Lynn Schooler: The Blue Bear

Reviewed by LIANE VOISEY

Wilderness guide Lynn Schooler loves Alaska, where he has lived for 30 years, and this is the story of a 10-year search for the rare blue bear in the Alaskan wilds.

Amid the glory of the landscape and sea creatures this is a human story, a memoir that turns on the author's dealings with a kind, talented Japanese photographer, Michio Hoshino, who initially hired him to help film images of the Alaskan wilderness.

The two, who meet periodically over the years, come to share a fascination with the elusive blue bear, also known as a glacier bear. It derives its name from silvery fur that sometimes takes on a blue sheen.

There are flashbacks to Schooler's past - his father's death from cancer, "the hunchback gene" which resulted in his early battle with scoliosis, the brutal death of a woman he loved.

These incidents explain why Schooler keeps the world at arm's length as he drifts through the wilds of Alaska.

However, the heart of the story is the growing friendship between the knowledgeable but emotionally distant Schooler and the friendly, effortlessly trusting Hoshino who slowly helps draw Schooler out of himself ...

On an auspicious chartered trip, Schooler leads Hoshino to a circle of humpback whales that explode to the surface with mouthfuls of herring.

For both men it's an extraordinary sight, but Hoshimo's exquisite sensitivity to the natural world in response to dramas such as this is immediately touching.

Schooler writes how Hoshino remained in the bow of the boat staring after the departing whales, lifted his camera in a slow salute and whispered a thank-you to the whale in Japanese.

The reader can sense the excitement as the two plan their voyages to look for the bear, and the sadness that befalls their relationship comes to life on the page.

The men, particularly Hoshino, are vivid human beings, made even more vulnerable and sympathetic by their yearning to get a glimpse of a creature they may never find.

Over several joint expeditions to photograph whales and glaciers, the two focus on the rare glacier bear.

The several colour photographs in the middle of the book, most taken by Schooler, bring these two people and some of the places they visited to life. After all we hear about Hoshino's photographic skills, it was surprising that none is by Hoshino.

After Hoshino's tragic death in a grizzly bear attack, it finally appears Schooler has made peace with humanity and death. Not only that but he also succeeds in photographing the bear, which you sense has enabled him to complete his journey and find new meaning in his own life.

This is not a book you will forget easily. Even if one didn't care for Schooler's adulation for Hoshino, the story is memorable for its adventure and autobiographical detail. It is a story of life and how to live it well.

* Random House, $27.95