Ice Road Madness

Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America

【Editor's Recommendation】
❄ Two women ready to escape at any time, a healing journey to rebuild themselves.
"I (Amy) am a female writer and a silent victim of domestic violence. She (Joey) is a truck driver, delivering goods on the most dangerous roads in the United States."
Amy Butcher is every bit the kind of woman American society craves: 30, tenured at a university, writing for newspapers and magazines, gardening, and possessing a seemingly gentle and caring partner. Yet, beneath this glamorous life lies an inescapable quagmire—Amy has long suffered from intimate partner violence, living in a state of profound division, teaching women's literature in the classroom and begging for love from a troubled partner at home.
Joy Wiebe drives a heavy truck on the Dalton Highway in Alaska, earning a living transporting long-distance freight. This road, located in an extremely remote and desolate polar region, has been named "the most dangerous road in the world" by the BBC, and Joy is the only female truck driver on it.
After experiencing domestic violence, Amy decided to "escape," traveling to Alaska to meet her online friend Joey. On the Dalton Highway, amidst the wolves and caribou of the Arctic wilderness, and in Joey's truck, Amy finally found the courage to speak about her experiences, and Joey's story gradually emerged. We've seen countless similar stories, all rooted in violence disguised as love, and shackles borne under the guise of love.
❄ A vivid record of female truck drivers on the road, a true story about female friendship.
"This is a book about women, about our surrender, listening and love, about our mutual help and friendship that cannot be blocked by death." Beneath the topic of mutual help among women are the specific actions of each woman, and the seemingly small hope and kindness that women give to each other.
Two bewildered yet courageous souls, laughing freely, crying freely, gently touching each other's wounds in the desolate wilderness of the base. In their own car, they felt no need for explanation or proof, no longer seeking the approval of others. In the process of talking and listening, they leaned on each other and found comfort.
Drawing on personal experience, extensive research, interviews, reporting, and long-term follow-up, author Amy Butcher uses her keen eye to combine her life experiences with her travels, using humor and tenderness to lead readers onto the deadly highways and into the daily lives of female truck drivers.
❄ Use delicate observations to pierce the mask of American society's tolerance and diversity, and explore the concrete life beyond "isms".
"The essence of American life is to adhere to a hierarchy based on interests, leaving marginalized groups to fend for themselves." Author Amy Butcher extends her writing vision outward. While recording Joey's story and road trip, she uses Alaska as a starting point to write about the gap between the appearance of American society and the reality behind it.
❄ Well-known designer Xihe is responsible for the book cover design, using the collision of violent red and snow-white to interpret the wild growth power of women.
Under the white wilderness, the former wounds become new outlets; the 120×200mm travel pocket book, a simple and burden-free single-cover paperback, is suitable for carrying around.
【Content Introduction】
"Women are taught to give too much love. This culture asks us to prioritize men's suffering, but what do we really need to do? We need to prioritize women's lives."
The true story of two women traversing 666 kilometers of deadly icy roads is also a story about emotional abuse and domestic violence. Amy and Joy travel north along America's most dangerous highway. In their own car, they feel free to explain, prove, or seek validation from others. Through conversation and listening, they lean on each other for comfort. The stories of women facing violence intertwine with the scenery along the way. Amy begins to understand that the courage and resilience she admires in Joy stems from a familiar pain.
【Media Recommendation】
Butcher meticulously captures the extraordinary place and the extraordinary woman who drew her there. By listening closely to the land and her courageous companions, Butcher discovers untapped inner strengths and ultimately gains the power to reinvent herself. And she tells a heartwarming story.
—The Wall Street Journal
With subtlety and masterful dexterity, Butcher explores a myriad of issues, including Indigenous rights, violence against women, religious hypocrisy, and environmental protection. This is a book readers won't soon forget.
—Publishers Weekly
Butcher's attention to detail is vivid, describing the breathtakingly beautiful scenery and the people she and Joy meet along the way. A moving story about the power of connection between women.
——Book List
A tribute to the power of female friendship, which can inform our reading of anything, including domestic violence.
—Good Morning America
A captivating book, this vivid portrait of an extraordinary woman—a long-haul truck driver, a mother, a survivor—accompanies us as we journey into broader territory, exploring friendship, trauma, recovery, and the collision of environment, economics, and emotion. Butcher's voice is gentle yet resolute, full of curiosity and gratitude, and she's always searching for a more complex version of the truth.
—Leslie Jamison (author of Eleven Kinds of Heartbreak)
Both an intimate portrait of an unforgettable woman and a powerful exploration of how an author found a path to a braver life. Beauty and truth can be encountered on every page.
—Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild
A gripping narrative, a journey of self-discovery, and a manifesto for the power of female solidarity, this book made me think of all the women who saw me, changed me, and saved me.
—Sarah Menkedik

2023-09-01

广西师范大学出版社

wild spring

336

9787559861030