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A review by bucket
The Sky, the Stars, the Wilderness by Rick Bass
5.0
I found this book of novellas in a lookout tower on vacation last week and it totally blew my mind. One of my favorite things in life is when serendipity sends a book my way that I have never heard of and may never have found any other way. And, good news for me, Rick Bass has other books!
In all 3 novellas, the sense of place is incredibly rich, and they all take place mostly outdoors. Perfect to read while camping at a lookout. All 3 also have a slow-burn intensity to them that hooked me without being overly action-packed.
I loved that the collection starts with The Myths of Bears. The other two are better stories, but this one is the most intense and showcases Bass's abilities well. I love the strength of the female main character -- here and in the titular novella too.
From the titular novella: "I have spent my life in the brush -- and I have seen what it is we do best, and that is to love and honor one another: to love family, and to love friends, and to love the short days. We are only peripheral trappings ourselves, on the outside of the mystery. We are songbirds."
In all 3 novellas, the sense of place is incredibly rich, and they all take place mostly outdoors. Perfect to read while camping at a lookout. All 3 also have a slow-burn intensity to them that hooked me without being overly action-packed.
I loved that the collection starts with The Myths of Bears. The other two are better stories, but this one is the most intense and showcases Bass's abilities well. I love the strength of the female main character -- here and in the titular novella too.
From the titular novella: "I have spent my life in the brush -- and I have seen what it is we do best, and that is to love and honor one another: to love family, and to love friends, and to love the short days. We are only peripheral trappings ourselves, on the outside of the mystery. We are songbirds."