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A review by jdintr
English Creek by Ivan Doig
3.0
Any summer--especially those in which I can't visit the West--has to begin with a western novel, and with English Creek, I was taken to Montana. This novel isn't built on plot--the central conflict between Alec and his parents isn't resolved until an off-hand statement in the epilogue--but it's worth the read if only for the big-sky dollops of scenery that Doig sprinkles throughout the narrative.
Organized around four central events in the 15th summer of Jick McCaskill--a sojourn in the mountains with an old mountain hand, a 4th of July rodeo, a hay harvest, and a forest fire--the book is well researched (or well remembered as the case may be). I know a lot more about sheep farming and forest fire fighting than I did before I read it. I really enjoyed the sense of humor and wisecracks used in the book. However, I felt that for a young-adult book, the bunkhouse language was a little too blue for younger readers who might otherwise love this book about Montana history.
Organized around four central events in the 15th summer of Jick McCaskill--a sojourn in the mountains with an old mountain hand, a 4th of July rodeo, a hay harvest, and a forest fire--the book is well researched (or well remembered as the case may be). I know a lot more about sheep farming and forest fire fighting than I did before I read it. I really enjoyed the sense of humor and wisecracks used in the book. However, I felt that for a young-adult book, the bunkhouse language was a little too blue for younger readers who might otherwise love this book about Montana history.