) is more capable, so the stresses that drive the plot arnt 100% survival, which is nice. makes you think about what life could be for Leif

Narrorator hates Gary Paulsen

The narrorator obviously hates Gary Paulsen and also hates you for wanting to hear the beauty of Mr. Paulsen's writings. I am reminded of a Catholic Mass where the readers have not practiced or read the material before hand. The narrorator finishes the sentence before it is finished in the book:

"The boy jumped." Into the boat."
instead of
"The boy jumped into the boat."

Terrible Narrator!!!!

I love Gary Paulsen's writing but this narrator destroys the story with lack of voice and incorrect pauses.

I want my money back for this audio book.

DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS NARRATOR

I couldn't even get through the first chapter. The narration is INTOLERABLE!

We loved Hatchet

We loved Hatchet, but we’re kind of disappointed with this one. We read it with our three boys (12,11, and 9) that LOVED reading Hatcher two years ago, but this one was a little too graphic and didn’t have much of a storyline and has a very unsatisfactory ending from our point of view.