Dorothy's Stormy Lake: From the Journal of Dorothy Brown. Years 1930 Through 1932

by Joan Wooliver

Born in England in 1898, Dorothy Douglas emigrated to the United States in her early teens, graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of California at Berkeley. She then studied art in Belgium,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 188500348X
• ISBN13: 9781885003485
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Robert Reed Publishers
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

An Exuberance for Life

Dorothy's Stormy Lake describes the life of an Englishwoman and her husband and their young daughter in the remote Kootenay Bay of British Columbia. Dorothy's story goes well beyond mere descriptions of surviving in the wilderness to a picture of a young woman of wit and wisdom. Dorothy's experiences illicit a wisdom which is timeless and universal. While an inquiring mind can discern many lessons from her writing, one of the most interesting to me was the notion of community-building. Toward the middle of the book we realize that Dorothy has successfully laid the foundation for her marriage and is preparing to lay the foundation for her young child. Through her activities, which she shares in her journal, we see how she is also building a strong foundation for the community of neighbors. Her attitude and activities in building relationships are as important and relevant today as they were in the remote wilderness in the 1930s. She lives and describes a universal truth about successful living. She writes, "We must live with the spirit of neighborliness uppermost...And it all begins at home."Dorothy's words caused me to think and to reflect and to examine my own life. A good read, indeed.

Modern Day Pioneer

The author, Joan Wooliver, is my aunt, by marriage. I had heard about the book, and, based on what I had heard, I wanted to read it, to perhaps learn more about my aunt and the environment in which she was raised. I was not disappointed. "Dorothy's Stormy Lake" is the story of a near modern-day pio-neering family, set in Canada's British Columbia province in the early 1930s. Dorothy, a world traveler and teacher, living comfortably in San Francisco, gives it all up to live in a beautiful, but demanding, environment. Without electricity, candles supply light. Without natural gas or oil, wood supplies heat. Water comes from carrying buckets filled at the lake (Lake Kootenay). Roads do not exist; travel to buy supplies or visit friends is by boat to another part of the lake. This is life lived close to the earth. Yet, throughout the book, the hardship of living "off the grid" is downplayed, and the joy of life is celebrated. Dorothy learns to preserve meats, fruits, and vegetables. As time progresses, power is derived from flowing water in a creek, and water from the creek is pumped to the house. The time frame is during the Depression, yet, there is little reference to this economic debacle, other than an occasional mention of the public works for married men (10 days a month) to build a road into the region. For the most part, people get by; they raise fruits and vegetables, some raise chickens (for eggs to eat, and sell), some raise cattle (for milk to drink, and to slaughter). Through it all, Dorothy is mostly optimistic, describing everyday life in her letters. While one might think that a description of "everyday life" would be mundane, this is far from the reality of this book. I found it difficult to lay the book down; reading Dorothy's narration of her experiences was compelling. And, yes, I gained a better sense of my aunt and the environment in which she was raised. I highly recommend this book for its description of present age pioneering and for its facile and powerful read.

A great read.

Dorothy's Stormy Lake is a great read on several levels. First, it is a great read because it paints such a vivid picture of rural life in the 1930s. From its account of the endless work associated with obtaining, preparing, and preserving food, to its warm depiction of the simple joy of listening to a radio, this book puts the reader right in the heart of a pioneer family's life.Second, it is a great read because of the author's delightful writing style. Did ordinary people really used to write that well?!Finally, Dorothy's Stormy Lake is a great read because of Dorothy's unwaveringly positive outlook. What a joy it is to read an author who loves life so completely. Despite having started out in a life of privilege and refinement, Dorothy embraces the hardships of her new life with enthusiasm and a sense of both wonder and adventure. This book is a great reminder of the wisdom of the old saying "life is what you make of it." Most of us would be well served by following Dorothy's example of paying attention to life's small pleasures and looking for (and finding) the best in everyone and everything.On the book jacket it states that Dorothy wrote in her journal for many more years and that Joan Wooliver will be publishing those papers at a later date. I certainly hope that she is busy with that project because I can't wait to rejoin Dorothy in her life on her stormy lake.A great read!

A facinating story of life in the wilderness

TRUE STORY OF LOVE AND SURVIVAL IN THE WILDERNESS This may seem like a Daniel Steele novel but it's a true story. During the most difficult years of The Great Depression, a young woman of privilege and refinement moved into the harsh Canadian wilderness with her new husband. Dorothy's Stormy Lake is a collection of letters edited by her daughter, Joan Wooliver, who now makes her home in Anchorage, Alaska. The book explores fond memories of her mother's early married life on the shores of the remote Kootenay Lake in British Columbia. At first it was a tough life for a woman who literally did not know how to boil water. But she soon learned to cook on a wood stove and do many other things necessary to live in the wilderness. Her survival skills developed along with her love for her husband. The couple's life centered around their young family and the lake. Water provided the only means for transportation so many of their decisions revolved around the weather. Getting caught on the lake in a storm could mean a swift, wet death. Despite its ominous title, Dorothy's Stormy Lake is written with warmth and wit. There are many shining moments and an array of interesting and eccentric characters who have also decided to spend their lives far from the comforts of civilization. Dorothy's Stormy Lake will delight anyone who appreciates adventure and romance.

Delightful Read!

The writer has a terrific comand of the language. The descriptions of both place and people are such that you feel that you are right there. Dorothy had a zest for life and an enthusiasm undaunted by the rigors of pioneer life in Western Canada that are clearly apparent in her writings. She seems an amazing woman and truly an inspiration undimmed by the years. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys the journal or memoir genre, and one I wholly encourage others to read. I give it a hearty rating of five!