I was assigned this book for review through Book Browse. The story of Ruthie Fear growing up in a beautiful wilderness being overtaken by creeping urbanization and environmental changes is an interesting read,. The early parts of Ruthie's life are shaped by her father's s belief in individualism and disdain for organized society. Being raised by a man who has limited if any kindness in him and no interest in tempering his daughter's development with any female influence, Ruthie grows up shaped by her relationship with nature and animals and with an essentially male world view. As a result she makes choices more on instinct than reason. The community in which she is raised forms an important part of Ruthie's identity. She is a most unique character to say the least. While the book is beautifully written and has an ending that is a bit of a surprise, unfortunately it just didn't resonate with me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers who gave me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

If "Ruthie Fear" by Maxim Loskutoff is not on your "to-be-read" book list, it needs to be. Loskutoff creates very visceral, complex characters set in a wilderness that is so evocative and expressive that it becomes easy to submerge oneself in the pages.

The novel follows Ruthie Fear from the age of six to her early thirties as she attempts to find herself amidst the violence which surrounds her and the wildlife that is constantly changing. Through Ruthie's eyes, we see life in Bitterroot Valley, Montana, full of people who feel beaten down by life and are struggling to make something of themselves, a community changing to the modernity of the world, and the strange appearances of creatures that have haunted Ruthie since she was a little girl.

I absolutely loved this story. It was very rich in detail that made Bitterroot Valley feel like it could be anyone's home due to the level of depth put into its history. Not to mention the character's reaction and perceptions of the ever-changing natural world of their community felt very tangible and wholesome. It reminded me a lot of stories like "Hold the Dark" by William Giraldi and "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson because the stories are so complex and deeply rooted in the community and wildlife that it is almost impossible to not fall in love with the writing.

"Ruthie Fear" is highly recommended. This novel is anything but dull and slow-paced, and I can guarantee that readers will be immersed in Ruthie's tale as it unfolds.

A story about a young girl growing up in a trailer in the Bitterroot Valley, just South of Missoula, Montana. Raised by her father when her mother abandons them, she alternates between absorbing his values and lifestyle and wishing she could have almost any other life. We follow her from age six through her early thirties as she tries to find her place in the world.

The book is beautifully written, evoking the wild beauty of the valley, surrounding mountains, and wildlife as well as depicting small town Montana life amid a sea of changes. We see the world through Ruthie’s eyes as she struggles to reconcile the violence and injustice that she abhors with her own inner darkness and the natural and man-made disasters that beset the Valley.

The overall tone of the book is (to me) depressing. Her perceptions of most (not all) of the men around her is as pathetic, angry, and beaten down by life. The story is a slow parade of natural and man-made disasters and the impact on the relatively impoverished people around her: fires, a giant earthquake, the mills closing and ensuing lack of work, the incursion of the “California carpetbaggers,” ski areas closed due to warming weather, thousands of geese killed from polluted ponds, etc. She is a constant witness to conflict and violence — against animals and against other people. She observes that much of the anger percolates through the hierarchy of locals: white settlers who have been there for generations, the Salish Indians (the “original” locals), and the constant influx of people who came fleeing someplace else — hippies, polygamist mormons, retirees. Everybody wants the others to disappear and nobody wants anyone new to show up.

The last chapter took a wild turn into left field. I don’t know where it came from, and I can’t decide if it was symbolic or something that was actually happening. I’m going with largely symbolic, but I don’t want to include any spoilers so you’ll have to read it and let me know your thoughts…

Overall I enjoyed reading this book — gorgeous writing, character depth, and a level of detail that made it all so palpable. I would have preferred a more balanced view of life in the area — I understand that this really was one person’s experience, but it painted the area as somewhat hopeless, full of victims who were unable to stem the tide of unwanted change (or adapt to it). It reminded me of Louise Erdrich books which I’ve stopped reading — incredibly beautifully done, but on the depressing side.