Many new books by Montana authors arrived in our office this last year. I was fortunate to be able to read and write about several of them. Here are a few memorable selections:
Bozeman historian, teacher and radio personality B. Derek Strahn shares his collection of fascinating vignettes about Montana’s colorful past in The Montana Medicine Show’s Genuine Montana History. A lengthy roster of events and characters come to life in one page synopsis, each an engaging two-minute history lesson, based on his radio show.
Also in the history category, Taming Big Sky Country, The History of Montana Transportation From Trails to Interstates by Jon Axline tells the story of the origin and evolution of many of the state’s byways; from rutted dirt tracks to four-lane paved highways in less than 50 years.
Birds were a popular topic this year. American Kestrel: Pint-Sized Predator by Kate Davis of Raptors of the Rockies offered an in-depth look at North America’s smallest raptor. Gorgeous photos by Davis and collaborator, Rob Palmer, generously illustrate the work. Award-winning author Sneed Collard III penned Fire Birds, Valuing Natural Wildfires and Burned Forests to show us that a recently charred landscape can be home to a surprising number of birds, and that some actually prefer burned forests to other habitats. Also in the natural history realm: Karen M. Sackett’s book, Outlaw Weeds of the West, is a useful guide to the world of noxious weeds.
Two new entries in Bigfork author, attorney and gourmand Leslie Budewitz’s mystery series arrived this year: Butter Off Dead, set in the fictional town of Jewel Bay, and Assault and Pepper, with a Seattle backdrop. Fast-paced murder investigations and culinary descriptions dished out by their respective heroines keep the pages turning; recipes are an added bonus.
On the topic of murder, author Christine Carbo has set a grizzly (literally) scene of a crime in the area of Glacier National Park in her first novel, The Wild Inside. And a non-fiction visit to the park can be had with Blake Passmore’s latest books: Up On The Roof, Views From Glacier’s High Places and What They Called It: Stories of Glacier’s Names Along Going-To-The-Sun Road. Both offer armchair trips through the heart of the park, and recount the origins of names for many of the park’s landmarks.
From seasoned author Craig Lancaster we received This Is What I Want, the story of a complex family trying to find their way, heal old wounds, bury long-fueled resentments and salvage a future for themselves and their community.
Montana writers are a prolific bunch, and it was a pleasure to peruse their outpouring!
– Judy Shafter