Book Review: Another Bend In The River by Kevin Callan
If you’re looking for an entertaining outdoors read told by a masterful storyteller, you need to check out Another Bend In The River: The Happy Camper’s Memoir by Kevin Callan.
To be fair, you don’t actually need to love the outdoors to enjoy this book.
I had been waiting for this book to come out because Kevin is one of my favourite storytellers. Over the years I’ve watched many of his YouTube videos, read several of his books, and laughed along through many of his podcast appearances. The magic in his storytelling comes from his ability to use humour, while teaching his audience and encouraging them to care about the outdoors. I always learn something and usually get a good laugh along the way.
Unlike a traditional memoir that goes from point A to point B and gets into great detail about certain life events, Another Bend In The River plays to its author’s strengths as a collection of memories told in short story format. While the book does start with his early days and ends in more current times, you can pick it up and read any chapter without needing to have read the previous ones. I read it straight through the first time, and have since picked it up to randomly choose a chapter when I want a quick story.
A recurring theme throughout the book is Kevin’s lifetime struggle with anxiety and how he uses nature to keep it under control. Opening up about dealing with anxiety, especially as such a public figure, can be incredibly difficult. But it’s so needed.
“Anxiety never leaves you. It might improve from time to time, or you might go into a very dark depressive state. Your inner moods go up and down like a yo-yo and life becomes mentally exhausting. It’s also often a given that you keep it all to yourself. You create a wall around you so others never see the pain.”
These words brought me to tears when I first read them. I’ve suffered with anxiety my entire life and I felt every bit of this. I cannot stress enough the importance of opening about these challenges, and I really appreciate Kevin using his status as such a public figure to do it.
After reading this book I also realized that my raging desire to disappear into nature every few weeks is likely my number one coping mechanism for dealing with anxiety. Every camping trip creates a little more space in that box that I shove everything into. It settles my brain.
Another Bend In The River is interspersed with handy tips, separate from the stories. Tips for things like choosing proper footwear for camp and trail, choosing the right canoe, and camp pooping etiquette. Kevin Callan is forever the teacher.
I loved the story of Dangerous Dan and Dr. Nature, two characters the author created when working as a naturalist at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. It underlies another theme that runs throughout the book. You need to teach people about nature in an interesting way in order for them to learn about it and appreciate it. Kevin is fantastic at that. However, I’d probably have been pissed at him for arranging that police officer and not telling me about it if I’d been his co-workers. As a reader I was laughing out loud at that point.
Honestly, I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this book. So many of the stories made me laugh. There were stories about places I’ve visited and seen from a different perspective, and stories about places I would love to see.
It was fascinating to see how this journey has evolved for Kevin. The different things he’s been part of, the people he’s met, how life has changed for him along the way. I enjoyed this departure from the How To and Paddling Guide books.
Obviously, I loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone. If you’ve got an outdoors enthusiast in your life, an aspiring author or content creator, or just someone who loves to read about what others have gone through, this would make an excellent Christmas gift.
argosgirl
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