Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube

I purchased this memoir thinking it would be a great addition to my growing collection of books about mushing. While there are some wonderful passages about the pursuit, it is really a book about finding your own place in the world where you feel loved and valued in the most authentic of ways. For the author, dog sledding, the cold, nature, romantic love and some warm-hearted, imperfect friends become her beloved home. She searched for and found it all on her own, supported by the confidence and rock-solid love of her parents. The book is a pleasure to read and I found myself cheering for Blair as she experienced and later contemplated each of her big life decisions. I especially liked how she described the people and places she came to know. Her approach sometimes makes the book read more like a novel than a memoir, which I found to be refreshing. I think that if you enjoyed reading books like Cheryl Strand's "Wild" or "Fast Into the Night" by Debbie Moderow, you will thoroughly enjoy this thoughtful, well written book. I hope to read more from this talented, young writer in the future!

This book develops three themes in Braverman’s life so far. The first is how she became a dogsledder, first at a folkskol in Norway, then taking tourists on dogsled tours on an Alaskan glacier, and finally in her own right in northern Wisconsin. The second theme is the story of her relationship with a community, and several key people, in Morgenhals, in northern Norway. The third theme is the story of her relationships, which include a number of #MeToo moments along the way. As you can tell from that capsule description, those three themes don’t entirely go well together. Overcoming histories of sexual harassment has been part of her personal growth, giving her confidence as a dogsledder. Though she had to deal with considerable sexism in northern Norway, that issue is discordant in developing relationships with her close friends in the community. Harassment was central to her experience as a high school exchange student in Lillehammer, in southern Norway, where her host father was simply horrible – but that has nothing to do with dogsledding. Braverman was also in an emotionally abusive relationship in Alaska, and I would classify her as having regularly experienced domestic partner rape (she does not attach this word to her relationship, however). That’s connected to sexism in the dogsledding community, but has nothing to do with northern Norway. Braverman doesn’t quite pull it all together. The first half of the book is a great read, and develops the themes effectively. The final quarter or so is also very good, and I would have liked to read more about the successes of her current life. (Find her on Twitter to learn more.) Unfortunately, the late-middle part dragged, as the story got pulled in different directions along the lines of my comments in my previous paragraph. Braverman is a strong writer, who generally shows us rather than telling us. That’s frustrating at times, especially when I wanted her to share her feelings at being the object of unwelcome male “behavior” (and worse). She does slowly reveals herself, but in a reserved, Norwegian way. (She is of Norwegian and non-Norwegian Jewish heritage, FWIW.) Her style makes use of certain colloquial Norwegianisms, effectively and without comment, when she is in Norway. I very much appreciate her story and her voice, and will follow her work, despite some weak points.

Blaire takes you along on her journey in dog sledding in Norway. Very interesting story. Well-written and engaging.

In an industry dominated by men in a world where men hold more power than women, Blair Braverman’s no-holds-barred account highlights how that dynamic has shaped her life and her work as a dog sledding professional, making for a fascinating and inspiring read. Just like her pieces in Outside Magazine and her tales of mushing on social media, the writing shines with subtle humor and sometimes heartbreak. The writing makes you feel it - anger when her student exchange host father trips her to the ground, relief when the Norwegian man she works for is more interested in taking the wool off his sheep than trying to take off her wool sweater, exhilaration when she completes her first dog sled race. Most of all, it makes you feel like you, too, can take ownership of your past and use it to build the life you want and deserve, regardless of what others may have said or done along the way. One warning - this book will make you seriously consider the logistics of getting your own sled dog team, even when you live in Nevada’s high desert.

I was disappointed with this book. I expected to read more about Blair’s journey learning to drive sled dogs and becoming a musher. Instead, The the title refers to the name of a glacier in Alaska where she worked part-time as a tour guide for two summers. I was hoping for more detail about her relationship with the sled dogs, the process of learning to run a sled, the commands involved, and the tireless effort required. Rather, much of the book focuses on her trips to Norway and the people she met along the way as she “grew up” and became a tough girl. The book is also a difficult read. It doesn’t flow well and jumps around quite a bit—I almost gave up before finishing chapter two. Overall, this is more a memoir about personal growth and human relationships than an adventure story about dog sledding or mushing. If you’re interested in learning more about Northern Norway and its culture, this book may be worth picking up.

Buy this book for every man in your life. It is such a well written, beautiful book, but it also explains issues like consent, bodily, autonomy and sexism in ways that (at least for myself) most men don't have the vocabulary for. The world would be a better place if guys were introduced to such well written accounts early on. Buy it for all of the women and girls as well. It is a fantastic and compelling adventure story, with a great role model exhibiting strength, perseverance and learning how to use their fear instead of just learning to be fearless. Oh, and #UglyDogs

Really good book! Easy read, very relatable. The last dogsled run is the best part. You want to read up until the end.

I really liked this book, it was less about the insurance and outs of mushing and sled dogs, but resonated with me for themes of finding your identity and a place to call home and all the struggles that entails. It is incredibly engaging and brilliantly written. I can only recommend this book, if only to live a few hours in the life of a person different from you.

Look, I don’t know how to write a review. All I can say is that this book was so great and I loved reading it. There was real disappointment when it ended and I hope Blair will share more stories in the future. It was so well written and a wonderful journey that I could relate to in many ways and it painted such a clear picture that made the experience feel very personal. It’s a great book!

I have to confess I rarely pick up non-fiction these days, but I made an exception for this book because I've heard such good things. I'm so glad that I did! Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube brims with courage, friendship, and some of the most beautiful writing I've ever come across. Braverman so deftly turns her own fears and weaknesses out for the reader, exploring where they've come from and how she's tackled them, and this combined with her triumphs and the relationships she forges paint an exquisite picture of her time in Norway, Alaska and the US. Frankly I can't wait for another book from Blair - I will have that one on preorder before I can blink!

Very well written. Worth reading.