A nominee for the National Book Award, Ivan Doig's brilliant memoir shares the experiences and culture that shaped his early years and made him fall in love with the West. From his childhood in a family of homesteaders through the death of his mother and his move to Montana to herd sheep, Doig shows his intimate connection with the American West.
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"I loved the writing in this book. He painted such a fascinating picture of his town that I had to go look it up on google maps. And he even made sheep herding seem riveting. The end started to drag a bit, but overall, I liked it. There is some language in this book." — Alisa (4 out of 5 stars)
"I loved the writing in this book. He painted such a fascinating picture of his town that I had to go look it up on google maps. And he even made sheep herding seem riveting. The end started to drag a bit, but overall, I liked it. There is some language in this book."
“Exercising a talent both robust and sensitive…Doig lifts what might have been marginally engaging reminiscence into an engrossing and moving recovery of an obscure human struggle. There is defeat and triumph here, grief and joy, nobility and meanness, all arising from common place events, episodes and locales…A real writer is at hand.”
“A beautifully written, deeply felt book…The language begins in western territory and experience but in the hands of an artist it touches all landscape and all life. Doig is such an artist.”
“Doig now has to be considered the premier writer of the American West.”
“The stirring debut of a gifted writer: Doig spins straw into gold.”
" Anything by Ivan Doig is excellent! "
" I'm from Montana and have never read a book that I connected to more around my love for the state. Doig is an amazing writer. "
" Some parts are rather far fetched "
" His words, as sparse as the land he writes about, are beautiful. Again savored. "
" This is Doig's autobiogrphy. It is written in odd prose and I need to go back and re-read it before passing judgement. "
" love the history of the simple west "
" His fiction is much better! "
" if you want to know Montana and her people, read this. "
" Ivan Doig is a first rate writer--one of my favorites. Great characters and deep sense of place. "
" could not finish because of no interest in content or writing style "
" Read this in about a week (extremely fast for me). Poetic prose about the life and landscape of western Montana ranch life. When so many people I knew were somehow in Montana I was reading all about it... almost as good as being there. "
" my favorite book of all time...I love the scene of the farmers having coffee in town "
" I read this many years ago and remember loving it but don't really remember much else. Even so, I recommend it based on my memories of it and that quite a few other people I know have also read it and liked it. "
" Doig write beautifully about fascinating people. Love his books - all of them. "
" a marvelous memoir of a bright young man growing up in western montana in 1936-50. a very human story, although nothing spectacular happens. nice. "
" Loved this book! It's about my homeland - Montana. "
" This is my least favorite book ever. I just didn't like it. It was boring! "
" I enjoyed the memoir and have read most of his books. The language is quirky, sometimes to the point of distraction and cuteness. The word pictures stimulate the imagination--one can almost taste the grit of the difficulties he faced. "
" Ivan Doig is an amazing writer. I loved his description of a time and place that I didn't know existed. "
" Really enjoyable book. Doig presents detail without bogging the story down. "
" I re-read this last weekend and it's just as beautiful and lyrical and fully encompassing of the West as it was the first time I read it. You really can't be a Westerner, no matter how long your family has been here, until you've read 'This House of Sky'. "
" Has a few spots with language/content. "
" Ivan Doig is marvelous. This is a wonderful insight into his life and the inspirations for his stories and characters. Really enjoyed it, but it ended too soon. "
" This was a good book but a little hard to get into--the ending should get at least 4 stars but overall I'm giving it 3 stars. "
" This is one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time. "
" Having fallen in love with Montana, I have now fallen in love with Ivan Doig's books and his unique literary voice. "
" COuld have been a 3 1/2. A little hard to get into, and not a quick read. Also a little somber. But a touching, real story. "
" Deeply riveting thoughts of the author's childhood, his family,his land. Having had an 'unconventional' upbringing myself, I could identify with his loving conclusions. All you need is love! "
" This story was a telling of Larry's life with a few exceptions and a review of life as we both experienced as children. Beautifully written. A bit wordy for me in some places. "
" very interesting story of how it really is to live in Montana and the strong bonds of father and son even when they are quite distant sometimes "
" A nearly perfect book, although his reluctance to split infinitives nearly drove me insane a few times, since it marred what would otherwise have been still more beautiful turns of phrase. "
Ivan Doig (1939–2015) wrote over a dozen books, including the Indiebound bestseller Work Song, the classic memoir This House of Sky, and the acclaimed Montana trilogy. He has been a National Book Award finalist and has received the Wallace Stegner Award, among many other honors.
Tom Stechschulte (1948–2021) was an acclaimed narrator and winner of the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He had been a college athlete and business major when a friend dared him to audition for a play. He got the part and traded the locker room for the dressing room, eventually taking him to New York City and to recording audiobooks.
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