The Man Who Swam with Beavers
Reviews

“Alaskan transplant Nancy Lord (Survival), a writer and teacher who also fishes commercially for salmon, puts a contemporary spin on indigenous Alaskan folktales in The Man Who Swam with Beavers, and the results are often delightful. Standouts among the 17 stories include "Wolverine Grudge," in which a woman, inspired by an episode of Seinfeld, becomes obsessed with making harassing phone calls to her ex-husband's office. And in the utterly charming title piece, a man leaves behind his job and family to take up residence with a clan of the furry, friendly dam builders.”
—Publishers Weekly

“There's something for every taste in this eclectic collection of short stories inspired by Native Alaskan myths and legends of the author's adopted state. An Alaskan since 1973, Lord writes stories and essays, teaches creative writing at the University of Alaska, and is a commercial salmon fisherperson. Many of these 17 pieces involve people and animals in situations ranging from poignant and fanciful to depressing or bizarre. A retired orthopaedic surgeon becomes interested in birds, a wolf-dog can't escape his wildness and lives in both worlds; a woman's wedding to a bear is thwarted because the bear fears excessive civilization, God discusses U.S.-Russian relations, a teenage boy explains his two lesbian mothers, an artist believes in her craft although others think her strange, and a ninth grader tries to adjust to her mother's death from cancer. Readers will enjoy this collection. Recommended.”
—Library Journal

Also Available:
Survival