Caprice

by George Bowering

During the final days of the Old West, Caprice, a beautiful, strong-willed woman determined to find the man who killed her brother, encounters a colorful collection of good guys and bad guys

Genres: Fiction, Canada

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 4, 1988

About the author

George Bowering was born and brought up in the Okanagan Valley, amid sand dunes and sagebrush, but he has lived in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta — great sources of hockey stars. Along the way he has stopped to write several books on baseball. He has also picked up Governor General’s Awards for his poetry and fiction, and otherwise been rewarded with prizes for his books, except in his home province of British Columbia. His earlier ECW book, His Life, was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for 2000. He lives in Vancouver.

Reviews

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a very different woman in the west around the 1880s. It is peppered with interesting characters. I liked the book as it kept me riveted as to what would happen next and to whom. I spent many years not far from Kamloops and enjoyed reading the history of the region. Many of the names in the book are prominent names still in that area.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly a western - a bit of a spoof on Westerns,with some baseball thrown in, by Canada's former poet laureate.
I have a long-standing crush on George Bowering, so I think anything he writes is good.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Bowering, more noted for his poetry than his prose, tackles the classic western in this gender busting, genre altering account of a young woman in the 'wild west". Fans of Pete Dexter, Deadwood and the like will enjoy it.

[Zvjezdana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caprice, my woman, marry me please!

crvenokosa, sa pjegicama, mišićava, prkosna, divlja, čita knjige, jaše konje, kaubojka ("cowboy? cow-woman? cowperson.")

jedina mana je ta šta umre Cabayo *šmrc*

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caprice is a young woman who is searching for the man who killed her brother following an argument over a bottle of whiskey. The time period is the early 1900's and the location is the interior of B. C. an interesting book with lots of subtle humor. An interesting style of writing which takes a bit of time to get used to. Love the two natives in the story as they add the humor to the story as they follow Caprice.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting view of the west from a different point of view.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Bowering is a historian and a poet. His prose is beautiful, haunting and at times laugh out loud comedic. Thank you for brining alive old British Columbia from a female perspective.

[Leann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow read with a rather disappointing ending.