The Winter Walk: A Century-Old Survival Story from the Arctic

The year is 1892. An Inupiat Eskimo mother finds herself far from the village at winter camp. And now her husband has died. Although Qutuuq (coo-took) is far along in pregnancy, and her children are only seven and nine, the little family sets out toward the Bering Sea coast. Weak from effort and starvation, they plod along each bend in the frozen river until Qutuuq goes into labor. Certain that her own death is imminent, the woman makes a decision that will haunt her forever. Likewise, this powerful narrative will haunt readers long after they close the book. Shared by Qutuuq's great-granddaughter, this true story has been handed down from generation to generation in a culture sustained by its oral history. Family photos round out our understanding of harsh living in this remote region.

Biographies & Memoirs

Cox, Loretta Outwater

Community & Culture

Graphic Arts Books

Advanced in pregnancy and now newly widowed, Qutuuq sets out with her two children, leaving their camp and following a frozen river to the coast. Homebound, one step at a time, through the subzero wilderness.
This is a chilling, true story dating from 1892. It tells of battles against killing cold, starvation, and exhaustion. It's the story of a haunting decision made in the throes of desperation. And ultimately it's a story of survival and triumph amid unspeakable sorrow.
More than a century later, Qutuuq's story, which has descended through her Inupiat Eskimo family as oral history, is retold in print by her great-granddaughter.

Alaska Northwest Books

In the dark months of the Far North, a group of women decide to meet regularly and tell stories about the times and people of their youth. Each story delivers universal truths about family unity, respect, grief, and overcoming challenges.

The Storytellers' Club: The Picture-Writing Women of the Arctic

Literature & Fiction

Short Stories & Anthologies

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Cox, Loretta Outwater. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Cox, Loretta Outwater

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Cox, Loretta Outwater. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Winter Walk: A Century-Old Survival Story from the Arctic

The Winter Walk: A Century-Old Survival Story from the Arctic

The Storytellers' Club: The Picture-Writing Women of the Arctic