Pleasure of Believing

by Anastasia Hobbet

Roberta Shea's forebears carved a cattle ranch out of the Wyoming wilderness. But she does not share in her neighbors' assumption that the pioneers' sacrifices have bestowed upon them the right to exploit the land as they see fit.
Roberta has converted her ranch into a rehabilitation center for birds of prey. Locally, she is referred as "the eagle lady." She is about to release two juvenile bald eagles whom she has restored to health to join others of this endangered species that winter in a nearby canyon.
Her husband, Glenn, a state senator, loves the stubborn woman he is married to, but he wishes she could be a bit more politic when it comes to denouncing the neighbors.
When a neighbor, struggling to protect his sheep from marauding coyotes, does what he feels he has to, he sets in motion a chain of events that will challenge Roberta's loyalties.
Inspired by a true event in 1971 that led to the passage of the Endangered Species Act, this is a poetic evocation of Wyoming's high prairie country and of the bitter clash between the competing claims of the Old West and the New.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Early endorsements and reviews for
Small Kingdoms, published January 15, 2010, by The Permanent Press

“A gripping book, written with clarity, grace, and insight…a great achievement.”

—Hilary Mantel,
winner, 2009 Man Booker Prize

Chosen for inclusion in January's NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER column, 'New Books that Transport Us'

“Hobbet’s second novel, set in Kuwait between the two Gulf wars, beautifully evokes both character and place.... Hobbet vividly renders both the stark landscape of the Middle East and its class disparity....An eloquent, haunting, and enlightening novel.”

—Booklist, starred review

“compelling…an immersive, authentic novel about Middle East life.”

—Publisher's Weekly

“A story of tangled East-West relations…Hobbet employs a deft touch as she moves into delicate areas of cultural misunderstanding and romantic complication.”
—Kirkus

"A brilliant feat of storytelling, a richly-woven novel that presents an unsparing portrait of life in the Gulf. Anastasia Hobbet offers the reader an engrossing story as well as a deeply humane insight into a culture that is often caricatured."

— Zoë Ferraris
winner, 2008 LA Times Book Award

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roberta Shea, the descendant of a pioneer Wyoming ranching family who is now oriented toward environmental concerns, clashes with old ranching values around wildlife “control” and depredation. Wonderful study of a marriage at mid-life; shifting values; moral complexity. No stock characters here. Wonderful details on every page; this is a writer who knows ranching communities, birds, wildlife, and human relationships. The book has heart.

[Cinda MacKinnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anastasia Hobbet is a superb story teller. She paints an exquisite picture of Wyoming with ranchers in conflict with environmentalists, and does so without taking sides. This balance makes her characters, especially stubborn Roberta and rancher Carl, seem so real you will find yourself wondering how they are doing – long after closing the book.

[Triss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetic

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice story

[Molly Dougherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rachael Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has stayed on my list as a recommendation for many years.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time with the characters, especially Bertie, but overall the book was worth finishing.

[Evableeker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hobbet's themes and scope are impressive and gritty, lovely to read. But purple prose pulls me back to three stars.