kbratten's review against another edition
2.0
I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this, it just wasn't for me.
liralen's review against another edition
4.0
It occurred to me that I had achieved a rare thing: I was living at the center of my heart's geography. And I knew it. (103)
Andrews wasn't raised to be a cowboy, but a cowboy he became, chasing his dreams out to Montana and lassoing them neatly. In Badluck Way he tells a quiet, but occasionally violent, story of his first year out. As a ranch hand, his jobs are generally simple, physical: care for the animals. Repair the fences. Keep watch for wolves. But his commitment is less to the ranch itself than it is to the idea of the wild that the area offers, and it is with reservations that Andrews approaches tasks designed to drive off or kill the wolves that threaten the ranch's animals and bottom line.
And it's true: the wolves make it a more interesting story. It's an I-did-something-for-a-year-and-wrote-about-it memoir, but not entirely; though at the beginning of the book Andrews talks about deciding whether to stay or go, 'go' does not mean 'go back to the city'. Ranching is, for him, a childhood dream come to life, but despite the hardships it's one that he embraces fully. Maybe five years or ten would be enough; I don't know. In any case, he describes a quiet acceptance on the ranch, one that lets him learn the ropes without feeling like a total outsider. It's not clear if this had to do with the ranch (which seems to have been in some ways a hobby ranch?) or Andrews's immediate bosses, but were it not for the threat posed by the wolves—and the possibility of suburbia encroaching on the wild—it sounds as though it would have been an unmarred utopia for him.
Quick read. Interesting book.
Andrews wasn't raised to be a cowboy, but a cowboy he became, chasing his dreams out to Montana and lassoing them neatly. In Badluck Way he tells a quiet, but occasionally violent, story of his first year out. As a ranch hand, his jobs are generally simple, physical: care for the animals. Repair the fences. Keep watch for wolves. But his commitment is less to the ranch itself than it is to the idea of the wild that the area offers, and it is with reservations that Andrews approaches tasks designed to drive off or kill the wolves that threaten the ranch's animals and bottom line.
And it's true: the wolves make it a more interesting story. It's an I-did-something-for-a-year-and-wrote-about-it memoir, but not entirely; though at the beginning of the book Andrews talks about deciding whether to stay or go, 'go' does not mean 'go back to the city'. Ranching is, for him, a childhood dream come to life, but despite the hardships it's one that he embraces fully. Maybe five years or ten would be enough; I don't know. In any case, he describes a quiet acceptance on the ranch, one that lets him learn the ropes without feeling like a total outsider. It's not clear if this had to do with the ranch (which seems to have been in some ways a hobby ranch?) or Andrews's immediate bosses, but were it not for the threat posed by the wolves—and the possibility of suburbia encroaching on the wild—it sounds as though it would have been an unmarred utopia for him.
Quick read. Interesting book.
lizlogan's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful and provacative. The book doesn't back down from the uncomfortable situations the author finds himself in and they are so well-described the reader may as well be going through them herself.
dorothysnarker's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway! This a great, quick little summer read. Andrews starts his adventure off as a summer hand on a eco-ranch in Montana. In between physical tasks such as mending fences and learning to care for cattle, a tense situation occurs when a wolf pack who was reintroduced to Yellowstone moves into the area and begins killing cattle. The author must weigh his ecological beliefs and great respect for the wolves with protecting the heard of cattle and the good of the ranch. Andrews is a talented writer and paints a vivid picture of the wide-open Montana scenery. He is great at explaining the delicate balance of cattle ranching, respecting the environment, and the consequences of developing the rural farms in the plains.
sarahsnacks's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Though I don’t agree with the treatment of the cattle and the way in which they are discussed/perceived in the book, I still very much enjoyed this one. The author is an exceptional writer. Absolutely beautifully written with a wide and tasty range of vocabulary and an immense love of nature. Warning: death and gore make appearances, as both are a part of the wild world and that of ranching/livestock.
bluepigeon's review
5.0
Part thriller, part nature ballad, Badluck Way is a subtle love story. Bryce Andrews tells the story of his love for the Madison Valley, its domesticated and wild animals, and its open skies with a wanderlust that is hard to match. Throughout the tale, his efforts to nurture are at sharp odds with his deeds of [animal] murder, about which he spends a great deal of the book reflecting. I can only imagine what some of the characters in the book would say if they read Andrews' account of his year at the Sun Ranch, for surely he is being too kind and loving to certain enemies of the tough ranching crowd (i.e., wolves).
It is always fascinating to read self-enforced hard labor, especially the brand that is very American and Western, where privileged people (i.e., citizens of the developed world, who are usually white and male and come from a comfortable life with several career opportunities) choose to rough it. The kind of back-breaking work Andrews describes and the reasons he counts for doing it (i.e., his love of nature, especially the particular nature of the Madison Valley) seem utterly disproportionate to me. It seems like the Olympic athlete that had to finish her competition despite a broken ankle, or the no-pain-no-gain slogans for the workout maniacs, or some sort of thrill-seeking that cannot be explained away with love of nature or being outdoors. I love nature; I visit it often. It is the extremes that some feel they have to live to truly engage, which is interesting, if not painful to read about. The truth is that there are millions of people who do this sort of work in different shapes and forms, who would rather not. They do it because they have to, because there is no other way for them to make a living, because they do not have a college degree waiting for them. So in that regard, it is both crazy that someone like Bryce Andrews takes on a brutal year in the ranch, and awesome and wonderful.
Recommended for those who love horses, wolves, and elk, and those who enjoy Alyson Hagy's work. Also recommended for those who love four-wheel-drive pick-up trucks, guns, and rifles.
Thanks to Goodreads First Reads and the publisher for a free copy of Badluck Way.
It is always fascinating to read self-enforced hard labor, especially the brand that is very American and Western, where privileged people (i.e., citizens of the developed world, who are usually white and male and come from a comfortable life with several career opportunities) choose to rough it. The kind of back-breaking work Andrews describes and the reasons he counts for doing it (i.e., his love of nature, especially the particular nature of the Madison Valley) seem utterly disproportionate to me. It seems like the Olympic athlete that had to finish her competition despite a broken ankle, or the no-pain-no-gain slogans for the workout maniacs, or some sort of thrill-seeking that cannot be explained away with love of nature or being outdoors. I love nature; I visit it often. It is the extremes that some feel they have to live to truly engage, which is interesting, if not painful to read about. The truth is that there are millions of people who do this sort of work in different shapes and forms, who would rather not. They do it because they have to, because there is no other way for them to make a living, because they do not have a college degree waiting for them. So in that regard, it is both crazy that someone like Bryce Andrews takes on a brutal year in the ranch, and awesome and wonderful.
Recommended for those who love horses, wolves, and elk, and those who enjoy Alyson Hagy's work. Also recommended for those who love four-wheel-drive pick-up trucks, guns, and rifles.
Thanks to Goodreads First Reads and the publisher for a free copy of Badluck Way.
emilymroth's review
3.0
I reviewed this book for Booklist. Check out my review here!
http://www.amazon.com/Badluck-Way-Year-Ragged-Edge/dp/147671083X
http://www.amazon.com/Badluck-Way-Year-Ragged-Edge/dp/147671083X
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