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A unique glimpse into the world of arctic canoeing through the travels of one of North America’s most renowned paddlers

A centuries-long story of adventure runs through the Boundary Waters. Stretching from northern Minnesota into the Canadian Shield, this expanse of lake-dappled land—long the domain of Indigenous tribes and fur traders—is the most popular wilderness destination in North America, with over 200,000 visitors dipping their paddles into its ancient waterways each year. Bridging the legendary arctic expeditions of the nineteenth century and the making of today’s recreational paddling tradition, Where the Green Light Shines is a fascinating chronicle of canoe exploration, told through the journeys of a true master of the craft, Bob O’Hara.

O’Hara first launched his canoe as a Boy Scout in the 1950s, and he spent every summer for the next sixty-five years venturing further north into the Canadian barrens, a region rarely seen by paddlers. Mentored by a generation of adventurers and by the Inuit who mastered the northern tundra rivers, O’Hara would become a guiding light for many young canoeists. Passionate yet guarded, O’Hara dedicated his life to the thrill of paddling, and his extraordinary journeys here become a touchstone as Ryan Rodgers tells the story of a nascent canoeing scene that continues to thrive today.

A vivid depiction of the northern wilds traversed by an eclectic roster of paddlers, bush pilots, and historic characters, Where the Green Light Shines illuminates a lost world of arctic canoeing remade in our time. It is bound to transport anyone interested in outdoor adventure—from wilderness canoeists to armchair travelers—and to bring home the eternal allure of the far north.