Black Bear

A dazzling memoir about one woman's coexistence with bears in the boreal forest and a singular meditation on sibling loss.

“A full-throated memoir. It is a prodigious task to tell the story of two complex relationships — one with a sibling and one with a species — without diminishing one or the other, or without insisting on parallels that oversimplify what ought to be interpreted on its own terms. Moyles elegantly threads this needle. Like her brother, who in adulthood became in some ways unknowable to her, the bears that share our world possess natures that exceed the bounds of human legibility. These limitations can be confounding; they can, in some circumstances, break one’s heart. But as Moyles demonstrates, they can, too, summon more from our animal selves: sight unhampered by assumption, care unbridled by demand.”

"The book is full of fascinating information about bears as well as changes in government policies, shifts in relationships over time, and the march of history. Black Bear is so restrained and varied that I wouldn't define it only as a bereavement memoir. Its focus is wider; it's a clear-eyed nature book with a social conscience. Indeed, I most treasured Moyles's passion for the environment and explanations of how climate change will increase conflicts with wildlife. It's inspiring to see her determination to keep going despite personal and ecological setbacks."

"Moyles writes in vibrant, poetic prose about close encounters with bears in the boreal forest, then turns the same clear, lyrical lens on her relationship with Brendan and its challenges. Black Bear is a powerful, sensitive account of one woman's willingness to set aside her fears and pay attention—to the bears, to her brother, and to the possibilities for living in relationship with fellow creatures, be they human or ursine."

“Moyles is a precise, engaging, informative narrator who sweeps readers up in her vast world with elegant, understated prose, making her points with grace, logic, and empathy. Black Bear is reminiscent of the very best nature writing, belonging on the shelf with Raising Hare, H Is for Hawk and Late Migrations .”

"It started with an orphaned bear cub and ended with loss and new life. Moyles (Lookout, 2022) opens her memoir with a small moment: her father, a wildlife biologist in their Alberta, Canada, community, brought a bear cub home for the night before taking it to the Calgary zoo. Readers watch Moyles' fascination with bears grow from there, especially when she works as a fire-tower lookout and observes a group of bears living nearby. At the same time, she struggles with seeing her older brother Brendan battle addiction and work in the oil industry. Moyles' greatest strength lies within her prose. In sharing scientific terms and statistics, she also relates an emotional ache: the ache of finding where someone fits within your life after years of estrangement and the tiny undercurrent of fear that you’ll lose them all over again."

"In this down-to-earth memoir, environmental journalist Moyles intertwines her experience losing a sibling to drug addiction with the story of how she learned to coexist with bears. Through keen observations and captivating storytelling, Moyles shows that survival is about finding inner peace and learning to overcome fears. This personal history goes straight to the heart."

“I read Black Bear late into the night, heart splitting open with Trina Moyles’ astonishingly witnessed exploration of how both bears and humans navigate solitude and connection. Perfect for fans of H is For Hawk , this book is an indelible portrait of siblinghood that will make readers think deeply not only about how we live with both ursine and human beings, but what it means to navigate the 21st century while working closely with the land, whether in the oil fields or as a fire lookout.”

“Trina Moyles delivers a captivating yet heartbreaking exploration of the threads that bind us—to the wild, to each other, and to ourselves. With lyrical precision, she draws haunting parallels between the rhythms of the natural world and the complex, often fragile dynamics of family. Far more than a work of natural history, Black Bear is a profound meditation on loss and the enduring connections that shape our lives. One of the best books I’ve read in years. This touching narrative will be hard to forget.”

"Moyles’ heart-clenching memoir about siblinghood and bears shows us the value of embracing what scares us. Moyles’ brilliantly balances the human and animal worlds in a way that will leave you loving each one a little more. I couldn’t put this down."

"Black Bear isn't just a beautifully written memoir of nature and family. It calls on us to notice, to appreciate, to examine the world and our place in it. Trina Moyles tells her story in a way that will make you think differently about your own."

Trina Moyles is an environmental journalist, creative producer, and author. Her debut book, Women Who Dig: Farming, Feminism, and the Fight to Feed the World w as a finalist for the High Plains Literary Awards and is currently being adapted into a documen tary film. Lookout: Love, Solitude, and Searching for Wildfire in the Boreal Forest, a memoir about her work as a fire tower lookout in northwestern Alberta, won a National Outdoor Book Prize. In 2022, Moyles received the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award, the province's highest honour for the arts, for her dedication to writing. She lives in Whitehorse, Yukon with her partner and their three dogs. Read more at www.trinamoyles.com.
Instagram @trinariannemoyles