Wolverine Tracks
On the Trail of Memory and Meaning in the Wild
Dag O. Hessen’s lyrical, contemplative, and moving memoir is about his search for wolverines in the rugged mountains of Norway.
Inspired by his childhood memories of spotting wolverine tracks while skiing with his father, Hessen undertook a yearlong quest to glimpse the fierce, elusive predator in the wild. He pursued the secretive animal through the forests, bogs, and wild mountain trails of Norway. His account includes deep meditations on nature, aging, the changing seasons, and finding meaning.
Hessen laments what civilizations lost with the efficiency of “faster computers, faster roads, faster everything” and cites the impacts of climate change, overhunting, traffic, tourism, and modern agriculture on wilderness habitats. Even as ecosystems change and evolve, the mountains continue to offer an escape from the distractions of modern society and “a sanctuary of slowness and analog time.” Evocative descriptions of wildlife arise, from the “melancholy fluting of the golden plover” to the “moss campion’s tiny, almost unnatural oases of purple” on a slope. The passages are often poetic and philosophical: “In this white no-man’s-land, surrounded only by the soft soughing of the wind and the whisper of snow crystals, I simply am.” Still, Hessen avoids romanticizing the natural world, which is “utterly indifferent” to his wishes.
The portrayals of wolverines are fascinating and sinewy in their complexity. Hessen asserts that these ferocious, “bloodthirsty” animals, with their oversized hearts and lungs, have almost inconceivable power, at times ripping the heads off their prey and scaling trees to deposit the heads high up in the branches. But they can also be shy and playful; they are like “mythical creatures that remind us of what we are … losing.”
Filled with stunning beauty and discernment, Wolverine Tracks is a classic in the making—a nature memoir that considers the peace and exhilaration found on wilderness excursions.
Reviewed by
Kristen Rabe
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
