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Recommendations based on Dancing at the Rascal Fairby Ivan Doig
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The Whistling Season
by Ivan Doig
A coming-of-age story set in rural Montana in 1909, following a family's struggles and triumphs during the homesteading era.
"Can't cook but doesn't bite." So begins the newspaper ad offering the services of an "A-1 housekeeper, sound morals, exceptional disposition" that draws the hungry attention of widower Oliver ... (Goodreads)
Angle of Repose
by Wallace Stegner
A man's search for his ancestors and their stories, leading to a journey of self-discovery.
Lyman Ward narrates a century after the fact. Lyman interprets the story at times and leaves gaps that he points out at other times. Some of the disappointments of his life, including his divorce, ... (Wikipedia)
The Master Butchers Singing Club
by Louise Erdrich
A story of interconnected lives in a small Midwestern town and the secrets that bind them together.
The novel begins at the end of World War I with Fidelis Waldvogel, a German sniper, returning to his hometown in defeated Germany from the battle lines. Fidelis seeks out Eva Kalb, the pregnant ... (Wikipedia)
Tracks
by Louise Erdrich
A Native American woman's journey of courage and resilience in her search for identity.
Tracks alternates between two narrators: Nanapush, a jovial tribal elder, and Pauline, a young girl of mixed heritage. In Nanapush's chapters the point of view is that of Nanapush telling stories to ... (Wikipedia)
A Yellow Raft in Blue Water
by Michael Dorris
A multi-generational story of three Native American women and their struggles with identity, family, and love.
Michael Dorris has crafted a fierce saga of three generations of Indian women, beset by hardships and torn by angry secrets, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of kinship. Starting in the present ... (Goodreads)
A River Runs Through it and Other Stories
by Norman Maclean
A series of stories about the life of a family and the relationship between two brothers.
Just as Norman Maclean writes at the end of "A River Runs through It" that he is "haunted by waters," so have readers been haunted by his novella. A retired English professor who began writing ... (Goodreads)
Cutting for Stone
by Abraham Verghese
A sweeping journey of two twin brothers and their search for identity, belonging and family.
The story is told by the protagonist, Marion Stone. He and his conjoined twin Shiva are born at Mission Hospital (called "Missing" in accordance with the local pronunciation), Addis Ababa , in ... (Wikipedia)
Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry
Epic tale of two former Texas Rangers on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana.
It is the late 1870s. , Captain Woodrow F. Call and Captain Augustus "Gus" McCrae, two famous retired Texas Rangers , run the Hat Creek Cattle Company and Livery Emporium in the small Texas border ... (Wikipedia)
A Farewell to Arms
by Ernest Hemingway
A story of unrequited love in the midst of war.
The novel is divided into five sections or 'books'. Frederic Henry is first person narrator of the story. Lieutenant Frederic Henry, an American paramedic , is serving in the Italian Army . The novel ... (Wikipedia)
Out Of Range
by C.J. Box
Game warden Joe Pickett investigates a murder in the wilderness, uncovering a dangerous conspiracy.
Game warden Joe Pickett returns in a twisting, action-packed tale of greed, power, and murder. Joe Pickett is attempting to enjoy-all right, survive-his mother-in-law's wedding to a local big-shot ... (Goodreads)
State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett
A journey in the Amazon rainforest to find a missing colleague and unlock the secrets of a mysterious drug.
In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, scientific miracles, and spiritual transformations, "State of Wonder" presents a world of stunning surprise and danger, rich in emotional ... (Goodreads)
Seedfolks
by Paul Fleischman
A diverse group of people transform a vacant lot into a community garden, learning about themselves and each other along the way.
ALA Best Book for Young Adults ∙ School Library Journal Best Book ∙ Publishers Weekly Best Book ∙ IRA/CBC Children's Choice ∙ NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts A Vietnamese girl ... (Barnes & Noble)
Breaking Point
by C.J. Box
Game warden Joe Pickett investigates a murder and uncovers a dangerous conspiracy in the wilderness of Wyoming.
It was always good to see Butch Roberson, Joe thought—a hard-working, upright local business owner whose daughter was friends with his own. Little did he know that when he talked to Butch that day, ... (Goodreads)
Stone Cold
by C.J. Box
A game warden investigates a murder in the Wyoming wilderness, uncovering a web of corruption and danger.
The electrifying new Joe Pickett novel from the New York Times bestselling author. Everything about the man is a mystery: the massive ranch in the remote Black Hills of Wyoming that nobody ever ... (Goodreads)
The Beet Queen
by Louise Erdrich
A young girl is abandoned by her mother and taken in by a family in North Dakota, where she grows up to become the Beet Queen.
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Louise Erdrich comes this vibrant tale of abandonment and sexual obsession, jealousy, and unstinting love. On a spring morning in 1932, young ... (Barnes & Noble)
Norwegian by Night
by Derek B. Miller
An elderly veteran's journey of redemption and transformation, set amidst the backdrop of Norway's war-torn history.
He will not admit it to Rhea and Lars - never, of course not - but Sheldon can't help but wonder what it is he's doing here.. Eighty-two years old, and recently widowed, Sheldon Horowitz has ... (Goodreads)
Montana 1948
by Larry Watson
A young boy in rural Montana discovers the dark secrets of his family and town, leading to a moral dilemma.
When David's Native American housekeeper Marie Little Soldier falls ill, Frank Hayden, the local doctor and David's uncle, is called. Marie detests the use of a doctor and insists upon seeing another ... (Wikipedia)
Life After Life
by Kate Atkinson
A woman lives multiple lives, reflecting on choices and consequences and the power of love.
The novel has an unusual structure, repeatedly looping back in time to describe alternative possible lives for its central character, Ursula Todd, who is born on 11 February 1910 to an ... (Wikipedia)
The Last Runaway
by Tracy Chevalier
A young Quaker woman's struggle to find her place in a new country and a changing world.
New York Times, bestselling author of, Girl With a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier makes her first fictional foray into the American past in, The Last Runaway, bringing to life the Underground ... (Goodreads)
In Dubious Battle
by John Steinbeck
A story of a labor strike and the power struggle between workers and landowners.
In Dubious Battle deals with a fruit-workers' strike in a California valley and the attempts of labor unions to organize, lead, and provide for the striking pickers. Jim Nolan meets Harry Nilson who ... (Wikipedia)
Peyton Place
by Grace Metalious
A small-town scandal unravels, exposing secrets of the inhabitants.
First published in 1956, Peyton Place uncovers the passions, lies and cruelties that simmer beneath the surface of a postcard-perfect town. At the centre of the novel are three women, each with a ... (Goodreads)
The Milagro Beanfield War
by John Nichols
A small town's battle against land developers, and their struggle for justice.
Nearly 500 residents of the agricultural community of Milagro in the mountains of northern New Mexico face a crisis when politicians and business interests make a backroom deal to usurp the town's ... (Wikipedia)
Stones from the River
by Ursula Hegi
A dwarf girl navigates life in a small German town during WWII, facing discrimination and secrets.
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780684844770 From the highly acclaimed, award-winning author of Floating in My Mother's Palm comes a stunning novel about ordinary people living in extraordinary ... (Goodreads)
The Age of Miracles
by Karen Thompson Walker
An exploration of the effects of a global phenomenon on a young girl's life.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY,, People ∙ O: The Oprah Magazine ∙ Financial Times ∙ Kansas City Star ∙ BookPage ∙ Kirkus Reviews ∙ Publishers Weekly ∙ Booklist, , , With a voice as ... (Barnes & Noble)
Old Filth
by Jane Gardam
The life story of Sir Edward Feathers, a retired judge known as "Old Filth" (Failed In London Try Hong Kong), and his complex relationships.
Sir Edward Feathers has had a brilliant career, from his early days as a lawyer in Southeast Asia, where he earned the nickname Old Filth (FILTH being an acronym for Failed In London Try Hong Kong) ... (Goodreads)
The Call of the Wild / White Fang
by Jack London
Two classic tales of survival and adventure in the harsh wilderness of the Yukon and Alaska.
The Hunt for Red October
by Tom Clancy
A thrilling adventure of a submarine captain's race against the clock in a thrilling game of cat and mouse.
During the Cold War ,(the story must be set in 1982, according to the days assigned to the dates in the novel, e.g. Dec. 17 was a Friday only in 1982,1976 and 1971 ) Marko Ramius, a Soviet Navy ... (Wikipedia)
The Black Box
by Michael Connelly
A police detective's pursuit of justice in the face of a relentless killer.
Bosch tackles a 20-year-old cold case which took place during the 1992 Los Angeles riots . A white photojournalist is found killed near a burned-out store. Harry Bosch and Jerry Edgar were the ... (Wikipedia)
Special Topics in Calamity Physics
by Marisha Pessl
Blue van Meer navigates her senior year at an eccentric school, uncovering secrets and tragedies along the way.
Blue van Meer is a film-obsessed, erudite teenager. She is the daughter of itinerant and arrogant academic Gareth van Meer, who, after the death of his amateur lepidopteran-catching wife (and Blue's ... (Wikipedia)
Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson Rawls
A young boy embarks on an adventure with his beloved hunting dogs, learning valuable life lessons.
An old man named Billy Colman rescues a redbone hound under attack by neighborhood dogs. He takes it home with him so that its wounds can heal. In light of this event, he has a flashback to when he ... (Wikipedia)
