A review by alisun
The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig

4.0

This was my first Ivan Doig book and I'm sure I'll read more. First, his writing style is just lovely -- lots of context and description but none of it feels like too much. The narrator, Rusty, tells the story of coming to live with his father in Montana when he is 10 years old (or at least I think he's 10 -- it's not entirely clear). "Pop" owns a bar in a small town in northern Montana and much of the novel describes their simple yet entertaining life in the "Medicine Lodge." All Rusty knows about his mom is that she left Rusty when she and his pop "split the blanket." Pop raises Rusty without a lot of fuss but with apparent love and devotion. One of the best parts of the book is "Pops" dialogue which is striking because the narrator clearly loves language and is a storyteller but the subject he is reporting on is a man of few words. This is not a plot-driven novel but it still manages to draw you back to it.