
Ice Walker
A Polar Bear's Journey Through the Fragile Arctic
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $11.24
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Aven Shore
-
Steve Campbell
-
By:
-
James Raffan
About this listen
From best-selling author James Raffan comes an enlightening and original story about a polar bear’s precarious existence in the changing Arctic, reminiscent of John Vaillant’s The Golden Spruce.
Nanurjuk, “the bear-spirited one”, is hunting for seals on Hudson Bay, where ice never lasts more than one season. For her and her young, everything is in flux.
From the top of the world, Hudson Bay looks like an enormous paw print on the torso of the continent, and through a vast network of lakes and rivers, this bay connects to oceans across the globe. Here, at the heart of everything, walks Nanurjuk, or Nanu, one polar bear among the 6,000 that traverse the 1.23 million square kilometers of ice and snow covering the bay.
For millennia, Nanu’s ancestors have roamed this great expanse, living, evolving, and surviving alongside human beings in one of the most challenging and unforgiving habitats on Earth. But that world is changing. In the Arctic’s lands and waters, oil has been extracted - and spilled. As global temperatures have risen, the sea ice that Nanu and her young need to hunt seal and fish has melted, forcing them to wait on land where the delicate balance between them and their two-legged neighbors has now shifted.
This is the icescape that author and geographer James Raffan invites us to inhabit in Ice Walker. In precise and provocative prose, he brings listeners inside Nanu’s world as she treks uncertainly around the heart of Hudson Bay, searching for nourishment for the children that grow inside her. She stops at nothing to protect her cubs from the dangers she can see - other bears, wolves, whales, human beings - and those she cannot.
By focusing his lens on this bear family, Raffan closes the gap between humans and bears, showing us how, like the water of the Hudson Bay, our existence - and our future - is tied to Nanu’s. He asks us to consider what might be done about this fragile world before it is gone for good. Masterful, vivid, and haunting, Ice Walker is an utterly unique piece of creative nonfiction and a deeply affecting call to action.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2020 James Raffan (P)2021 Simon & Schuster AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Arctic Dreams
- By: Barry Lopez
- Narrated by: James Naughton
- Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This best-selling, groundbreaking exploration of the Far North is a classic of natural history, anthropology, and travel writing.
-
-
Integration of arctic experience and wisdom
- By andrea Groves on 01-07-20
By: Barry Lopez
-
The Book of Hope
- A Survival Guide for Trying Times
- By: Jane Goodall, Douglas Abrams
- Narrated by: Douglas Abrams, Jane Goodall
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on decades of work that has helped expand our understanding of what it means to be human and what we all need to do to help build a better world, The Book of Hope touches on vital questions, including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? What is the relationship between hope and action? Filled with moving and inspirational stories and photographs from Jane’s remarkable career, The Book of Hope is a deeply personal conversation with one of the most beloved figures in the world today.
-
-
A visionary leader inspires again
- By Jack on 10-23-21
By: Jane Goodall, and others
-
The Loneliest Polar Bear
- A True Story of Survival and Peril on the Edge of a Warming World
- By: Kale Williams
- Narrated by: Karen Murray
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Six days after giving birth, a polar bear named Aurora got up and walked away from her den at the Columbus Zoo, leaving her tiny squealing cub to fend for herself. Hours later, Aurora still hadn’t returned. The cub was furless and blind, and with her temperature dropping dangerously, the zookeepers entrusted with her care felt they had no choice: They would have to raise one of the most dangerous predators in the world by hand. Over the next few weeks, a group of veterinarians and zookeepers worked around the clock to save the cub, whom they called Nora.
-
-
Heartwarming and heartbreaking
- By Amazon Customer on 05-22-23
By: Kale Williams
-
Eight Bears
- Mythic Past and Imperiled Future
- By: Gloria Dickie
- Narrated by: Cassidy Brown
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bears have always held a central place in our collective memory, from Indigenous folklore and Greek mythology to nineteenth-century fairytales and the modern toy shop. But as humans and bears come into ever-closer contact, our relationship nears a tipping point. Today, most of the eight remaining bear species are threatened with extinction. Some, such as the panda bear and the polar bear, are icons of the natural world; others, such as the spectacled bear and the sloth bear, are far less known.
-
-
Well researched. Excellent work.
- By Jessica D. Allred on 06-30-24
By: Gloria Dickie
-
World of Wonders
- In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments
- By: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
- Narrated by: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From beloved, award-winning poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil comes a debut work of nonfiction - a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us.
-
-
Interesting approach to a nonfiction book...
- By Fact addict on 01-25-21
-
Interesting Fun, and Random Animal Facts
- Mind-Blowing Facts About Arctic Animals, Perfect for Car Rides and Family Night.
- By: C.S Alexander
- Narrated by: Michael J Herzovi
- Length: 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are you looking for an educational and fun animal audiobook to dive into? One that shares the good, the bad, and normal life of each individual species, one that will be interactive with facts and questions? Well, you have finally found it! This audiobook is designed for a fun and rememberable experience for listers and of all ages. Perfect for car rides, or family night, with interesting random facts about life and the animals in the Arctic, you are sure to remember something fun that you can use to stand out in any conversation.
-
-
Very Interesting
- By Bookworm S on 08-12-21
By: C.S Alexander
-
Arctic Dreams
- By: Barry Lopez
- Narrated by: James Naughton
- Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This best-selling, groundbreaking exploration of the Far North is a classic of natural history, anthropology, and travel writing.
-
-
Integration of arctic experience and wisdom
- By andrea Groves on 01-07-20
By: Barry Lopez
-
The Book of Hope
- A Survival Guide for Trying Times
- By: Jane Goodall, Douglas Abrams
- Narrated by: Douglas Abrams, Jane Goodall
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on decades of work that has helped expand our understanding of what it means to be human and what we all need to do to help build a better world, The Book of Hope touches on vital questions, including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? What is the relationship between hope and action? Filled with moving and inspirational stories and photographs from Jane’s remarkable career, The Book of Hope is a deeply personal conversation with one of the most beloved figures in the world today.
-
-
A visionary leader inspires again
- By Jack on 10-23-21
By: Jane Goodall, and others
-
The Loneliest Polar Bear
- A True Story of Survival and Peril on the Edge of a Warming World
- By: Kale Williams
- Narrated by: Karen Murray
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Six days after giving birth, a polar bear named Aurora got up and walked away from her den at the Columbus Zoo, leaving her tiny squealing cub to fend for herself. Hours later, Aurora still hadn’t returned. The cub was furless and blind, and with her temperature dropping dangerously, the zookeepers entrusted with her care felt they had no choice: They would have to raise one of the most dangerous predators in the world by hand. Over the next few weeks, a group of veterinarians and zookeepers worked around the clock to save the cub, whom they called Nora.
-
-
Heartwarming and heartbreaking
- By Amazon Customer on 05-22-23
By: Kale Williams
-
Eight Bears
- Mythic Past and Imperiled Future
- By: Gloria Dickie
- Narrated by: Cassidy Brown
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bears have always held a central place in our collective memory, from Indigenous folklore and Greek mythology to nineteenth-century fairytales and the modern toy shop. But as humans and bears come into ever-closer contact, our relationship nears a tipping point. Today, most of the eight remaining bear species are threatened with extinction. Some, such as the panda bear and the polar bear, are icons of the natural world; others, such as the spectacled bear and the sloth bear, are far less known.
-
-
Well researched. Excellent work.
- By Jessica D. Allred on 06-30-24
By: Gloria Dickie
-
World of Wonders
- In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments
- By: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
- Narrated by: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From beloved, award-winning poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil comes a debut work of nonfiction - a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us.
-
-
Interesting approach to a nonfiction book...
- By Fact addict on 01-25-21
-
Interesting Fun, and Random Animal Facts
- Mind-Blowing Facts About Arctic Animals, Perfect for Car Rides and Family Night.
- By: C.S Alexander
- Narrated by: Michael J Herzovi
- Length: 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are you looking for an educational and fun animal audiobook to dive into? One that shares the good, the bad, and normal life of each individual species, one that will be interactive with facts and questions? Well, you have finally found it! This audiobook is designed for a fun and rememberable experience for listers and of all ages. Perfect for car rides, or family night, with interesting random facts about life and the animals in the Arctic, you are sure to remember something fun that you can use to stand out in any conversation.
-
-
Very Interesting
- By Bookworm S on 08-12-21
By: C.S Alexander
-
Shackleton
- The Biography
- By: Sir Ranulph Fiennes
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton's attempt to traverse the Antarctic was cut short when his ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice. The disaster left Shackleton and his men alone at the frozen South Pole, fighting for their lives. Their survival and escape is the most famous adventure in history. Shackleton is a captivating new account of the adventurer, his life, and his incredible leadership under the most extreme of circumstances.
-
-
An Armchair Quarterbacks View?
- By jack rogers on 03-07-25
-
Wintering
- The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
- By: Katherine May
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lee
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a breakup, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered. Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times.
-
-
I look forward to my next time of Wintering!
- By bgilmore on 01-12-21
By: Katherine May
-
Underland
- A Deep Time Journey
- By: Robert Macfarlane
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed as "the great nature writer of this generation" (Wall Street Journal), Robert Macfarlane is the celebrated author of books about the intersections of the human and the natural realms. In Underland, he delivers his masterpiece: an epic exploration of the Earth's underworlds as they exist in myth, literature, memory, and the land itself.
-
-
Wonderful book, disappointing narrator
- By Clare Woods on 07-05-19
-
Crossing Open Ground
- By: Barry Lopez
- Narrated by: Barry Lopez
- Length: 2 hrs and 39 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elegantly told against a haunting melodic backdrop, Crossing Open Ground's brilliant descriptions will sweep you into a new perspective - the land both gives us strength and molds our souls.
-
-
WONDERFUL
- By JK on 03-14-25
By: Barry Lopez
-
The Wild Places
- By: Robert Macfarlane
- Narrated by: Simon Bubb
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are there any genuinely wild places left in Britain and Ireland? Or have we tarmacked, farmed and built ourselves out of wildness? In his vital, bewitching, inspiring classic, Robert Macfarlane sets out in search of the wildness that remains.
-
-
Magical
- By Jennifer on 01-27-22
-
The Extreme Life of the Sea
- By: Stephen R. Palumbi, Anthony R. Palumbi
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ocean teems with life that thrives under difficult situations in unusual environments. The Extreme Life of the Sea takes listeners to the absolute limits of the ocean world - the fastest and deepest, the hottest and oldest creatures of the oceans. It dives into the icy Arctic and boiling hydrothermal vents - and exposes the eternal darkness of the deepest undersea trenches - to show how marine life thrives against the odds. This thrilling book brings to life the sea's most extreme species, and tells their stories as characters in the drama of the oceans.
-
-
A wonderful survey and an important warning...
- By Anthony Pirtle on 03-11-14
By: Stephen R. Palumbi, and others
-
Path of the Puma
- The Remarkable Resilience of the Mountain Lion
- By: Jim Williams, Joe Glickman - contributor, Douglas Chadwick - foreword
- Narrated by: Jim Williams
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During a time when most wild animals are experiencing decline in the face of development and climate change, the intrepid mountain lion - also known as a puma, a cougar, and by many other names - has experienced reinvigoration as well as expansion of territory. What makes this cat, the fourth carnivore in the food chain - just ahead of humans - so resilient and resourceful? And what can conservationists and wild life managers learn from them about the web of biodiversity that is in desperate need of protection?
-
-
A great book!
- By Jordyn Warren on 03-25-20
By: Jim Williams, and others
-
A Wolf Called Wander
- By: Rosanne Parry
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Swift, a young wolf cub, lives with his pack in the mountains learning to hunt, competing with his brothers and sisters for hierarchy, and watching over a new litter of cubs. Then a rival pack attacks, and Swift and his family scatter. Alone and scared, Swift must flee and find a new home. His journey takes him a remarkable 1,000 miles across the Pacific Northwest. The trip is full of peril, and Swift encounters forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before he finds his new home.
-
-
Grateful, but disappointed.
- By hal riley on 12-22-19
By: Rosanne Parry
-
Raven's Witness
- The Alaska Life of Richard K. Nelson
- By: Hank Lentfer, Barry Lopez - foreword
- Narrated by: Basil Sands
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Raven's Witness, Lentfer tells Nelson's story - from his midwestern childhood to his first experiences with Native culture in Alaska through his own lifelong passion for the land where he so belonged. Nelson was the author of the best-selling The Island Within and Heart and Blood. The recipient of multiple honorary degrees and numerous literary awards, he regularly packed auditoriums when he spoke. His depth of experience allowed him to become an intermediary between worlds. This is his story.
-
-
Really enjoyed this book
- By AtticusNB on 06-24-21
By: Hank Lentfer, and others
-
The Sun Is a Compass
- A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds
- By: Caroline Van Hemert
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This gripping true story follows a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure—perfect for fans of Cheryl Strayed.
-
-
The journey doesn’t get any better...
- By Philip Jacob Lee on 06-18-19
-
A Season on the Wind
- Inside the World of Spring Migration
- By: Kenn Kaufman
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every spring, billions of birds sweep north, driven by ancient instincts to return to their breeding grounds. This vast parade often goes unnoticed, except in a few places where these small travelers concentrate in large numbers. One such place is along Lake Erie in northwestern Ohio. There, the peak of spring migration is so spectacular that it attracts bird watchers from around the globe, culminating in one of the world’s biggest birding festivals. Now climate change threatens to disrupt patterns of migration and the delicate balance between birds, seasons, and habitats.
-
-
Great!
- By Dyson B on 09-24-20
By: Kenn Kaufman
-
The Forest Unseen
- A Year's Watch in Nature
- By: David George Haskell
- Narrated by: Michael Healy
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this wholly original audiobook, biologist David Haskell uses a one-square-meter patch of old-growth Tennessee forest as a window into the entire natural world. Visiting it almost daily for one year to trace nature's path through the seasons, he brings the forest and its inhabitants to vivid life. Each of this audiobook's short chapters begins with a simple observation: a salamander scuttling across the leaf litter; the first blossom of spring wildflowers.
-
-
Delightful stories
- By Eleanor B. Hildreth on 08-03-15
What listeners say about Ice Walker
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nighteyes
- 07-06-21
informative and interesting
a biology book from the bears view which just make it all the more compelling.
seriously if you like learning about animals this is a great book...
Aven and Steve are great choices for the book, Steve being the voice of the Author while Aven is the storyteller when it comes to the bears
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 06-30-21
beautiful story
Aven Shore's wistful tone, often laced with warmth and notes of hope, while also dramatic and intense where required, was a perfect match for this beautiful documentary-style exposition on the life and struggles of a polar bear and her cubs. I felt like I was watching the life of this little family with Aven as my guide. I appreciated that the sections involving humans and their effects on the bears (oil, tagging, etc) were present but weren't harped on so much as to be exhausting. A very pleasant listen. I even learned a few things!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful