Wednesday, February 10 at 7pm Author Event with Troy Kechely for Stranger’s Dance
At the foot of the Continental Divide, rancher Frank Redmond struggles to maintain his land amidst the bleakness of Depression-era Montana. Married but childless, Frank’s wondering if the long-term future of the ranch is worth the effort. For that matter, he’s considering much the same about his wife Abby. When a stray dog wanders onto the ranch, Frank’s first impulse is to shoot it as vermin. Abby and Clay, Frank’s father, insist on adopting the mutt, naming him Stranger. For Frank, it’s both the last straw and a convenient excuse. He parlays his skill as a stone carver into a job at Deer Lodge state prison, fifty miles from home. There he labors over a headstone for the warden’s terminally ill wife. When he finally returns home, he finds Stranger more a member of the family than himself. Frank needs to regain his family’s trust and prove himself. To do so, he’ll need to emulate the dog he once considered killing.
Troy Kechely grew up on a ranch near Helena, Montana, where he developed a strong connection to the land and animals. That connection is evident in his narrative writing and formed the foundation for his debut novel, Stranger’s Dance. A nationally known dog behavior expert, he’s the author of Management of Aggressive Canines for Law Enforcement, which teaches law enforcement officers how to avoid the use of deadly force against dogs during routine and high-risk encounters. He has written short stories and poems about the bond between humans and dogs for Dog and Kennel Magazine, newsletters, and canine rescue websites.
Saturday, February 13 at 1pm Author Event with Marty Essen for Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Evergaldes, and Puerto Rico
Endangered Edens is the long-long awaited follow-up to Marty Essen’s six-time award-winning book Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents. Whether traveling with Marty and his wife in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico, or going solo with Marty in the Everglades, readers will experience nature’s Endangered Edens in a way few other have—all while laughing and learning along the way. In addition to Marty’s entertaining stories, Endangered Edens also features more than 180 stunning color pictures—merging the genres of wildlife photography, adventure travelogues, and environmental education into one unforgettable book.
Marty Essen is the author of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents. He is also a frequently booked college speaker. His college program, Around the World in 90 Minutes, has become one of the most popular slide shows of all-time. Marty lives in Montana with his wife, Deb, two dogs, and three rainbow boas. Endangered Edens is his second book.
Thursday, February 18 at 7pm Author Event with Samuel Western for Canyons
Canyons is about the inextricable, twisted relationship between two self-destructive men. Ward Fall is a rancher in Wyoming, a family man with a strong and supportive wife. Eric Lindsay is a studio musician and songwriter in Los Angeles. Eric and Ward were classmates and friends at U.C. Berkley. Their friendship turned ugly in an instant when, on a hunting trip, Ward accidentally killed Eric’s twin sister, Gwen, with a shotgun, ruining the lives of the surviving two former friends. Ward wallows in guilt, depression, and alcohol. Eric’s chaotic life is driven by anger and self-destructive behavior. Now, 25 years later, Ward invites Ericto come to his ranch to go on an elk hunt. The two former friends set out on a tense, contentious camping trip. Ward longs to atone for his guilt. Eric wants revenge.
Called by Craig Johnson as “one of the finest writers in the American West,” Samuel Western spent 14 years honing and re-writing this novel. Western has served in the Swedish Merchant Marine, worked as a commercial fisherman, a longshoreman, logger, and Wyoming hunting guide. His work of history, Pushed Off the Mountain, Sold Down the River: Wyoming’s Search for Its Soul, is now in its 8th printing, is one of the best-selling books in Wyoming literary history. In addition, Western has published in The Economist, LIFE, and Sports Illustrated. A two-time recipient of the Wyoming Literary Fellowship for fiction, he was also a finalist for the High Plains Book Award for poetry.
Tuesday, February 23 at 7pm Country Bookshelf Book Club discusses Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is the long-awaited new novel from internationally bestselling author Haruki Murakami. Here he gives us the remarkable story of Tsukuru Tazaki, a young man haunted by a great loss; of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us; and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present. It is a story of love, friendship, and heartbreak for the ages.
Our Country Bookshelf book club meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7pm upstairs at the store. The book club is open to the public and we are always happy to see new faces! Please join us for some fun and interesting discussion about great new books!
Country Bookshelf
28 W. Main Street
Bozeman, MT 59715
406/587-0166
