The Sun Is a Compass: A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds

For fans of Cheryl Strayed, the gripping story of a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure.

During graduate school, as she conducted experiments on the peculiarly misshapen beaks of chickadees, ornithologist Caroline Van Hemert began to feel stifled in the isolated, sterile environment of the lab. Worried that she was losing her passion for the scientific research she once loved, she was compelled to experience wildness again, to be guided by the sounds of birds and to follow the trails of animals.

In March of 2012 she and her husband set off on a 4,000-mile wilderness journey from the Pacific rainforest to the Alaskan Arctic, traveling by rowboat, ski, foot, raft, and canoe. Together, they survived harrowing dangers while also experiencing incredible moments of joy and grace -- migrating birds silhouetted against the moon, the steamy breath of caribou, and the bond that comes from sharing such experiences.
A unique blend of science, adventure, and personal narrative, the book explores the bounds of the physical body and the tenuousness of life in the company of creatures whose daily survival is nothing short of miraculous. It is a journey through the heart, the mind, and some of the wildest places left in North America.

In the end, The Sun Is a Compass is a love letter to nature, an inspiring story of endurance, and a beautifully written testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

• Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home
• This Much Country
• Bliss(ters): How I walked from Mexico to Canada one summer
• Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country
• It Happened Like This: A Life in Alaska
• A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration
• She Explores: Stories of Life-Changing Adventures on the Road and in the Wild (Solo Travel Guides, Travel Essays, Women Hiking Books)
• The Edge of Every Day: Sketches of Schizophrenia
• Wilderness, The Gateway To The Soul: Spiritual Enlightenment Through Wilderness
• Trudge: A Midlife Crisis on the John Muir Trail