Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North

Fantastic, riveting book. Braverman captures your attention in the first few pages and doesn't let go until the end (when you wish the book didn't end and there were more chapters to read!). Braverman is a unique, strong, fiercely independent person with a huge streak of adventure, but along with taking us through her real life stories showing that part of her, she also shows honest, genuine vulnerabilities and explains how they have hurt her and how she has overcome them and grown from her experiences. She is an old soul who has a special connection with nature, freezing climates, and wild dogs, and this book gives you a great glimpse into her true stories and life. Can't wait for her to write another book!

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.

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!

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 stumbled across Blair and the Ugly Dogs by chance on twitter. I was riveted by stories of the dogs and races, but I wasn't sure I would be interested in a nonfiction book about the Arctic. I'm so glad I took a chance. This book is so much more than that. An honest, beautiful story about finding oneself.I have lived through harsh Canadian winters my entire life, grumbling every year, but this book made me appreciate my own little cold place a little bit more.

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

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!

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.

Mi sono molto affezionato a Blair e alla sua storia ma molti dei contenuti e delle descrizioni in Norvegia mi sono sembrati noiosi, inutili e troppo dettagliati.