Product Description

Often called The Crusoe of Lonesome Lake, because of a best-selling book written by the American journalist Leland Stowe, Edwards has gone on to live at least one more life and reveals himself to be a pioneer of a breed that no longer exists. Best known for his almost single-handed rescue of the trumpeter swans from extinction in North America, Edwards now related in his own words other aspects of his long, varied life, including experience with his missionary parents in India, as a telegraph operator under fire in World War I and his eventual return to Lonesome Lake.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #624391 in Books
• Published on: 1981-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 296 pages

About the Author
Stan Edwards and John Edwards

Customer Reviews

This book cuts to the heart of what life is all about
Ralph Edwards of lonesome lake is a book about carving out a life for ones family in a remote wilderness. This book is such a contrast to our technical world with cell phones, internet, e mail "Big Box shopping" malls. Our lives are so full but really so empty. I felt an extreme feeling of sadness after having read this book. Ralph Edwards and his wife are now dead after having lived a hard but full life. We all struggle through life with different goals and yet we all have to face death. I felt the sadness of Ralph Edwards when he realised that he was too old to be independant and look after himself. This book has to make us all stop and concider what we are doing and what is the purpose of life. What could possibly be more important than these questions?

I enjoyed the first book better
This book is a sequel to "Crusoe of Lonesome Lake" by Leland Stowe, a quite successful book published in the late 1950s where the fascinating life of Ralph Edwards is biographed. Edwards, who can only be described as a 20th century pioneer, single-handedly carved out a homestead in the Canadian wilderness, nearly a hundred miles from his nearest neighbor.

Although this book was interesting, the above-mentioned prequel by Leland Stowe was far better. In fact, in many ways I wish I had not read this one because Edwards' exploits ended on a high note in "Crusoe" whereas this book seemed to tarnish my image of the bigger-than-life Edwards portrayed in the earlier book. But, I realize that most people who read the prequel will want to know what eventually became of Edwards in his latter years, and this book answers many of those questions. I would simply admonish anyone who reads this book to absolutely get the prequel. If you read this book alone, you are getting far less than half the story of a remarkable man's life. "Crusoe" is much better written and considerably more moving.

Which, of the 2, is the better book?
I have read both books about the Edwards family & each has it's own merit. The main thing is that they tell the story of an extraordinary individual that wanted to carve out his own place on earth without the help of hardly anyone & certainly not the help of any government. He also saved a specie from almost curtain extinction, the Trumpeter Swan, and that alone should make him a hero to anyone who has ever seen one of these magnificent birds. After reading this book & " Grass Beyond the Mountain" I went to this Area of B.C. & came away with renewed respect for these people.