RaveThe San Francisco ChronicleIt's Robert Grainier's story, but it's equally the story of the place, the Idaho Panhandle, and ultimately a capsule of the first half of the 20th century. The story, and Grainier's life, seem completely told. It's an ordinary life, but one filled with wonders, as all lives are if we only look … Johnson captures the feeling of the woods and the small towns built around mining, logging and the new railroads. Indians and Chinese laborers also play significant roles. And fire, that constant in Western forests, provides the heart-wrenching core of the story, through which Grainier must pass.
