The Gift of the Deer
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
The classic story of a family of deer and the humans who loved them
One Christmas Eve an emaciated deer stumbled across the yard of Helen Hoover's remote cabin in northern Minnesota. Barely surviving the brutal winter, gaunt from starvation, blind in one eye from a hunting wound, he became the central character in Hoover's best-selling book, The Gift of the Deer.Hoover and her husband Adrian named this deer Peter and nursed him back to health, setting out cedar branches, corn, and carrots. From that Christmas on, the Hoovers observed Peter and his growing clan for four years. Hoover relates the story of these deer, including the birth of new fawns, the danger of predators, even the amusing way a mother deer teaches "manners" to her young.
The Gift of the Deer, first published in 1966, sold over 50,000 copies and is Hoover's best-selling book. It is now available in an inexpensive paperback edition that is beautifully illustrated by Adrian Hoover. Readers young and old will delight in this touching story of two north woods families.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:081663128X
ISBN13:9780816631285
Release Date:April 1998
Publisher:University of Minnesota Press
Length:224 Pages
Weight:0.67 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.6" x 8.3"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
This touched my heart.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
Helen Hoover's beautifully vivid prose makes this memoir read like a fantasy piece. I felt I was sharing the precious moments that she and her husband Ade spent with the wild whitetail deer family who visited them at their log cabin deep in the Minnesota woods. Helen's richly descriptive style of writing draws you into their enchanting lifestyle, filled with peace, and the quiet mystery of virgin forests. The area around their cabin became a safe haven for a groundhog who became a regular houseguest, squirrels who nibbled graham crackers from Helen's hands, chipmunks, ermine, owls, beautiful birds of all kinds,and even a bobcat and a lynx.This is more than just a story about wild animals. It is a tribute to Peter, the magnificent whitetail buck who taught them so much about the dignity and majesty of wild things, and enriched their lives with his noble and gentle ways.This book is a treasure of a journey into some of the most peaceful, delightful, and rewarding places that a nature lover can go without leaving their home. I hated to see it end.
Excellent!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
This is one of my favorite books. It is sensitive, but not maudlin. It uses vivid pictoral imagery to show life in the northern Minnesota woods
Hoover brings the reader into the amazing world of the wild.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 27 years ago
Hoover's gentle wisdom and caring bring the reader into the timeless world of the wild. Her insights teach us about the family life of deer and the struggles they face with prospective starvation, predators, the elements, and human ignorance. The book is as informative as it is moving and humbling.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
