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aeclark12's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable exploration of the origins of Eastend, a village in the Southwest corner of Saskatchewan.
robhingst's review against another edition
4.0
Wallace Stegner is one of my top 5 authors. He is such a close observer of life who can make his words reflect his thoughts perfectly. I would even drive to Whitemud, Saskatchewan to see the country he describes.
kirbell's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Big Rock Candy Mountain, and this was a natural successor. Wolf Willow is not only a journey of nostalgia but also the natural history of a remote area that Stegner felt was instrumental in his development as a person. It seems from other reviews that people have a difficult time with the diversity of the writings in the book -- some personal musings, some natural history, some Canadian history, and a short story. I felt that Stegner set it up perfectly, giving the reader a backdrop of the area around Whitemud, Saskatchewan before embarking on a short story of a cattle drive during the worst winter known to the inhabitants of the area. By understanding the nuances of the history and geology of the area, the reader has a better appreciation for the hardships faced by the people living there and what made them stay or leave.
pussreboots's review against another edition
2.0
I wish I could remember the name of every author and every book I've ever read. I can't. My memory is reliable for about a year's worth of reading. After that only the most remarkable books (good and bad) stick. To aid my memory I have a list of everything I've read going back to 1987. Despite my list keeping I'm still surprised sometimes when I "rediscover" an author. I've mentioned this happening with Neil Gaiman and now it's happened with Wallace Stegner.
Wallace Stegner was a Canadian author who wrote fiction and non-fiction. Back in 2005 I thoroughly enjoyed Angle of Repose. Now for the Canada Reads 3 challenge, I've read one of his non-fiction books, Wolf Willow.
Wolf Willow is formally a memoir but it's a memoir in the same way that Tales from Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett is. It's part memoir, part history and part fiction.
Perhaps I don't know enough about the history of the border area between Saskatchewan, Montana and North Dakota but the book didn't hold my attention as Angle of Repose did.
There were a few moments though that I will remember beyond the point where I forget the title, the author and when I read it. The first of those is Stegner's description of the culture shock between winter and summer. During the winter he traveled north into town to go to school. There he was clearly in Canada. Then during the summer he'd be on the farm plowing the fields that butted up against the 49th parallel. He could through rocks into the United States. He watched life go by on America prairies. As a kid growing on a border town I related to Stegner's sentiments.
My second favorite scene was a description of a particular Mountie who was a local legend for his ability to get his man no matter the circumstances. With the rural location and the (I'm guessing exaggerated) description of his feats, I couldn't help but think of Benton Fraiser from Due South.
Wallace Stegner was a Canadian author who wrote fiction and non-fiction. Back in 2005 I thoroughly enjoyed Angle of Repose. Now for the Canada Reads 3 challenge, I've read one of his non-fiction books, Wolf Willow.
Wolf Willow is formally a memoir but it's a memoir in the same way that Tales from Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett is. It's part memoir, part history and part fiction.
Perhaps I don't know enough about the history of the border area between Saskatchewan, Montana and North Dakota but the book didn't hold my attention as Angle of Repose did.
There were a few moments though that I will remember beyond the point where I forget the title, the author and when I read it. The first of those is Stegner's description of the culture shock between winter and summer. During the winter he traveled north into town to go to school. There he was clearly in Canada. Then during the summer he'd be on the farm plowing the fields that butted up against the 49th parallel. He could through rocks into the United States. He watched life go by on America prairies. As a kid growing on a border town I related to Stegner's sentiments.
My second favorite scene was a description of a particular Mountie who was a local legend for his ability to get his man no matter the circumstances. With the rural location and the (I'm guessing exaggerated) description of his feats, I couldn't help but think of Benton Fraiser from Due South.
darrin's review against another edition
5.0
This was an unexpectedly good read for me. I liked the mix of genres just as the subtitle says...."A History, a Story & a Memory of the Last Plains Frontier". It was best for me when Stegner describes the hard-scrabble life as a kid with his family trying to live the farming life in Saskatchewan in the early part of the 20th century. It wasn't easy. Stegner's father was abusive and tough-minded and ultimately failed to make it work but nonetheless young Wallace had some good memories growing up in the Cypress Hills. At least the memories were good enough to want to come back and revisit many years later though he specifically avoids the site of his old family homestead of which there was probably little left at the time.
I also learned that my ignorance of Canadian history is deep. The most depressingly tragic part of the history tale Stegner tells is that of the plains indians; the wars, the battles, the slow decline and eventual resettlement into reservations. The differences in how the various tribes were treated by the Canadians and the Americans was eye-opening but somewhat expected remembering what little I do of American history from middle school and high school. While not perfect or the best resolution by any means, the Canadians were just a whole lot better and more honest with the indigenous tribes of the plains.
The title is a specific memory but I will leave that to you to find out what it refers to by reading the book. Stegner, as usual, excels at writing vividly. There is something about the way he constructs a sentence that is different from other writers. I will have to read more of his fiction to figure out what that is. I have Crossing to Safety in my sights and hope to get to it soon.
I also learned that my ignorance of Canadian history is deep. The most depressingly tragic part of the history tale Stegner tells is that of the plains indians; the wars, the battles, the slow decline and eventual resettlement into reservations. The differences in how the various tribes were treated by the Canadians and the Americans was eye-opening but somewhat expected remembering what little I do of American history from middle school and high school. While not perfect or the best resolution by any means, the Canadians were just a whole lot better and more honest with the indigenous tribes of the plains.
The title is a specific memory but I will leave that to you to find out what it refers to by reading the book. Stegner, as usual, excels at writing vividly. There is something about the way he constructs a sentence that is different from other writers. I will have to read more of his fiction to figure out what that is. I have Crossing to Safety in my sights and hope to get to it soon.
kathleenitpdx's review
4.0
I have decided to call this a biography of a place. Wallace Stegner spent some very formative years growing up in a small town and homestead just north of the US-Canadian border. The town that Stegner calls Whitemud (actually Eastend, Saskatchewan) is just forming as he arrives with his family in about 1915. The outer shell of the book is his return as an adult. Then a layer of his family's experiences. The next layer is the history of the area--from the geology, to the arrival of the horse and gun, to European contact, missionaries, trappers, RCMP, a fascinating piece on the Boundary Commission survey. The heart of the book is a fictionalization of the experiences of a cattleman. Then Stegner works back out with more recent history, family experiences and his exploration of the town in the late 50's or early 60's, which now is interesting history in itself. I wish he were still around to expound on the changes wrought by the last 50 years on the small, prairie town.
Stegner is a consummate story teller. He succinctly paints a picture of the place and draws us in to its story and the story of the people who passed through or came to stay.
Stegner is a consummate story teller. He succinctly paints a picture of the place and draws us in to its story and the story of the people who passed through or came to stay.
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