Wolverine Tracks: On the Trail of Memory and Meaning in the Wild by Dag O. Hessen


Brace yourselves for another "word vomit" book review. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Wolverine Tracks: On the Trail of Memory and Meaning in the Wild is yet another book that crossed my desk at work and looked intriguing enough that I placed a hold for it. My 2026 winning percentage for these "on a whim" books remains perfect. I will cut right to the chase and say I loved this book.

At its most basic level, Wolverine Tracks is a chronicle of Dag O. Hessen's quest for a face-to-face encounter with a wolverine. Hessen, a Norwegian biologist, writes about his lifelong relationship with nature and the wild. In 1972, as teenager, he found wolverine tracks while out on a nature expedition with his father. About a decade later, he had a brief face-to-face with an actual wolverine. So, the premise of the book is Hessen trying for one more wolverine sighting. But Wolverine Tracks is so much more than that.

While the book reads as a journal of Hessen's various expeditions in Norway's mountains and wilderness over the course of one year, his narrative takes many enjoyable and often thought-provoking side trips into his family history, his take on climate change and its impact on the environment, and existential considerations. Hessen was in his mid-60s when he wrote the book, and though he seems to be in great shape both physically and mentally (he still works as a biologist at the University of Oslo) he is well aware that he is in the autumn of his life. He knows that, realistically, he doesn't have that many nature adventures left. (There are several meditations on life, death, aging, and the passage of time)

I have gained much more appreciation for the wolverine (the animal--not the University of Michigan mascot). They are some of the most elusive and remarkable animals in the world. Hessen also taught me about cloudberries, ptarmigans, reindeer herds, talus slopes, the majesty of moose, and why Norwegians are so damned good at skiing. (Skiing is the best and most practical way of getting from Point A to Point B in the Norwegian wilderness during the winter months).

This is one book that I do not want to spoil. Though Hessen is a bit guarded about his personal life--I chalk it up to being Norwegian--it's clear that personal tragedy has had a profound impact on his life and his deep connection to Norway's natural world.

If any of this sounds the least bit interesting, I urge you to read Wolverine Tracks--and then tell me what you thought.


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