We Die Alone by David Howarth, 1957

I know, I know. What a title, right?

Listen, I was scouring the public library shelves for a great audiobook this weekend as I planned to trek to central Michigan and thought I could spend the time learning something. And the title caught my eye. It is, after all, an adventure story, and you know I'm a sucker for those. So I grabbed it, hopped in the car, and headed north to Michigan and into the northern fjords of Norway.

It gets really cold there.

Here is the story of Jan Baalsrud, the lone survivor of a Norwegian resistance unit sent from England to northern Norway during the Nazi occupation of WWII. Jan escapes into the bleak islands and fjords of his homeland after his boat is attacked and destroyed by the enemy. Being the only escapee, Jan, wet and freezing, must rely on his own training and the kindness of his countrymen to make it to the safe haven of neutral Sweden. Now all he has to do is stay hidden from Nazis in his Norwegian soldier's uniform, battle the treacherous elements of that region (wind, snow, blizzards, fjords, etc.) with absolutely no supplies, find some scraps of food to eat, and receive help from Norwegian loyalists who must risk everything to help him and are living on meager, rationed food themselves.

And you thought you had a rough day?

David Howarth just sort of relates the events of Jan's epic feats, and I appreciate that. There's a militaristic element to the writing with precise mileage and terrain descriptions as well as a care for precision and detail (it is incredibly well researched). This book isn't flowery or emotional. It's one of those "this is what happened" books. And the "what happened" is so darned amazing you don't need or want anyone waxing poetic and distracting you from the meat of the story. You will be in such awe of the incredible feats of the human spirit that all you'll want to know is what happens next.

I spent my drive to and from Michigan riveted. And it wrapped up just as I was pulling up to my apartment. Perfect!

If you're up for an inspiring account of one man's monumental story (complete with roaming wolves, self-amputated toes, and reindeer-herding Laplanders), find yourself a copy of We Die Alone.

And on a lesser note, I was inspired to visit some fjords again. I once saw a fjord in Montenegro, and it was one of the most beautiful landscapes these eyes have seen. I love me a good fjord.

P.S. The other audiobook I have on the floor of my car is The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring. Yes, you're thinking of the right Roald (a kid asked me for Ronald Dahl books today...loved it).

P.P.S. I met a brand new baby today (and I love her)! She looked tired.