REVIEW: In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond

In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond
Author: John Zada

Tales of a giant North American ape-like creature have been told for hundreds of years. Native peoples, explorers, pioneers, travelers, hunters, farmers, fisherman, campers, vacationing families....there are many legends and stories of this elusive giant cryptid creature. There are many names as well....Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Skunk Ape, Wild Man, and more.  Here in Western NC, the local legend calls the creature Knobby. Does Bigfoot exist? No clue. But I have an open mind and this book caught my eye. Author John Zada travelled to British Columbia, Canada to talk to area residents and to see if he could catch a glimpse of the creature himself. He talked to all sorts of people scientists, experts, members of the First Nations, hunters, trappers, farmers and gathered up tales about the Sasquatch.

I enjoyed reading this book. Zada talks about British Columbia, the forest, wildlife, the local people, and all of the stories. He weaves a rich narrative that ends up not being just about a legendary creature, but more about the rich culture, people and beautiful landscape that keeps the legend alive.

I'm pretty much still a skeptic that Bigfoot is an actual creature. Some sort of factual evidence (scientifically verifiable evidence not things like blurry video and bad concrete casts of footprints) would have been discovered by now, even with the remote and densely forested areas where the creatures reportedly hang out. But....I could be wrong. Up until a few years ago, most people thought giant squid were just tales told by superstitious sailors....until an actual dead giant squid was found.  It was a real creature all along...not just a myth. So while I tend to be skeptical....in the event of provable fact, I would immediately change my mind. I feel the same way about any mythical creature or entity....ghosts, demons, mermaids, Mokele-Mbembe....so many tales of really awesome creatures. If giant squid were proven to be real, maybe some....or even just one....of the legendary creatures people tell stories about might also be real. And that would be awesome!

Very enjoyable read! Zada is a very talented story teller!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Grove Atlantic via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**