Arctic Adventure: My Life in the Frozen North

This book made me remember why I fell in love with reading. When I was a child, every book I read widened my thought horizon and I discovered new worlds and learned how other people lived and felt.
I could never understand why people would voluntarily leave the comforts of modern (well, almost modern – the action begins in 1910) life and go to places where just to stay alive is a struggle, but I do admire them.

How the Arctic Adventure starts

This book follows the exploits of Peter Freuchen and his best friend and renowned arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen through the frozen lands of Greenland. In 1910 they decide to leave Denmark and establish a trading post in Thule, Greenland, just 800 miles from the North Pole. The Inuit people welcome them and soon Peter feels more at home with them then in Denmark. He vividly describes their customs, eating habits, belief system and soon you find yourself captured by these fascinating people and majestic land.

I can honestly say that this was one of the most fascinating books I have ever read, filled with new discoveries of weird Inuit customs (for example, a very good way to declare your love to someone was to eat their lice, instead of killing them with your hands) and a profound respect for the first arctic explorers.

Who should read this biography

This Reading Badger recommends this autobiography book to anyone. It’s that simple. It’s an easy read, delectable characters (they are real life characters), a ton of fun anecdotes and some serious exploring.