River Runts

by Ted Merrill, Bill Merrill

This is an engaging and unique memoir, told with a wry wit by two brothers now in their eighties. Living in a small Idaho town, their schoolteacher father had summers free, and these stories tell of the authors' growing up years camping and fishing on Idaho's Wood River and Salmon River for two to three months each summer. The book paints a picture of a close and funtional family, and touches on parenting, history, and society. It appears on the surface as isolated vignettes of treasured places and events, but on a deeper level it shows an orderly progression of lessons learned and skills gained, of cultures and values being passed on--and the passing of an era on our planet.

Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of nostalgic fishing stories from two older brothers looking back with nothing but pure romantic reverence for their simple, singly focused summers. River Runts is set in a beautifully rugged area of Idaho that based on my own experiences hasn't changed as fast as the world I grew up in. A great inspiration on living a life that's easy to love :)

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoir of two young men salmon fishing in Idaho in the 1930s.