Point last seen: a woman tracker's storyRecently escaped from an abusive marriage, her children abducted by their father, Hannah Nyala turns for physical and spiritual survival to self-taught tracking in the Mojave Desert and eventually joins a National Park Service search-and-rescue team. But overshadowing Nyala's experience as an increasingly capable tracker is the fact that she herself is a tracked woman. For her, the ability to see a "footprint in soft grass outside a bedroom window" becomes a matter of survival. Nyala recounts life-and-death rescue missions yet questions the "action-junkie" approach to tracking lost people. Her exploration of the mechanics and cultural meanings of tracking recalls her rural Mississippi childhood...and eventually leads to a journey to the Kalahari to learn from the famed Ju/Wasi and !Kung Bushmen trackers. Finally, Nyala's passionate immersion in the art and science of tracking leads to the first safe place Nyala and her children have known. Point Last Seen is a wholly original account of one woman's life and an intriguing glimpse at the meaning and power of following footprints. |
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POINT LAST SEEN: A Woman Tracker's Story
User Review - KirkusIn this beautifully rendered narrative, a woman reveals the art of tracking both in the wilderness and in autobiography. Nyala became a professional tracker almost by chance. Having grown up in rural ... Read full review
Point last seen: a woman tracker's story
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictIn this extraordinary book, Nyala leads the reader down two interwoven trails. On one trail, she explains in exquisite prose the skills required to be a tracker, locating those lost in the wilderness ... Read full review
Contents
searchers BRIEFING | 1 |
WALKING THROUGH FEAR | 43 |
LOSING THE WAY | 56 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
Adidas animals asked birds cactus cactus wren called campground campsite Chiriaco Summit chopper climbing Cottonwood creosote bush daughter desert dirt domestic violence Eldon Keith eyes fear feel feet flowers follow footprints Frank front Go ahead Grandma ground head hiking human hunting hurt ice cubes inside Jason Jessons Jon and Ruthie Joshua Tree Kevin later laughing leave live look lost person Mammaw Ruth Mandy Mandy's matter miles minutes Mojave Desert morning mother mouse move National Park National Park Service never night Nyala once Palm Canyon Palm Springs Park Service radio ranger road rock sand Search Base search-and-rescue shirt shoes sitting Skip snakes someone standing stay step sure survival tell there's things tracker Tracking Team trail trip truck trying turn Twentynine Palms watching woman Wonder Valley woods yelled
Bibliographic information
| Title | Point last seen: a woman tracker's story |
| Author | Hannah Nyala |
| Publisher | Beacon Press, 1997 |
| Original from | Pennsylvania State University |
| Digitized | Mar 23, 2011 |
| Length | 168 pages |
| Subjects | › › Biography & Autobiography / General Biography & Autobiography / Women Family & Relationships / Abuse / General Family violence Footprints Footprints/ United States/ Identification Missing persons Missing persons/ Investigation/ United States Sports & Recreation / Hunting Tracking and trailing Tracking and trailing/ United States |
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