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Justice
Larry Watson's bestselling novel Montana 1948 was acclaimed as "a work of art" (Susan Petro, San Francisco Chronicle ), a prize-winning evocation of a time, a place, and a family. Now Watson returns to Montana 1948's vast landscape with a stunning prequel that illuminates the Hayden clan's early years and the circumstances that led to the events of Montana 1948. In Montana, the Hayden name is law. For the Hayden boys, Wesley and Frank, their legacy carries an aura of privilege and power that doesn't stop at the Montana border, even when an ill-fated hunting trip makes them temporary outlaws. But what it means to bear the name is something each generation must discover for itself. From Julian, the hard-bitten and blustery patriarch, to Gail, Sheriff Wesley Hayden's spirited wife and moral compass, Larry Watson gives breath and blood to a remarkable family's struggles and rewards, and opens an evocative window on the very heart of the American West.
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 1994
157 people are currently reading
392 people want to read
About the author
Larry Watson
32 books445 followersLarry Watson was born in 1947 in Rugby, North Dakota. He grew up in Bismarck, North Dakota, and was educated in its public schools. Larry married his high school sweetheart, Susan Gibbons, in 1967. He received his BA and MA from the University of North Dakota, his Ph.D. from the creative writing program at the University of Utah, and an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Ripon College. Watson has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (1987, 2004) and the Wisconsin Arts Board.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
December 17, 2022
The Publisher Says: Larry Watson's bestselling novel Montana 1948 was acclaimed as "a work of art" (Susan Petro, San Francisco Chronicle), a prize-winning evocation of a time, a place, and a family. Now Watson returns to Montana 1948's vast landscape with a stunning prequel that illuminates the Hayden clan's early years and the circumstances that led to the events of Montana 1948.
In Montana, the Hayden name is law. For the Hayden boys, Wesley and Frank, their legacy carries an aura of privilege and power that doesn't stop at the Montana border, even when an ill-fated hunting trip makes them temporary outlaws. But what it means to bear the name is something each generation must discover for itself. From Julian, the hard-bitten and blustery patriarch, to Gail, Sheriff Wesley Hayden's spirited wife and moral compass, Larry Watson gives breath and blood to a remarkable family's struggles and rewards, and opens an evocative window on the very heart of the American West.
My Review: A collection of previously published short pieces, Justice tells the backstory of the Haydens of Bentrock, Montana, the family at the center of Watson's first bestselling novel Montana 1948. We meet patriarch Julian Hayden in 1899, barely dry behind the ears and ready to take on the world; his shy, retiring, high-strung wife Enid on the day she married him; his two sons on the day childhood ended for both, in which the seeds of Montana 1948 are explicitly sown; Wesley's short, abortive run for freedom from the weight of expectations sparks at a terrible family Thanksgiving dinner; Julian's and Wesley's deputy and general sad-sack, Len McAuley, comes in from the pointlessness of secondary characterization in unexpected and poignant ways; and then the marriage and parenthood of North Dakotan steel magnolia Gail and Wesley, a life started in, and blighted by, the shadows of the Hayden family legacy.
This is decidedly not Montana 1948. It's perfectly good read on its own, actually, just as character sketches of a family and its effects on the world at large, and its costs to the members thereof. I can't complain about anything here, because Dr. Watson is a prose stylist whose direct, pared down artistry is very appealing to me. I can't urge all and sundry to rush out and buy a copy, either, because the book is a collection of short stories with all the cultural freight implicit in that description. Tastes and hints and pieces are the stuff of short stories, and that is both a strength and a weakness. Here, it's perfect, because the novel they prequelize (a rather lumpish and ungainly neologism, but "prefigure" is so stuffily snooty) is in itself a marvel of tight, concise storytelling that leaves acres of room to wonder about the people in it. But on its own, under its own steam, it's very good but not great. Good writing, interesting characters, but nothing...well, nothing to launch it to that next level, say like American Salvage or Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned.
Still. You have definitely done worse by yourself than reading these seven stories. I'm glad I finally made room for them on the nightstand. Recommended.
In Montana, the Hayden name is law. For the Hayden boys, Wesley and Frank, their legacy carries an aura of privilege and power that doesn't stop at the Montana border, even when an ill-fated hunting trip makes them temporary outlaws. But what it means to bear the name is something each generation must discover for itself. From Julian, the hard-bitten and blustery patriarch, to Gail, Sheriff Wesley Hayden's spirited wife and moral compass, Larry Watson gives breath and blood to a remarkable family's struggles and rewards, and opens an evocative window on the very heart of the American West.
My Review: A collection of previously published short pieces, Justice tells the backstory of the Haydens of Bentrock, Montana, the family at the center of Watson's first bestselling novel Montana 1948. We meet patriarch Julian Hayden in 1899, barely dry behind the ears and ready to take on the world; his shy, retiring, high-strung wife Enid on the day she married him; his two sons on the day childhood ended for both, in which the seeds of Montana 1948 are explicitly sown; Wesley's short, abortive run for freedom from the weight of expectations sparks at a terrible family Thanksgiving dinner; Julian's and Wesley's deputy and general sad-sack, Len McAuley, comes in from the pointlessness of secondary characterization in unexpected and poignant ways; and then the marriage and parenthood of North Dakotan steel magnolia Gail and Wesley, a life started in, and blighted by, the shadows of the Hayden family legacy.
This is decidedly not Montana 1948. It's perfectly good read on its own, actually, just as character sketches of a family and its effects on the world at large, and its costs to the members thereof. I can't complain about anything here, because Dr. Watson is a prose stylist whose direct, pared down artistry is very appealing to me. I can't urge all and sundry to rush out and buy a copy, either, because the book is a collection of short stories with all the cultural freight implicit in that description. Tastes and hints and pieces are the stuff of short stories, and that is both a strength and a weakness. Here, it's perfect, because the novel they prequelize (a rather lumpish and ungainly neologism, but "prefigure" is so stuffily snooty) is in itself a marvel of tight, concise storytelling that leaves acres of room to wonder about the people in it. But on its own, under its own steam, it's very good but not great. Good writing, interesting characters, but nothing...well, nothing to launch it to that next level, say like American Salvage or Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned.
Still. You have definitely done worse by yourself than reading these seven stories. I'm glad I finally made room for them on the nightstand. Recommended.
December 14, 2019
These seven short stories form a prequel for Watson's novel, "Montana, 1948" , which was a page turner about a sheriff who found out about some pretty dirty dealings on the Indian reservation involving his brother, the local doctor. He has to decide which is more important to him; family or justice. That book was riveting and un-put-downable. This one gives us the backstory of the characters in Montana, in such a way that you begin to understand the events and emotions that led to their actions. Starting in 1899, and progressing through each story until 1937, each story is complete in itself, but when considered altogether, it makes the happenings in the summer of 1948 seem almost inevitable, and certainly more tragic. We can also see the author's love for Montana, warts and all.
Larry Watson is fast becoming one of my favorite authors when I need a western fix. This book can be read before Montana,1948, but reading it after that novel seems to me to be a better way to go. But with Larry Watson, either way is golden.
Again, another stellar recommendation from Howard.
Larry Watson is fast becoming one of my favorite authors when I need a western fix. This book can be read before Montana,1948, but reading it after that novel seems to me to be a better way to go. But with Larry Watson, either way is golden.
Again, another stellar recommendation from Howard.
August 13, 2017
Do you know how many books have the word justice in their titles? I’ll tell you: a bunch.
Okay, I’ll narrow that a bit. I did a search on Goodreads and it generated 100 pages with 20 entries to each page. Do you know how many that is? I’ll tell you: a bunch.
Even so, I venture to say that Larry Watson’s book, Justice, is nevertheless unique among that bunch. It is a prequel to his best known novel, Montana 1948. But what makes it unique is that it is not a novel. It is a selection of short stories with each told from the point of view of one of the main characters in Montana 1948 – with two exceptions.
One exception is the narrator of the earlier novel who is looking back to the summer of 1948 and so we already know his back story (assuming one has read the novel first). The other exception is the most enigmatic character in the novel. Oh, he appears in nearly all the short stories in Justice, but none is told from his point of view.
I found that odd – but intriguing. So I went looking for an explanation; and I found one. In an interview Watson said that he could never find his way into the character’s mind and that was the reason for the omission.
You often hear writers say that characters sometimes take on a life of their own and thus the writer is forced to follow along. But here is a complex character who not only remains an enigma to the reader, but also to his creator.
I recommend both of these books, for Watson is a talented writer. However, even though each can be enjoyed as a standalone, I think that reading both adds to the enjoyment of reading each.
Okay, I’ll narrow that a bit. I did a search on Goodreads and it generated 100 pages with 20 entries to each page. Do you know how many that is? I’ll tell you: a bunch.
Even so, I venture to say that Larry Watson’s book, Justice, is nevertheless unique among that bunch. It is a prequel to his best known novel, Montana 1948. But what makes it unique is that it is not a novel. It is a selection of short stories with each told from the point of view of one of the main characters in Montana 1948 – with two exceptions.
One exception is the narrator of the earlier novel who is looking back to the summer of 1948 and so we already know his back story (assuming one has read the novel first). The other exception is the most enigmatic character in the novel. Oh, he appears in nearly all the short stories in Justice, but none is told from his point of view.
I found that odd – but intriguing. So I went looking for an explanation; and I found one. In an interview Watson said that he could never find his way into the character’s mind and that was the reason for the omission.
You often hear writers say that characters sometimes take on a life of their own and thus the writer is forced to follow along. But here is a complex character who not only remains an enigma to the reader, but also to his creator.
I recommend both of these books, for Watson is a talented writer. However, even though each can be enjoyed as a standalone, I think that reading both adds to the enjoyment of reading each.
September 16, 2017
These short stories provide a backdrop for most of the main characters in Montana 1948, proving the writerly advice that an author must know the backstories of his characters even though the reader may never discover them. At least in this case, it proved an interesting exercise for this reader to be able to do so.
Justice in these tales is held in the hands of one family, specifically in the hands of one man, the patriarch of the Hayden family. Though his office is in the courthouse and his son is a lawyer, the courtroom is never seen. Justice is meted out by the sheriff—swiftly; sometimes generously though showily; and usually arbitrarily, due to privilege.
I was surprised (and by the collection's end, felt a bit deflated) that we did not get the point-of-view of one main character from Montana 1948. He’s away at college for some of the time these stories cover, and we do see that some of his proclivities started in high school, but we don’t see his path toward becoming a doctor and then the ugliness that arises from his own privilege: perhaps that’s a blessing, as the first two stories were intense enough.
I’m not sure how I would’ve felt about these stories if I hadn’t read Montana 1948 first, but I’m guessing the prior experience greatly informed this one.
Justice in these tales is held in the hands of one family, specifically in the hands of one man, the patriarch of the Hayden family. Though his office is in the courthouse and his son is a lawyer, the courtroom is never seen. Justice is meted out by the sheriff—swiftly; sometimes generously though showily; and usually arbitrarily, due to privilege.
I was surprised (and by the collection's end, felt a bit deflated) that we did not get the point-of-view of one main character from Montana 1948. He’s away at college for some of the time these stories cover, and we do see that some of his proclivities started in high school, but we don’t see his path toward becoming a doctor and then the ugliness that arises from his own privilege: perhaps that’s a blessing, as the first two stories were intense enough.
I’m not sure how I would’ve felt about these stories if I hadn’t read Montana 1948 first, but I’m guessing the prior experience greatly informed this one.
March 15, 2021
4.5 Stars
August 27, 2017
Once again I'm the odd person out on this duo. I liked this one far more than Montana. The prequel of short stories is crisper. More insightful, just a better window into the Bentrock, Montana world of these periods during the earliest parts of the 20th century. The coming of age progression of Montana doesn't have the spectrum view that this one does.
You get to feel and view emotional positives and also the practical voids and terrible negative personality flaws in nearly all the characters that twine these stories. Because you view them at different ages, you also can conceptualize the vast change or core desire alterations as life contorts a boy to a man to a grandpa. Or a girl to a wife to a woman who holds little memory of the spirit of either.
It's good. Excellent writing which doesn't have to contain and place every single "lesson" or social injustice event or attitude displayed with verbose signage of a 500 word introduction as if you were a child reading morality plays and can't observe the situation yourself.
This author is also quite accurate toward the tremendous physicality demand of the location, and yet often holds a maudlin frame toward the observations and plotting lines. Morose or cold, with a kind of predetermined negativity for habit to follow habit. Most of them bad ones. He scales quite "down there" on homo sapiens' behavioral patterns quotient (humans have TONS of inherent obnoxiousness or selfishness by his evaluations it seems). While at the same time he projects, for me, a bunch more validity to "feelings" than he does to logic or intellect on the whole. Especially in his woman, which are done far less skillfully than his men are. That's why I'm surprised I enjoyed these as much as I did.
You get to feel and view emotional positives and also the practical voids and terrible negative personality flaws in nearly all the characters that twine these stories. Because you view them at different ages, you also can conceptualize the vast change or core desire alterations as life contorts a boy to a man to a grandpa. Or a girl to a wife to a woman who holds little memory of the spirit of either.
It's good. Excellent writing which doesn't have to contain and place every single "lesson" or social injustice event or attitude displayed with verbose signage of a 500 word introduction as if you were a child reading morality plays and can't observe the situation yourself.
This author is also quite accurate toward the tremendous physicality demand of the location, and yet often holds a maudlin frame toward the observations and plotting lines. Morose or cold, with a kind of predetermined negativity for habit to follow habit. Most of them bad ones. He scales quite "down there" on homo sapiens' behavioral patterns quotient (humans have TONS of inherent obnoxiousness or selfishness by his evaluations it seems). While at the same time he projects, for me, a bunch more validity to "feelings" than he does to logic or intellect on the whole. Especially in his woman, which are done far less skillfully than his men are. That's why I'm surprised I enjoyed these as much as I did.
June 6, 2016
So, I am not a huge fan of short stories. I enjoy getting into a book, rather than having little vignettes. But I really like Watson and I really liked Montana 1948.
This book is not a collection of short stories; it is a family history of sorts. These are all stand alone stories (sort of), but they are also interesting and compelling back story to Montana. This is like sitting around at a family reunion and having the old folks tell you about their earlier years. All of these stories could have been part of Montana (as flashbacks), but they would have seemed overkill. Instead, this separate collection is just a companion book. And so, I wasn't at all upset about the short-story-ness of it.
The best one is the first, Outside the Jurisdiction. This is a good stand-alone, but it also sets the stage for Montana by showing the differences between the brothers as well as their father's influence and power. It was well done and compelling.
Julian Hayden gives the history of Julian's arrival to Bentrock. It sets him up as quite a bad ass (but not a like-able guy). I was especially struck by the ending: "one he'd attacked, it just seemed to make more sense to cut first. After carrying the razor all that distance, Julian felt he had to use it" felt so much like Chekov's "a gun shown in Act 1..."
Enid Garling further illuminates Julian's character. I don't remember Enid at all from Montana (I think she was dead before it started, but maybe I'm just mis-remembering because she is so timid). In Montana, the boys are all grown up and their mother is less important; but this chapter really demonstrates Julian's dominance.
Thanksgiving sets up, once again, Wesley's difference from Frank and Julian. The scene at the dinner table where both men are oogling Wesley's girlfriend was just plain great; I could almost feel the tension rising off the page of the book.
Len McAuley was the sole story that does not feature a family. This is arguably a "short story" in the sense that it was not part of the family collection. However, it does further illustrate the differences between Wesley and Julian.
The Sheriff's Wife and The Visit were both from Gail's perspective; first just before she gets pregnant with David and second just after his birth. The interesting contrast here between Gail's view and the rest of the stories is that she sees only the similarities between Julian and Wesley. I found this to be especially ironic given the point and outcome of Montana 1948 and that I thought Gail was especially observant.
Overall they are enjoyable stories. I might not have liked them as much if I had not read Montana; it definitely feels like a companion piece rather than a stand alone collection.
This book is not a collection of short stories; it is a family history of sorts. These are all stand alone stories (sort of), but they are also interesting and compelling back story to Montana. This is like sitting around at a family reunion and having the old folks tell you about their earlier years. All of these stories could have been part of Montana (as flashbacks), but they would have seemed overkill. Instead, this separate collection is just a companion book. And so, I wasn't at all upset about the short-story-ness of it.
The best one is the first, Outside the Jurisdiction. This is a good stand-alone, but it also sets the stage for Montana by showing the differences between the brothers as well as their father's influence and power. It was well done and compelling.
Julian Hayden gives the history of Julian's arrival to Bentrock. It sets him up as quite a bad ass (but not a like-able guy). I was especially struck by the ending: "one he'd attacked, it just seemed to make more sense to cut first. After carrying the razor all that distance, Julian felt he had to use it" felt so much like Chekov's "a gun shown in Act 1..."
Enid Garling further illuminates Julian's character. I don't remember Enid at all from Montana (I think she was dead before it started, but maybe I'm just mis-remembering because she is so timid). In Montana, the boys are all grown up and their mother is less important; but this chapter really demonstrates Julian's dominance.
Thanksgiving sets up, once again, Wesley's difference from Frank and Julian. The scene at the dinner table where both men are oogling Wesley's girlfriend was just plain great; I could almost feel the tension rising off the page of the book.
Len McAuley was the sole story that does not feature a family. This is arguably a "short story" in the sense that it was not part of the family collection. However, it does further illustrate the differences between Wesley and Julian.
The Sheriff's Wife and The Visit were both from Gail's perspective; first just before she gets pregnant with David and second just after his birth. The interesting contrast here between Gail's view and the rest of the stories is that she sees only the similarities between Julian and Wesley. I found this to be especially ironic given the point and outcome of Montana 1948 and that I thought Gail was especially observant.
Overall they are enjoyable stories. I might not have liked them as much if I had not read Montana; it definitely feels like a companion piece rather than a stand alone collection.
June 1, 2023
"Wesley felt as though he had a new knowledge of loss: when opportunities that will never come again slip away untouched."
I loved Montana 1948 so in that context I liked this book which is a prequel that provides background for that novel. I love Larry Watson's way around a story so I am predisposed to enjoy anything he writes.
I loved Montana 1948 so in that context I liked this book which is a prequel that provides background for that novel. I love Larry Watson's way around a story so I am predisposed to enjoy anything he writes.
September 3, 2013
Having just finished Watson's Montana 1948 and wanting more, more, more of that book and its characters, I jumped right into Justice. Therefore, it is impossible for me to opine on this as a stand alone book of stories. I do recommend reading the opening tale in which the brothers, Frank and Wesley, and two friends as teens go on a hunting trip. Because of a blizzard they take motel room, and I'll just say, misbehave. They end up in a jail outside their sheriff's fathers jurisdiction. The ending of the tale is indicative of their privileged position and their father's wealthy and powerful status. I felt this story on par with Montana 1948.
Several tales focus on Frank and Wesley's wives, how they came to be married, both knowing very little of their husbands. Little background is given to the marriages in Montana 1948, so I enjoyed these tales, but do not know if readers unfamiliar with 1948 would have appreciated them as much.
Reflecting upon what I have now read of Watson, there is one skill in his writing that deserves special mention. When one character reflects upon another's behavior, their minds run wild with unanswered questions. I will call this being able to write the turning of the mind. It helps build suspense, it compels the reader to keep reading. Watson definitely does not tell too much, and yet he does in that it seems there is often no shame, just justification for disturbing actions under the law circa the isolated west circa 1920s-1940s.
Several tales focus on Frank and Wesley's wives, how they came to be married, both knowing very little of their husbands. Little background is given to the marriages in Montana 1948, so I enjoyed these tales, but do not know if readers unfamiliar with 1948 would have appreciated them as much.
Reflecting upon what I have now read of Watson, there is one skill in his writing that deserves special mention. When one character reflects upon another's behavior, their minds run wild with unanswered questions. I will call this being able to write the turning of the mind. It helps build suspense, it compels the reader to keep reading. Watson definitely does not tell too much, and yet he does in that it seems there is often no shame, just justification for disturbing actions under the law circa the isolated west circa 1920s-1940s.
December 30, 2024
This filled the void of rugged outdoor Wild West-ness that someone who lives a pampered life and works a desk job needs sometimes.
April 16, 2018
Justice is the prequel to Watson’s excellent novel Montana 1948 and provides backstories for the Hayden family and friends featured in the earlier work. I read Montana 1948 several years ago and it remains one of my favorite books. While Justice doesn’t rise to the same heights, it is definitely a worthwhile read. The novel’s structure, each chapter devoted to the topic of justice from the perspective of a different narrator, reads more like a collection of really good short stories. I would recommend reading Justice first and going on to Montana 1948. These two novellas would be a perfect reading combination for a rainy weekend. (Or if, like me you’re in Northern New England in April, a snowy weekend.)
May 30, 2021
Larry Watson takes us back to Bentrock, Montana and the Hayden family. Well, since this is a prequel, I'm not sure if he is actually 'taking us back', or what, but here we are! And what a family it is! We be seven different stories traversing the years 1899 to 1937, or one year before the original novella. My favorite story was the first one, "Outside the Jurisdiction", but I liked them all quite a bit! A good read all the way through!
February 27, 2022
Larry Watson pulls no punches exploring human behavior and the complexities of family relationships. These interconnected stories that examine the family dynamics preceding his wonderful “Montana 1948” novel are rich in both the depth of the characters and descriptions of the early 20th century Montana/North Dakota setting.
August 13, 2020
This is a collection of short stories that gives background information about several of the characters in Montana 1948, Watson’s best known (and perhaps best) novel. His rich descriptions of Montana, it’s natural beauty and brutality, are integral parts of these stories.
June 4, 2020
I just love Larry Watson’s story telling ability.
July 12, 2023
A fun book to read before or after Montana, 1948
January 16, 2018
I was really looking forward to this as Montana 1948 could be my favourite book of all time. I can't believe it took me all these years to realise that Larry Watson had written about the Hayden circle twice!
I went into it knowing that, given my love for the first, it was not likely to leave such a mark on me. Unfortunately it has not left much of a mark at all. I think his character portraits in Montana 1948 are so precise, so beautifully rendered, that this book was just superfluous.
In short, this book is just not necessary because Montana 1948 is so perfect. It does not contribute anything of real meaning, and I do not feel I learned anything new or important about the characters. I didn't need to know about Julian and Enid's courtship to understand them in the first book, or have Gail as narrator to comprehend her complexities as relayed by David in M1948.
Larry Watson has written a good book, but an unnecessary one. We saw the Haydens perfectly through David's eyes; so this collection of short character essays is largely forgettable.
I went into it knowing that, given my love for the first, it was not likely to leave such a mark on me. Unfortunately it has not left much of a mark at all. I think his character portraits in Montana 1948 are so precise, so beautifully rendered, that this book was just superfluous.
In short, this book is just not necessary because Montana 1948 is so perfect. It does not contribute anything of real meaning, and I do not feel I learned anything new or important about the characters. I didn't need to know about Julian and Enid's courtship to understand them in the first book, or have Gail as narrator to comprehend her complexities as relayed by David in M1948.
Larry Watson has written a good book, but an unnecessary one. We saw the Haydens perfectly through David's eyes; so this collection of short character essays is largely forgettable.
March 16, 2019
Solid set of prequel stories that highlight the characters from Larry Watson's Montana 1948. I have some other books that I need to read and clear off the home shelves, but I'm hoping to find my way back to Larry Watson again.
A couple quotes:
"The sheriff didn't answer for a long time. He reached into his desk drawer and took out a tin of Velvet tobacco and a packet of rolling papers. He took his time rolling his cigarette, as if he were a man who did not smoke often and so wanted each cigarette to be as well made as possible. He moistened the paper not by drawing it the length of his tongue but by flicking out his tongue in tiny licks."
"But Enid couldn't keep from her mind what he said about breaking horses. She had the uneasy feeling that he was practicing the same technique on her, that she could put him off for any number of days, weeks, months, years, and Julian Hayden would keep coming back."
"Over Wesley's shoulder Gail looked out across the road. The wind carried a plume of smoke off the top of the drift, and it looked as if the snow was smoking. The wind carved the edge of the drift as sharp as a knife's blade."
A couple quotes:
"The sheriff didn't answer for a long time. He reached into his desk drawer and took out a tin of Velvet tobacco and a packet of rolling papers. He took his time rolling his cigarette, as if he were a man who did not smoke often and so wanted each cigarette to be as well made as possible. He moistened the paper not by drawing it the length of his tongue but by flicking out his tongue in tiny licks."
"But Enid couldn't keep from her mind what he said about breaking horses. She had the uneasy feeling that he was practicing the same technique on her, that she could put him off for any number of days, weeks, months, years, and Julian Hayden would keep coming back."
"Over Wesley's shoulder Gail looked out across the road. The wind carried a plume of smoke off the top of the drift, and it looked as if the snow was smoking. The wind carved the edge of the drift as sharp as a knife's blade."
December 29, 2023
This was an unexpected, though slightly disappointing treat. Part Fargo. Part Yellowstone. All Watson. It took me a story or two to realize that the author was weaving short pieces from the same narrative, with familiar names and people at different stages of their lives, different years, different points of view. That was enough to pull me in, make me keep reading, flipping back and forth between pages, trying to look for connections I might have missed or overlooked in an earlier story. But there was one scene, in the second story, that made me think Watson was leading his readers toward some long-awaited revenge, some arc of justice we knew was coming but weren't sure how. Instead, he left me unresolved, wanting more, feeling like there was so much left unsaid. Alas, such is the craft of good writing, and Watson does this work extremely well.
February 22, 2024
I read and enjoyed Montana 1948 by Larry Watson, so I decided to give another of his works a try, and the choice became Justice. I believe Justice was his first book, and now that I finished it, I would characterize it as a series of stories. The stories take place in a small town in northeastern Montana, called Bentrock. The central family in nearly all the stories is the Haydens, as we follow segments of the lives of Julian, Enid, Frank, Wesley, and Gail Hayden. There really is no plot to these linked stories, as the narratives simply follow highlights in the lives of the rural Midwesterners. These are hardworking souls who persist through harsh weather and an unforgiving landscape to carve out a simple existence. I enjoyed the stories, and I look forward to more works from Larry Watson.
April 22, 2018
I read "Montana 1948" first and I'm glad I did. The same characters appear in "Justice", which is a prequel and provides backstory. I would not have wanted to know this information while reading "Montana 1948", though. The Hayden family is a big name in Bentrock, MT. Julian Hayden is the sheriff and family patriarch. It is from him that all other characters flow. Whether we are meeting his wife, sons, deputy or daughter-in-law, everything points back to their relationship with Julian. The prose is spare and evocative of a wide-open landscape that is integral to the tale. Fascinating visit to another land and time.
January 6, 2019
Everything a short story collection should be. Each vignette packs power and purpose as it examines the intertwined lives of a Montanan family stretching (although not perfectly linearly) across the first half of the twentieth century. The stories are often marked by quick bursts of violence that reverberate through yet somehow don’t overwhelm - instead these moments highlight the internal flaws of Watson’s characters. Throw in beautiful writing that is quietly evocative and this is one of the best reads I have come across in years.
August 4, 2022
Don't bother. I was expecting a novel. But it's a series of unconnected short stories about characters that are a prequel to the more well known Montana 1948. No plot, no continuity, no ending. If I had know this I might have read them at the same time. Don't get me wrong, Watson is a talented writer, and the book kept my interest, until I got closer and closer to the back and was increasingly disappointed that there was to be no conclusion and no tying it all together. Thankfully it was short.
June 12, 2017
I'm not sure what there is to like in this book. I didn't like any of the characters. They were all some combination of racist, sexist, violent, and weak. I felt bad for some of them, but didn't see an once of justice delivered to them for their clear failings. I liked Montana 1948, but this was a laborious and aimless read, populated by characters I'd rather not know.
July 18, 2019
This is a marvelous, affective, and really lovely set of vignettes about one Montana family in the early Twentieth-century. Thus it is about relationships, relatedness, love, struggle, challenge, and the unique people and personalities who make their home in the Northern American Plains. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.
April 8, 2020
This prequel to Montana 1948 is broken into parts narrated by different members of the Hayden family. I read Montana 1948 long ago but decided to reread and thought this prequel would set it up better than first time I read it.
Justice gives insight into various main characters and it is beautifully written. I know I’ll enjoy the sequel, up next.
Justice gives insight into various main characters and it is beautifully written. I know I’ll enjoy the sequel, up next.
August 7, 2025
I enjoyed this book as a backstory to Montana 1948 because it gave some backstory to the characters. I don't think this would be a good stand-alone book, though. The author does have an incredible ability to provide such rich details. I don't know how comes up with such intricate details. And he certainly does a great job of describing what it's like to drive in a blizzard!
July 19, 2018
Similar writing to Kent Haruf bit not quite as good. Anyone wanting to read this genre (good old fashioned stories in a western locale) should read Ivan Doig. He is fantastic. My favorite being the “whistling season”... larry Watson book was just meh! Probably won’t read any more of his
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