Kevin Vallely

This is Kevin Vallely's first book by a small publisher in a niche genre. Based on the number of reviews around the Internet it's not getting a lot of readership. But that is too bad as it's pretty good. It seems to be pioneering a new genre of writing, climate travel writing. Others have traveled and written about climate change as the main subject of the book. But Vallely is on an expedition to row the Northwest passage, climate change is an often-present background force. He notices signs like grizzly bears in polar bear country, or southern beavers where they were never seen before. The locals describe the changes they have seen in their lifetime. This is witnessing climate change as if you were there, it's part of the fabric of life. Integrating that fabric into narratives is challenging, but Vallely has done a successful job balancing where others bludgeon you with it Vallely's technique feels more authentic. Beyond the climate aspect, the story has character and humor and gives a snapshot into what it's like taking a long and dangerous expedition into the Arctic. It's descriptive and holds your interest. My only complaint is that while Vallely notices how human technology is negatively impacting the Arctic, they travel with high tech gear and a custom boat for safety and comfort. They did set out to be the first to "row" (rowboat) the Northwest passage and not Kayak or whatever other mode of transport, it turns out rowboats are a terrible way to get around the Arctic.… (plus d'informations)