Montana Books

I read it ten or twelve years ago, never forgot it. In recommending it to a good friend whose cutting horses are using horses on his own ranch, I began to remember, and relish, the poetic language and rhythm of this remarkable book. So, I'll dig it out and read it for perhaps the 5th time. McGuane, Didion, McCarthy and Ralph Beer. Hall of famers in my opinion. And, tonight, when I feed and fly-spray my own horses, I will see them, my dogs and the land in a little different light. A bit more appreciative.

I read this more than a decade ago, and have never forgotten it. It's a beautifully written novel about what one must lose to retain a traditional life in America. Find it, buy it, read it.

I had no expectations when I picked up this novel, except that I'd read a nonfiction piece by the author, a Montana writer, enjoyed his point of view, and marveled at his gift of language. As a novelist, he offers up a story and characters that are vivid and real, and the language that describes their world is close to poetry. There's a wonderful precision in the detail and the word choice that makes you just slow down and relish each sentence as it evokes the experience of being alive under this big sky through the roll of the seasons.

The story is told through the perspective of a young man returning home to his father and grandfather, outside Helena, Montana. He's had some hard luck, an accident on a firing range that has put him in a military hospital, and before that a rodeo career that has gone nowhere. The stopover is meant to be temporary, but like wild horses drawn unwittingly into the blind corral of the title, he is unable to leave, spending a bitter winter with his dying grandfather, an aging rancher, instead of returning to Canada as planned and a woman he has taken up with.

There is an aching melancholy throughout the novel that fills the scenes with a sense of loss. The ranchland, which no longer supports the cattle business, is being bought up by developers. The generation that grew up there and made a living from it, through good years and bad, is now passing on. They have little to leave their descendants but the land itself, worth little more than what it can be sold for. And there is irony in how losing the land mirrors the same loss by the Indians who preceded them a century earlier.

But it's also a personal story, of the young hero's return from adventures that have left him empty and without direction. His fate is played out in a man's world where women, if they figure at all, are as tough and independent as the men. The toughness is both a strength that protects them and a tragic flaw that leads them into lives of emotional isolation. When an old man dies, the best that can be said of him is that "he was hard on horses; he never forgot a grudge; he either liked you or he didn't."

On the downbeat side, yes, but there is also a quiet beauty in this novel. The land, though scarred and abused, still consoles the soul. And the reader is left on the cusp of both sorrow and admiration for these characters who can tough it out, each a surviving fragment of the old West, clinging to a kind of dignity in a new West that is tawdry and shallow by comparison.

Author Susan Wells artfully weaves together inspiring stories from three points of view: social change-makers, her role as a mentor, and, for the reader, the power of open space to restore us. Her book is a counterpoint to today's obsession with benchmarks and metrics (in nonprofit and for-profit settings) rather than the people who create change.

While I'm not in the non-profit world, I found this book to be incredibly inspiring. This book is about community, supporting the people on the front lines, retreat and the difference one or two people can make.
The writing is poetic - so much so that I felt transported. I wish I knew of a way to get this book into a wider variety of bookstore subject areas as many more people would benefit from this than just folks in the non-profit world.

What a lovely story - full of simple truths that any one of us can benefit from. It's a pretty fast read (less than 200 pgs), full of heartfelt, revealing portraits of real people and their experiences of renewal. The author and the people profiled provide us with a solution to the always-present problem of burnout - specifically for those who work in the fields of social and environmental justice. I think the story is applicable for anyone who may have 'lost themselves' in their work and now suffers from the various symptoms that so easily creep in.

It's a beautifully written, personal reflection by one of the co-founders of an inventive program they call Windcall. I readily recommend this book to anyone who has a spouse, friend, sibling or coworker that could use an optimistic reminder that we are not simply our work. And that the vital life force and creativity that often gets snatched away if one's identity becomes too locked and identified only with work-related responsibilities can indeed be restored and renewed.

The previous review outlined the plot. All I will say is that this book is the most humourous and rivetting read I have experienced in over 30 years. Then once you have finished the book the thought provoking issues behind the story come though. This author is a genius and very very funny.

I really loved this book. Frank starts out as a young man who really doesn't know what to do with himself when his school career finishes. On the advice of a guidance counsellor, he enrols in Oxford to study Theology, with his marks that is the only course he can get into anyway -theology not being such a popular subject and people to fill places in the course hard to find.

Surprisingly, Frank turns out to be rather good at it, depite the fact that he doesn't believe in God, or even a higher power. He then goes on to become a Priest. In order to meet people and raise some funds for his church, he drives a cab in his spare time, which is completely charitable, you can donate whatever you wish and he will take you wherever you wish in London.

One day a beautiful girl hops in, and in spite of himself he finds his feelings for her grow. She even starts calling his cab on vague pretexts.

The most lovable thing about Franks character is that he really is a good man, and never compromises himself. There is quite a lot of drama with the church, trying to get the hall renovated and people interested in going there again.

A really fun read with a happy ending, but beautifully written and funny too.

Highly recommended.

I read Father Frank on the advice of a friend earlier this year. We were camping and I needed a new book to read. I was expecting a simple, funny beach read and I got that, but it is also much more than that. Francis Dempsey, a lapsed Irish Catholic, gets into Oxford to study theology and eventually becomes a priest, despite his total lack of belief in a higher power. The book, pleasant and enjoyable to read, manages to tackle subjects like faith, sex and the role of religion in every day life without preaching and author Paul Burke does a surprisingly good job of it. The seemingly silly, unbelievable plotline works brilliantly thanks to Burke's impressive comedic talent. This is a purely fun read, and one that will, amazingly enough, leave you pondering faith. Outraegeously funny, sometimes heartbreaking, 'Father Frank' should be required reading for everyone who ever questioned God, and love.

Schullery's review of the historical development of fly fishing in the West and the unique contribution of Westerners is a valuable and needed contribution to literature. It is well written and adds to the body of knowledge about Western fly fishing. Up until the past few decades, most writing has been about Eastern fly fishing.

Enhanced with 30 illustrations, a bibliography and an index, Cowboy Trout: Western Fly Fishing As If It Matters by Paul Schullery (former director of the American Museum of Fly Fishing) is a 288-page book that is basically devoted to answering the question posed by the author in his introduction: "Can fly fishing make you a Western?". Schullery writes with an articulate flair about flying fishing in western culture; fly fishing in the Yellowstone country in 1870; fly fishing in the Yellowstone country in the 20th century, fly fishing rivers in folklore and history, fly fishing as sport and to put food on the table; spiritual aspects of fly fishing; demystifying some "sacred cows" of fly fishing, and how the life lessons of fly fishing have historical reached far beyond casting a line in a pond, stream, lake or river. Cowboy Trout should be considered "must" reading for anyone who ever threw in a line off the back of their boat, waded hip deep in a stream, or just sat on a river bank and waited for a nibble.

Paul Schullery's Cowboy Trout: Western Fly Fishing as if it Matters is not another fishing story about the big one hanging on the wall or the even bigger one that got away. Rather, this collection of essays explores how fly-fishing shaped the attitudes, identity, and culture of the West, especially in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone region. Fly-fishing was not a new sport when it arrived in the West in the mid-nineteenth century, but since then, according to Schullery, a distinctive western style has emerged. Cowboy Trout demonstrates how westerners made fly-fishing their own without abandoning angling's traditions.

The first essay examines our ideas of "sport," comparing modern catch-and-release fishing with the seventeenth-century practice of tying a pike to a goose (both alive and both very unhappy) for the entertainment of English noblemen. Two essays describe the fishing in early-day Yellowstone National Park--from the time visitors fished to avoid the threat of starvation to the time when the visitors themselves became a threat to Yellowstone's fisheries. Another essay, titled "A River Runs Through It as Folklore and History," features Schullery's somewhat controversial reactions to Norman Maclean's fly-fishing classic.

The essay "Dark Stones and Devil Scratchers" describes the evolution of the artificial salmonfly. This giant, orange-bodied flying bug hatches in early summer out of western rivers and causes a trout feeding frenzy, yet because the salmonfly was unknown in the East, early anglers had to imitate the bug using traditional patterns tied on big hooks. But fly tiers in western Montana began crafting their own imitations, like the "Bunyan Bug" with its hand-carved and -painted wood body (made popular by Maclean's A River Runs Through It after its original popularity among Montana anglers), the "Mite" series of woven hair flies developed by a Missoula wigmaker, or the "Black Creeper" tied to imitate the aquatic salmonfly nymph. Today, some of these flies can still be found in flyshops alongside more recent attempts to imitate the same bug. The newer flies often combine natural materials with the latest in fly-tying technology, like rubber, foam, and shiny plastic, yet the classics still seem to catch fish just fine.

In this and other essays, Schullery's extensive research and witty writing style convey the tales, tricks, tackle, and techniques of legendary western fisherman like George Grant and Warren Gillette. This history helps today's fisherman connect to local traditions whether he is floating past the rain-spattered rocks from the basement of time that line the Big Blackfoot, stripping a streamer along the undercut banks of the Big Hole, or tossing a salmonfly imitation behind the pier at Varney Bridge on the Madison.

Cowboy Trout's message that fly-fishing has influenced western identity as much as westerners have influenced fly-fishing satisfies those seeking a greater role than mere sport for fly-fishing or those who need justification for the disproportionately large amount of their life spent fishing. But if this latter group shares Schullery's great love of fly-fishing, they should need no justification.

"Danny's Dragon" is a fictional account of ten year old Danny who is working through the stages of grief after the death of his father in the Iraq war. Danny, his mother, and teenage sister all deal with their personal grief and subsequent healing in different ways in this dramatic fictional story of death and family loss as the result of war.

Losing their father and the family "breadwinner" the resulting financial difficulties made it necessary for Danny's mother to sell their farm in Montana. Relocating in Denver, Danny had to adjust to a new school. A classmate and neighbor from Iraq reached out to become Danny's friend. Incidents in the classroom with a group of rowdy boys turn around to be a bridge building experience, in helping these boys understand individuals from other cultures.

Their teacher, Mr. Thornton responded when Carl shouted, "That's a lie!"
"Carl, if you don't agree with someone, state your evidence instead of saying it's a lie. It's possible for each of us to have a different perspective, different information, and to state truth as we know it. It doesn't make any of us liars, and I will not allow any more accusations of lying. Is that clear?"

As the boys work out their differences through classroom activities and after school sports team participation, Danny finds healing from his grief. The author has captured the pain and sorrow of a child processing grief. Author Janet Muirhed Hill is a gifted communicator and story teller with an important and timely message. I was deeply stirred as the plot moved to a climactic surprise ending.

This book is an excellent resource tool for care providers, teachers and counselors. It is helpful in dealing with grieving middle school children, opening the way for introducing important dialog. "Danny's Dragon" is a book that should be available in school libraries and on the suggested reading lists provided by crisis counselors.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (11/06)

When Danny's father is killed in Iraq he faces the different stages of grief. His family must give up their home in Montana because of financial strain. They must find a way to build a new life for themselves. Danny lives for the memories of his father; they bring both pleasure and pain. Danny's imagination turns his horse named Dragon into a real dragon. Guilt consumes Danny, because his father returned to active duty so that he could buy the horse for Danny. He blames himself for his father's death because he wanted a horse.

Danny's mother seeks help for him through therapy, but he refuses to share his grief with anyone.

It is an honor to not only review this book but also highly recommend it. This book belongs in every household. Children do not understand death and grief. They do not know how to handle it; neither do adults so how can we expect our children to cope with something that we struggle with. Ms. Muirhead is very intuitive and an inspiration to us all. I commend Ms. Muirhead for offering us a book on this topic. While it is something we don't want to face, death is a fact of life and we should be prepared so that we can help our children through it.

This book is well written. The story flows smoothly. The characters are endearing. Their lives are too real for comfort. Danny, Mindee and Mom are true to life. The illustrations add to the story line and are well done. The cover made me want to delve inside.

Danny is a ten year old boy whose father was sent off to war in Iraq as part of his Air National Guard unit and who was killed in action. Danny struggles with the various stages of grief as he remembers good times with his father, uses his vivid imagination, and the horse named Dragon that his father had given him. In addition to the pain of losing his father, Danny's family is also plunged into financial problems because of his father's death, and along with his mother and sister, Danny is forced to leave their Montana ranch. Danny must learn about himself, his family, the world, the "fellowship of suffering, and the emotions he feels when attending a Denver public school he discovers has as a classmate the "enemy" -- a boy from Iraq. A skillfully written novel for young readers ages 8 to 14, enhanced with twenty black/white illustrations by Pat Lehmkul, Danny's Dragon is a critically important book that needs to be a part of every school and community library collection in the country as thousands of children find themselves in a similar position to Danny with their fathers (and sometimes their mothers) going off to war, being wounded, and even killed, their lives and families savaged by war and the death of a parent.

Douglas Cairns was enjoying racing and jets in the RAF when he was diagnosed with diabetes, a diagnosis which seemed to put an end to his top speed life. His career as a fighter plane pilot was over - but his determination to both fly again and raise awareness of diabetes resulted in his Diabetes World flight, chronicled in Dare To Dream: Flying Solo With Diabetes Around The World In 159 Days. Both an adventure story and a health memoir, Day To Dream is passionate about flight and living life to its fullest.

This is a "must read" for pilots and for people facing the challenges of the diabetes epidemic, but it is much more, and this terrific read will appeal to a much wider audience. Discrimination and fear will only decline if people like Douglas share their stories of courage and determination. It's a wonderful book with fabulous photos of this amazing journey.

For those of us who have traveled the world via commercial jet and boiler-plate vacations, the author of this book has had an enviable SOLO flight journey marvelously chronicled in this delightful read. Truly an inspiration to those who have had any medical challenge, especially insulin-dependent diabetes. A real eye-opener to the unfortunate state of some national public health organizations in various countries in their feeble attempts to help type-1 diabetes patients, the growing epidemic of diabetes worldwide, combined with a riveting account of world flight in a small twin-engine aircraft. Not many people can have the bravery and perserverance to combine flying solo around the world while standing up for what one believes in -- the freedom to fly ! I had no idea it was so difficult for patients with type-1 diabetes to obtain an unrestricted pilots license. It's wonderful to see how someone lived their dream to fly while having type-1 diabetes.

If you're heading to the Madison for the first time, this book is a must. It gives you all the insight you need to prepare for the trip, the right flies to tie up in advance and proper line and tippets. Once you're there, you'll know where to be at what time of the day to get all the action you can handle.

An easy to read and understand book with a wealth of information for those planning a trip to this Montana jewell of a river. Broken down by seasons and hatches so you can key in on the time you plan on being on the river and disregard, if you like, the rest or save for another time. A great hip pocket reference for fishing the Madison River, where to fish it and what to bring. Perfect for the novice or expert alike.

Volume three in the oustanding Greycliff "River Books" series, Fly Fishing The Madison offers the aspiring angler a distillation of decades of experience, knowledge, and insight in this "user friendly" guide to fishing Montana's Madison river. Here is a wealth of information on the hatches, seasons, and reaches of the river, along with "tips, tricks & techniques" for unlocking the secrets of an surprisingly diverse river. The authors show how to fish the Madison with dry flies, nymphs, and streamers, as well as pointing out the right moments for each type of fly. Of special interest is Craig Mathews' contributions about fishing the Madison's two "stillwater" areas -- Hebgen Lake and Quake Lake. If you are planning an excursion to the Madison, begin by a thorough reading of Craig Mathews and Gary LaFontaine's Fly Fishing The Madison! Also very highly recommended for the angler's reference shelf are the other volumes in this outstanding series: Fly Fishing The Beaverkill; Fly Fishing The Henry's Fork; and Fly Fishing The Yellowstone In The Park.

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Janie Pendleton's Novel, 'The Gates to Love and War' is a must read, as it took me on an action-packed adventure that carried a rare taste of real-life human perspective, in which I saw my own war-torn thoughts reappear. I cried and laughed with each character throughout their trecherous journey. This novel is filled with surprises and intrigue. This author knows how to put pen to paper! You will not want to put this book down! I will read again and again!

My overview of 'The Gates to Love and War':

After serving her country for twenty years, Lt. Col. Jade Pickard finds herself alone in the world after learning the last of her family has passed. Burying both her parents on their beautiful Montana ranch, Jade is forced to change positions in her military career in order to save the sprawling family farm. When a stranger hikes up her mountainous road and stops at her garden gate for directions, the two find an odd connection. But with the onset of a fast approaching storm, Jade invites the war-torn traveler to stay in her bunkhouse to help him find peace again. When the local sheriff comes knocking on her remote door in the middle of the night, she is forced to choose between believing in the soldier and turning him in as a murderer. The next morning, Jade finds she is right in her notion to trust him and packs her horse and mule to set out on an adventure to save the real culprit, a childhood friend. Soon these three soldiers' worlds collide, as their haunting secrets take them deep into the heart of the Black Bear Wilderness where an emotionally charged romance suspense novel begins its great journey. But don't trip over your own mind while traveling deeper in the beautiful Montana wilderness, as things are never as they seem in the Special Forces!

When I cracked this novel I didn't know what to expect. Really. First off, romance novels are not my cup of tea. Even with three spoonfuls of sugar. Not even Mary Poppins could make THAT medicine go down. Still I dove in undaunted fully armored in case anything romancey gushy gushy tried to gun me down. It's a war novel I thought, it can't be all bad. How pleased I was to find out I was wrong. Inside the covers of this book I found not the cheap cookie cutter category romance I half expected, but an intelligent, expertly woven and detailed story.

For fans of romance novels, I believe a different sort of conceit is in play: war stories for guys romance stories for girls, never the twain shall meet. Should this line of thinking find resonance with you, then you owe it to yourself to read this book. If for nothing else to challenge your deeply held conviction that war novels, are not for women, no no, but for men who seem to thrive on the stuff. Would it surprise you to find that this novel uses the concept of war only as a neatly encompassing framework within which to cast the main characters as they step, and struggle, and yes "grope" for subsistence in this strangely alien world called "my homeland?" If you answered yes then your surprise will be adequately rewarded as Janie Pendleton undertakes to show you that romance and war are not mutually exclusive concepts. In fact, one amazingly highlights the other. Like a hand in a glove or wrapped around a grenade.

Neatly fusing topical events with a timeless romance, Pendleton conjures a tale that is equal parts cozy seduction and psychological thriller. Beginning with a brief scene setting we are soon allowed to sit in on the inner thoughts of the tale's heroine, Jade Pickard. Equating this character with an alter ego for the author is easy to do as the author is a ranking officer in the U.S. Marines who has not too long ago shipped home from the Iraqi battlefront. How much in this tale is derived from her recent experiences we can only guess with a shudder as the unconscionable and brutal scenes depicted in flashback would test the moral fortitude of most. Yet this is not after all a gruesome slash 'em smash 'em melee of blood and gore. No, it is a love story told against a backdrop of disturbing horrors endured, sanctuary embraced, redemption sought. The story's mysteriously haunted and appropriately flawed hero, John Lewis, fills out the ensemble nicely as the charming, attractive, perhaps roguish complement to the gorgeous, self-reliant, suitably dangerous Ms. Pickard. In counterpoint is a multi-skilled and extremely capable heroine, someone who needs no one hence appears entirely unapproachable, with an adventurous and willing companion. Thus far her self reliant posture has keep her safely ensconced within a self imposed cocoon of rustic comfort with only her rural lifestyle, majestic mountain views, and simmering Irish temper for company. Until John ambles along that is, at which point her every word and action make it clear that her blissfully complete life is at best cold comfort. Joined by a similarity of military background and purpose they are quickly on the trail of a former comrade who has seemingly run amok and gone on a killing spree. At the disclosure of this fact the story quickly steers as promised to the suspense portion of the tale.

Overall the author elicits a satisfying mixture of intrigue, suspense, danger, and naked flesh. If one had cracked the covers of this novel hoping to drop in on a soft-core porn rendering of tumbling bodies, bare-chested hunks and ripped bodices, one should stand down and visit more beastly quarters. Pendleton avoids the lure of cheap salacious production and delivers an intelligent blend of romance and suspense worthy of ascension into the ranks of the reigning industry masters. Sharing glancing similarity with Nora Robert's 2006 novel, First Impressions, does nothing to detract from Pendleton's esteem as a romance novelist but rather bestow upon her work the mark of one whose methodology is established and whose attention to genre precepts will earn her the well deserved praise of the steady legion of romance fans who know what they like and where to get it. It will not be long before the praise and attention of these selfsame fans will be lavished upon this author as they quickly absorb her initial offering then await her next with breathless anticipation. This novel is highly recommended for those bored with the grind of daily responsibilities who hunger for romance and intrigue and something more stimulating than cubicle camaraderie and microwave cuisine.

If it mentions "Montana", it's going to be AWESOME! or if it mentions anything about our military heroes, it will be AWESOME!

I've been waiting for this book to be released! The author is a close, personal friend.. so I knew it was coming soon!! I can't wait to get my copy!!

After reading the story, it is even better than I imagined. It is about love lost.. and found. It's about two soldiers on two very different missions, and how they can find strength in each other to help each other through the most trying times. It shows how they lost all faith and hope in a previous love, but they found new love and strength in each other. Although it is fiction, you can put yourself in the story and examine your own life and where it is headed. It is a book of inspiration and hope... and love.

A delightful and tender book. Filled with affirmations for all of us who feel like we "blew it" today with our kids. Marian's book gives us permission to be human, make mistakes, and still love our children fiercely. It gives us strength to start new tomorrow. I give this book to every new parent and grandparent. My copy is never out of arms reach. An also must is Ms. Edelman's THE MEASURE OF OUR SUCCESS.

Whenever we move or my boys move to a different classroom, I give a copy of this book as a gift to every teacher and/or caregiver that my boys have had - it shows just how special and precious these people who care for my children are. I keep a copy by my bedside too - it really is a great little book. I wish the spiritual power behind these prayers and poems could stop all the child abuse & neglect in this country. Thank you Marian for a truly wonderful gift!

At a time when I was feeling discouraged about my ministry with children, this book lightened my load. I found prayers, insights, and inspirations that allowed me to attack my work with new-found zeal. As a parent, it helped me find the strength and patience to grow my own children instead of just raising them. To read this book is to grow in love

Erik Molvar has written numerous hiking guides for Falcon; this one is probably his magnum opus. Comprehensive and thoroughly researched, it's replete with natural history notes as well as hike descriptions and directions to trailheads.

The sheer size of the Bob Marshall Complex presents a particular challenge to a would-be author of a hiking guide, namely, how to encompass its breadth without making every hike a hundred miles in length. Molvar's solution is to segregate particular sections of trail into hikes whose starting and ending points lie conveniently at or near the junctions of other trails, which he in turn describes in other hikes. You can thus piece them together to create trips of your own design. He also includes side trips (such as to summits in the interior) and numerous day hikes along the margins and boundaries of the Bob.

Appendices include segmented mileages of trunk trails that provide access to more remote portions of the wilderness (I appreciate the meticulous mileage notes throughout the book), and descriptions of several classic extended trips such as Spotted Bear to Benchmark and Benchmark to Holland Lake. Also covered are hikes in adjoining roadless areas (such as the Rocky Mountain Front and Jewel Basin) that lie outside the wilderness proper.

Molvar has seemingly tromped every mile of the places he describes. Buy this book and follow in his footsteps.

If you really want to know about trails in The Bob Marshall Wilderness area this is covers the most important trails. The hike descriptions and profiles are quite helpful in planning a trek. I have used this book a few times although it is a bit heavy to carry on the trail. Use it to plan and take a copy of the hikes needed to cover your trek.

If you are planning a trip to the Bob Marshall you will do yourself a great favor by purchasing this book, then wrapping it in a zip-lock bag for your journey. The book provides a comprehensive overview of every trail in the Wilderness area. It gives a succinct synopsis of each trail by describing level of difficulty, frequency of maintenance, and elevation change. The book further describes the ecosystem that you are hiking thru and assists you in understanding the bio-diversity of each area. Perhaps most valuable, the book also provides a precsient review of the hazards of each seperate area--and methods of countering these hazards. These hazards include micro-organisms in the water and of course the ever-present grizzly and black Bears. Don't leave home without it!