Life on a farm at the edge of the wilderness was filled with hard work and danger, but there was also laughter, adventure, and the love of family and friends. In The Edge of the Wilderness, Lee Updike tells of growing up in northern Saskatchewan in the 1930s and 1940s. From the heartwarming story of his beloved dog, Shorty, to the tale of a terrifying forest fire, Updike chronicles life in the north with insight and gentle humour. Amidst stories of boyish hijinx and outdoor adventures, The Edge of the Wilderness tells of Updike’s coming of age during a time of hardship, as he assumes responsibilities beyond his years and eventually embarks on a boxing career that will take him far from home and family. Updike’s memoirs of his boyhood are an evocative picture of a way of life that will bring back memories for anyone who grew up there, and make the North come alive for those who didn’t.

Lee Updike was born in White Fox in rural northern Saskatchewan in 1932. As a youth he worked the family farm, ran a trapline, and worked in sawmills and in the bush. Updike started boxing as a teenager and pursued a boxing career until his early twenties. Thereafter, he worked in manufacturing and sales while upgrading his education, particularly in commercial art. While in his early thirties, Updike began freelance illustrating, specializing in drawing and painting the Native peoples of early Canada. Several books have featured Updike’s illustrations, and his Indian artwork has been displayed in Canadian museums and galleries. In the 1970s, Lee Updike hearkened to another call and laid aside pen and brush to devote twenty-five years to Christian ministry. Lee and his wife Beverly live in Edmonton where Lee is active in drawing, painting, and writing.

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