Bandluck Way: a year on the ragged edge of the west

Badluck Way: a year on the ragged edge of the west 
By Bryce Andrews
Atria Books, 2014. 238 pgs. Biography

Bryce Andrews is now a tried and true rancher, but in this book he recounts his first year on Sun Ranch in southwest Montana. Andrews describes the grueling work building and maintaining fences, the heavy responsibility to care for the cattle, and the constant battle to survive in the brutal and beautiful landscape. Interwoven with his own experiences, Andrews also tells the story of the wolf pack that lives near Sun Ranch and the inevitable carnage when predator and prey meet.

I loved this book. Andrews writes on complex topics like conservation in a way that doesn’t oversimplify the topic but shows how his viewpoint changes as his pre-conceived ideas conflict with his new experiences. I enjoyed reading Andrews’s insightful reflections on the ranch and the wildlife he observes -- especially the wolves he wearily admires. Most of all, I love how Andrews shows our need to change and control nature often without realizing how nature has changed us. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read survival stories, nature stories, or stories about the American West. 

CNC