My entries are a bit spotty these days, because I'm preparing for a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. (I see Nancy has been filling the void with some cheesecake photos of half-naked guys, no doubt driving page views through the roof.)
Whenever I'm on vacation, I bring some reading that fits the theme, and this year, I chose the perfect accompaniment: "Work Song." Ivan Doig has written other great novels about the old west, including "The Whistling Season" and "Dancing at the Rascal Flats." His new book about copper miners in Butte, Mont., is another winner, with exceptional writing. Here's how the protagonist describes the boomtown: "Downtown Butte, set into the lower slope of the Hill like the till in a cash register, was as busy as the streets could hold. One moment we had to dodge bowler-hatted Rotarians congregating for luncheon fellowship, and step aside for a covey of nuns the next."
Just one problem: I'm whipping through the book, and will need another (or two) by the time I hit the parks. So if you have suggestions, please let me know.