Winterkill (1984)

Craig Lesley’s first novel is a pretty good modern Western tale. I’m not sure there are that many of them anymore. Maybe it’s an obvious comparison, but it reminded me of Larry McMurtry, both in its low-key, unpretentious approach and in its interest in the lives of contemporary Westerners. It involves a middle-aged Native American man hanging on to a career on the rodeo circuit. When his ex-wife dies he reaches out to his 17-year-old son to finish raising him. There are interesting scenes from the rodeo life, which is a hard one, especially for a Native American. Danny is Nez Perce and we get a lot of interesting detail and lore about them, and an equally interesting sense of the Native American context more generally, with representatives of many tribal nations as well as the white world beyond them. Jack, the son, is a bit of a stock character. He’s rebellious like a teen but actually I expected a little more conflict between them, with the baggage from the divorce and so on. The narrative moves from Danny’s rodeo life to some cowboy scenes with Danny and Jack, and finally to a semi-mystical elk hunting trip. Lesley’s prose is always straightforward and plainspoken. He refuses to cater to white interpretations of Native American spirituality but keeps things within range of the known and plausible. I have found—somewhat to my surprise—that I very much enjoy fiction that involves outdoors adventures and this is a pretty good example. It’s best when the action is outdoors. But it’s also a sensitive and believable view of underclass life. We see problems like drinking, philandering, and questionable money management. They are not overly dramatic, just facts in these people’s lives. Winterkill never manages high levels of intensity, considering all it has going on, but it’s never less than interesting. The scenes in the hunt are strange, poignant, and evocative. In general, the novel is closer to a “slow burn” kind of story. Events feel even a little humdrum, but the story drew me on almost effortlessly. Although it ends on a sad note, Winterkill is always comforting somehow, full of intriguing, likable people. Pick it up for your outdoors shelf.

In case the library is closed due to pandemic, which is over.