It was the end of August, before the Perry Land and Cattle Company's fall gather, and the ranch cowboys had too much time on their handsThey were standing around the dusty yard watching the horses swat flies with their tails when the young buck, Ivan Dodge, somehow managed to convinced on of the old veteran cowboys -- Henry Merchant was his name -- to meet his challenge of a hundred-mile horse race through the dunes and the grasslands of the Little Snake Hills.
Description:
Just after finishing Dianne Warren's uniquely satisfying novel Juliet in August, I had a dream that included her characters. It's not often a book affects with me like that, but such is the staying power of Warren's tales of people living in a small town on the edge of the western United States.
Warren, a noted short story writer, offers chapters of seemingly stand-alone tales of strong, independent people. But eventually the characters and stories overlap as the townspeople run into each other, talk about their neighbors, help friends with problems, and reminisce on legends of historical figures and events. What emerges is a wide-ranging portrait of a people, their relationships, and the environment they call home.
There is the story of an Arabian horse which escapes from its trailer and wanders to a nearby farm, only to be found by a farmer and ridden on a meandering 100-mile ride through the countryside. Then there is rancher heavily in debt who contemplates the evilness of the banker who won't extend his loan one more time. There are episodes in that same banker's life as he sadly contemplates what actions he must take against his friends who cannot repay money owed. There's a lovely, slow-developing relationship between a drive-in movie theater owner and a quiet widow. And so many more solid tales of real people trying to understand and succeed in relationships with family, friends, and their own inner beings.
This is a lovely collection of stories woven into a novel of the life of individuals intertwined in a small town. Juliet in August is expertly written in a sure hand. Warren is a master storyteller, but more importantly someone with a clear knowledge of the emotions, hopes, and uncertainties felt by people in this tiny town as well as in the world.
A brilliant read, one not soon forgotten (as I found out).
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Young, Carrie. Nothing To Do But Stay
Wonderful recollections about the people and life in the small farming community on the North Dakota plains. (previously reviewed here)
Haruf, Kent. Plainsong
More wonderful recollections about the people and life in the small farming community on the North Dakota plains.
Coplin, Amanda. The Orchardist
A reclusive rancher takes in two pregnant runaway teen girls and faces the questions of how his and their lives will change by this action. (previously reviewed here)
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