Thanks to HarperOne for an eARC of this book. It did take me a bit to get into but Vildens writing is very beautiful. I can certainly see the appeal of her lifestyle and do appreciate the mix of practical knowledge and personal narrative. I do find that this book lacks intersectionality and left me wondering how, if the world was magically more like Lynx describes, people who do not have the same lived experience would find themselves situated in these scenarios.

What a facinating novel! Lynx has so much to share - both in survival skills and overall story. I think it's a great read to get out of our over stimulated society and return to a quieter place where we rely on intuition and skills to survive. Thank you Netgalley and HarperOne for this ARC. It might be something I share as a possible book club read and discussion.

Return is the memoir of a woman who leads primitive skills classes. Her students will learn to live off the land with nothing but Stone Age tools. How did Lynx Vilden learn these skills? What is it like to practice Stone Age living in wilderness areas worldwide? This book is a chronicle of one woman’s journey to the Stone Age.

Lynx Vilden has been practicing primitive living skills for many years. She teaches in an experiential way. Students are immersed in the Stone Age way of living for months at a time. They learn to make all their own tools. They forage and hunt for food. They build shelters and gather supplies. They make vessels to eat out of, and backpacks to carry their gear. All of this is done with Stone Age technology. It’s absolutely fascinating!

The book brings the reader along on one of these courses where the students spend months preparing for their lengthy stay in the wilderness with nothing but the gear they have made and the food they can forage or hunt. They make shelters and weather storms. They hike many miles into backcountry areas where they see no other humans for months. They must provide everything they need to survive using their skills.

Vilden’s voyage takes her to many continents, and she learns from indigenous peoples wherever she goes. Along the way, she reconnects with nature. It is rewilding the way it was meant to be.

The writing is poetic at times. The reader can sense Vilden’s love of the wild through her words and descriptions of wild places. The connection she feels with nature is nurtured by closely living with the natural world over a long period of time. Her students gain this through experience as well, and it’s interesting to see how they progress in their own rewilding process.

The story will draw you in and make you wish you were right there along with them.