Amy & Dave Freeman

Amy and Dave Freeman have traveled over 50,000 miles through some of the world’s wildest places, from the Amazon to the Arctic. They were named Adventurers of the Year by National Geographic in 2014, and they are also the authors of A Year in the Wilderness, an award-winning book about the year they spent in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. When they aren’t on expeditions, their sailboat, or speaking tours, they are based in Ely, Minnesota, where they organize and lead canoe and dogsled trips.

Awards
National Geographic's 2014 Adventurers of the Year
Finalists for the Midwest Book Award
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Books by Amy & Dave Freeman

Nonfiction

North American Odyssey

12,000 Miles Across the Continent by Kayak, Canoe, and Dogsled
By
Amy & Dave Freeman
Available now!
From the acclaimed authors of A Year in the Wilderness, an extraordinary account of a 12,000-mile, human-powered journey across the continent
A Year in the Wilderness | Milkweed Editions
Nonfiction

A Year in the Wilderness

Bearing Witness in the Boundary Waters
By
Amy & Dave Freeman
Winner of the Midwest Book Award

This is the story of the Freeman’s year bearing witness to wild places and a passionate argument for the value of wilderness, told in visceral, immediate language and gorgeous photos.

Related Media

Author Q & A

  • Question

    How did writing help you reflect on your year in the wilderness?

    Canoe & Kayak
    Answer

    The writing process gave us the opportunity to spend a lot of time thinking back on the beautiful moments—like when a pack of wolves ran through our campsite and the challenges like hauling the canoe over thin ice while navigating the lakes during the freeze up and thaw. It also also helped us tackle larger questions about how the experience changed us, and why wilderness is important. [Read more at Canoe & Kayak]

  • Question

    How long did it take you to put the book together? What was that like?

    Canoe & Kayak
    Answer

    Daniel Slager from Milkweed Editions paddled into the Boundary Waters to meet with us in August 2016, about a month before we paddled out of the wilderness, to discuss publishing our book … It took us nine months to complete the project. It was a lot of work, and a totally new experience for us, but working with a team of amazing editors and designers at Milkweed was really great. In the beginning I spent a lot of time sifting through more than 20,000 images to select about 350 of the best photos to consider for the book. While I was doing that Amy was starting the writing process by sifting through her journal and pulling out important moments and stories that would form the backbone of the book … I think we sort of balanced ourselves out while writing the book, just like we do when we are out on a long journey in the wild. [Read more at Canoe & Kayak]

  • Question

    What are you most looking forward to about the book’s release?

    Canoe & Kayak
    Answer

    We see the book as a wonderful tool for sharing our journey and this amazing place with more people. Getting the book in people hands with the hopes that they will enjoy it, share it with others, and in doing so be inspired to visit the Boundary Waters, call their elected officials, sign petitions, volunteer, donate, and become advocates for our public lands is what excites me the most. We are also looking forward to doing a book tour and meeting with more folks in person to share our story. [Read more at Canoe & Kayak]

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