Backcast: Fatherhood, Fly-Fishing, and a River Journey Through the Heart of Alaska

Backcast is a wondrous read from a writer who is a true prose poet. Whether the author is taking you into the wilds of Alaska, snaring a salmon in the Kanektok River, or rediscovering a compelling relationship with his son, the reader is totally captivated by the story. In my opinion, the sheer beauty and honesty of the writing deserve your attention.

This is a terrific book for anyone who is a parent, who hearkens to the snap of the line over the water, or who simply admires good writing. Ureneck is all three. It is filled with stunning descriptions of natural beauty and richly detailed characters the you find yourself yearning to know even better. It is also a story of adventure. There are perilous moments at the water's edge and a chilling confrontation with a menacing she-bear. But mostly it is a testament to the persistence of a father's faith.

Lou Ureneck is a terrific writer--not surprising for a seasoned newspaperman--and an astonishingly good storyteller. From the moment the reader joins Ureneck and his teenage son, Adam, in their small tent in the Alaskan wilderness, through the poignant journey back through Ureneck's past and relationships with his own mother, father, and stepfather, the story never flags, delivering the excitement and suspense of a fictional account. The human story is told within the context of some of the most evocative descriptions of the natural world I have ever encountered. Best of all, and at the heart of the book, is the deeply involving search of a divorced father to re-establish the bonds that once had tied him securely to his son. This is simply a must read.

I am not a passionate fisherman and do not hunt...but this book hooked me. It is as much an adventure story as a memoir of nature and heart, The clean prose cuts painfully to the bone, describing the unanticipated consequences of ambition, achievement, abandonment, love, betrayal and hubris. The narrative is unique ..... E B White and Henry Beetle Hough overlaid on a contemporary landscape? I have recommended (or will give this book as gifts) to friends who love New England, Alaska, Martha's Vineyard (just a few paragraph's in it about that beloved island) nature and fishing. I will also gift it to those working to understand identity, community the ravages of broken families and how men(or at least this man) thinks. I read the tezt in almost one sitting and look forward to the author's next work....not because I want to know more about his life...but because his writing helps me understand my own.

I am not an avid fly fisherman like the author of this book, Lou Ureneck, but, I was still riveted by this suspenseful and emotional true story of a father and son fishing trip along the Kanektok river in Alaska. Unforeseen challenges arise as the two navigate their way down the river and through their own damaged relationship. On one level this is an Alaskan fishing adventure complete with menacing bears and harrowing physical perils. On another even more absorbing level, it is the story of a recently divorced father trying to reconcile with his teenage son. The author recalls episodes from his own fatherless childhood and wrestles with his feeling of abandonment. His long search to understand what being a father means takes shape as he reaches out to his own son along the Kanektok. Ureneck is excellent at conjuring up detailed images of the Alaskan wilderness. His enthusiasm for fishing and the outdoors is contagious. A good read, especially for outdoor enthusiasts and parents, especially fathers.