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Adult Books - Fiction - Crime Fiction - Thriller/Suspense
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Winter Range.
Davis, Claire (author).
2000. 272p. Picador, hardcover, $23 (0-312-26140-3).
REVIEW.
First published July, 2000 (Booklist).
Landscape has a way of asserting itself in Montana fiction, whether it’s in the work of Ivan Doig, Larry Watson, or James Crumley--or in Davis’ gripping first novel, which bears stylistic and thematic connections to both Watson and Doig but is in no way derivative of either. Ike Parsons, sheriff of a small ranching town in eastern Montana, is an outsider, but he’s married to a local girl and has a reputation for fairness. Both his marriage and his reputation are put to the test when Chas Stubblefield, former lover of Ike’s wife, Pattiann, goes broke and lets his cattle starve in the snow. When Ike intercedes with a court order to take over the ranch and put the animals out of their misery, local reaction is mixed: everyone shares the horror of the starving cattle, but Montana ranchers value their independence above all; a man’s stock is his own no matter what. As the conflict deepens, Stubblefield himself begins to unravel, plotting revenge against the town and attempting to force himself back into Pattiann’s life. The inevitable tragedy seems driven as much by the unforgiving land and sky as it does by the emotions of the embattled characters. The snows of winter and the thaws and ice storms of early spring alternately imprison and empower the dwarfed humans, whose attempts to connect with one another appear both feeble and noble in the teeth of the “vast, ice-locked landscape.” Davis is a writer of great lyrical power, but she knows her place. Her lyricism never calls attention to itself but remains steadfastly in the service of her story, her people, and her setting. This is an outstanding debut in what is shaping up as a strong year for first novels. (Reviewed July 2000)— Bill Ott
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Features That Discuss This Work:
1. The Back Page : Baby, It’s Cold Outside
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