My toughest trip

A former member of the Arctic Patrol offers a wry, firsthand account of life far beyond the romantic legends of the Mounties. His work involves settling disputes among isolated communities, including a dangerous contest over a young Inuit woman whose abduction threatens to spark further violence. Ordered to return her to her rightful husband, he sets out by sailboat from Tree River with enough provisions for six weeks.

The journey quickly turns into a fight for survival when a storm drives the boat onto an island, leaving it stranded far above the waterline. A chance discovery of an abandoned kayak seems to offer a way to seek help—until dawn brings an astonishing complication: beneath the woman’s furs is a newborn baby. Facing immense distances, uncertain weather, limited food, and responsibility for two vulnerable companions, the officer must improvise his way across a stark and unforgiving Arctic landscape. His understated humor and practical eye make this an unusual adventure story, rooted in the realities of patrol life rather than frontier legend.