Gary Paulsen Book summary

Gary Paulsen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1939. He had an alcoholic mother, and an absent father so he had to learn how to survive on his own at a very young age. He ran away to join the carnival at the age of 14 and experienced sexual harassment when he was quite young. He has written over 200 books, and short stories, several of which deal with the theme of nature and 'coming-of-age'.

Hatchet remains his most famous work. It is the first book in a series of books that include a sequel to the main storyline, and books about an alternate telling of Brian's story. Paulsen has detailed some of his childhood struggles in books like Eastern Sun and Winter Moon: An Autobiographical Odyssey. Paulsen struggled to make a living in his adult life, as he worked several different jobs and even served in the army. His writing career involved a lot of struggle until his award-winning book, Dogsong, was published.