UKC

How do you find a book when you can't remember the author or title, and the subject is too unspecific for Google to find anything.

In 1986 I read a non-fiction story of a couple who moved to Canada (but it could have been the US) and built a log house on a farm. The author is the woman, and she documents a beaver colony living on the farm.

It was a good story, I was 6 but reading well above my age. I wanted to buy a copy to read it to my son. There is an outside chance there's a copy buried in my parents loft - but we took 10 crates of books to a charity shop about 15 years ago, so I doubt it.

In reply to Philip:

The keyword search on abebooks has helped me out before. If any of the words you use are in the synopsis provided by the seller, it'll find it.

In reply to Philip:

Do you remember when the book is set?

In reply to Oldsign:


I think it was reasonably new when I read it, perhaps within 10 years, so I expect it was late 20th century.

It was recommended by my teacher as the usual books for 2nd year infants were too simple. I remember we had to order it from the bookshop.

I don't remember too much, other than they cut down the trees, left them to season and then build the house the following year. Meanwhile the woman documents this beaver colony and records what wildlife there is in the different fields.

In reply to Philip:

Try googling "fiction about canada beaver colony log house farm" - it brings up a link to this thread.

You may have made your search a little bit harder by posting here

In reply to Philip:

This one?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sign_of_the_Beaver

In reply to john arran:


No. That's the one that fills most searches.

The story was definitely about a naturalist, studying the wildlife. But Canada or US + log cabin overwhelms Google.

In reply to Philip:

Woodswoman by Anne LeBastille?

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/10/local/la-me-anne-labastille-2011071...

In reply to Philip:

Sounds like a book by grey owl. He was a naturalist from England who ended up in canada pretending to be an indian. Built a log cabin called beaver lodge, studied the animals that lived in the area with various missus. Wrote collections of short stories. I vaguely remember reading one at school.

In reply to jac the lassie:


It does sound like it, but I've skimmed the most obvious book and it doesn't match.

I thought that the couple had come from England - they certainly moved from somewhere - but the book had drawings on the baths the beavers used through the farm. I'm so sure the author was a woman. But, then it was 30 years ago.

In reply to Philip:
I've just Googled 'Look up Beaver' and it was no help whatsoever and not suitable for children.

In reply to Philip:

Amazing! Ten posts before it got smutty!

In reply to Philip:

"Three Against The Wilderness" - Eric Collier?

In reply to Philip:

Good luck!

If everyone keeps beavering away, you'll get there!

In reply to Trangia:



I'll be Dammed...

In reply to ThunderCat:


Any more of these stupid remarks and I'll lodge a complaint.

In reply to Philip:

Was it a place in the woods by Helen Hoover?

In reply to Philip:
http://librarybooklists.org/mybooklists/rurallife.htm

If no it may be on this list...

In reply to marsbar:
Just read the blurb, and the book seems to have some drawings in. If it isn't that, then that is still an interesting book.

Thanks.

In reply to Philip:

She wrote a few and some were for children. Does look interesting.

In reply to jac the lassie: When I was a kid I thought Grey owl was really cool. later in life I discovered that he was originally a shoe salesman! Bummer!