The Blue Bear - by Lynn Schooler (Paperback)

About the Book

From the Back Cover

With a body twisted by adolescent scoliosis and memories of the brutal death of a woman he loved, Lynn Schooler kept the world at arm's length, drifting through the wilds of Alaska as a commercial fisherman, outdoorsman, and wilderness guide. In 1990, Schooler met Japanese photographer Michio Hoshino, and began a profound friendship cemented by a shared love of adventure and a passionate quest to find the elusive glacier bear, an exceedingly rare creature, seldom seen and shrouded in legend. But only after Hoshino's tragic death from a bear attack does Schooler succeed in photographing the animal -- completing a remarkable journey that ultimately brings new meaning to his life.

The Blue Bear is an unforgettable book. Set amid the wild archipelagoes, deep glittering fjords, and dense primordial forests of Alaska's Glacier Coast, it is rich with the lyric sensibility and stunning prose of such nature classics as Barry Lopez's Arctic Dreams and Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard.

Review Quotes

"The strength of this beautifully crafted memoir lies in its evocation of the overpowering Alaskan landscape...." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Powerfully moving." - National Geographic Adventure Magazine

"The Blue Bear is sublime. [Schooler] threads us into the intimacy of Alaska's nature." - New York Times Book Review

"[Schooler's] prose is pure cinematography, with Alaska made a character in the story." - Seattle Times

"Set amid the awe-inspiring beauty of Alaska's Glacier Coast, The Blue Bear is a graceful book...." - Oregonian

"The Blue Bear is a bittersweet account of getting and losing a friend. Thrilling treatments of travel have become commonplace, but first-rate portraits of friendship are hard to find." - Washington Post Book World