Dusk Along the Niobrara
John D. Nesbitt
Five Star Publishing, 2019
I mainly read non-fiction, so when I was asked to read and review Dusk Along the Niobrara, I was a tad dubious. I sat down and read it over a weekend and really enjoyed it. Although there were a couple of thin spots in the plot, it didn’t diminish my overall enjoyment of the book.
Told in the first person, the story line centers upon the arrival of cowboy drifter, Dunbar, who gets a job working alongside narrator, Bard Montgomery. Dunbar eventually connects several area murders, one going back 15 years, and reveals the man responsible after a long summer and fall of ranch work.
The story develops slowly, leaving the reader wondering where all this is going, but eventually comes to a head when Dunbar brings forth a witness to the original murder. The book is easy to read and I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of the eastern Wyoming landscape.
Leslie Colin Tribble, Tech Services Manager
Park County Library
My Ranch, Too: A Wyoming Memoir
Mary Budd Flitner
Norman, OK : University of Oklahoma Press, [2018]
This evocative portrait of generations spent ranching in Wyoming sings with humor, love of family tradition, and heartbreak for the decisions every rancher must eventually confront. Even non-ranchers reading this book will recognize these fully-fleshed characters, and be able to imagine the driving rain and punishing heat of a trail drive. Flitner presents an honest picture of ranching: filled with contentment, warm conviviality and a satisfying sense of purpose, yet too often with backbreaking labor, strife among partners, and raging sorrow at the vagaries of nature. Her writing is illuminated with details of cherished friendships, quirky ranch hands and abiding love and respect for working dogs and horses. Shining through it all is a laudable dedication to responsible stewardship of the land. This beautiful book makes us all proud to be a small part of Wyoming history.
Tamara Lehner, Adult Programming Coordinator
Converse County Libraries