Jackalope Dreams by Mary Clearman Blew

“In Blew’s commendable fiction debut. . . . [the author’s] distinctive narrative voice and knack for description keep the story on track."—Publishers Weekly

“Mary Clearman Blew’s stunning first novel gives us an example—if any is required—of why fiction is still necessary and what it uniquely offers. It’s an understated achievement that recalls the early works of Larry McMurtry, along with the tough, febrile voice of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and the emotional intelligence of William Maxwell. Willa Cather’s work also comes to mind. . . . Sentences seethe with urgent, unhurried energy, and the description of the land the author so clearly loves is in service of the story, not showing off. You come to care deeply about these people, caught between an uncapturable past and an uncertain future. Jackalope Dreams is a small masterpiece; it deserves the attention it makes a point of not seeking.”—Paul Wilner, Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Blew knows how to fuse the rugged with the delicate—some readers may be reminded of Plainsong author Kent Haruf’s no-nonsense approach.”—John Mark Eberhart, Kansas City Star

“Engrossing. . . . Blew gets so much right, from her beautiful, clear prose to her sharp humor to her rich characterizations . . . Jackalope Dreams satisfies.”—Jenny Shank, NewWest.net

“What Blew has achieved in her first novel is nothing less than stunning: a story beautifully told, characters richly conceived and developed, lessons subtly delivered, complete with shoot-’em-ups, horse wrangling and hidden stashes of cash. . . . [I]t is the poetry and preciseness of Blew’s writing that set Jackalope Dreams apart from others of its ilk. Hers is storytelling of the highest order.”—Sherry Devlin, Missoulian