The conservationist author of the award-winning Badluck Way introduces readers to a grizzly bear named Millie, narrating her life, death, the fate of her orphaned cubs, and what their story reveals about the changing character of the American West.
With his knowledge of grizzlies, research into bear biology, and Millie's radio collar data, Andrews narrates the story as it might have happened and describes the impact of grizzlies losing their wilderness over time ... This fascinating, well-researched, and lyrical memoir will appeal to conservationists, those curious about large predators, and readers who relish stories of the West.
...a lyrical exploration of an attempt to accommodate two disparate goals—the dairy farmer’s need for the corn to feed his cattle and the grizzly’s need to eat and fatten up during the short Montana summer. The resulting saga of the fence, the bears, and the cruel tricks fate can play read like a grand Great Plains tragedy in the Faulknerian mode. Andrews’ empathic writing turns Millie’s story into the embodiment of modern compromise with apex predators.
The two sides of Bryce Andrews — enlightened rancher and sensitive writer — appear to make a smooth fit ... [a] poignant and disturbing new book ... Andrews writes precise and evocative prose.
