The Split Sky: A Journey of Discovery in Utah's Nine Mile Canyon

by Tom McCourt

SUPERANNO A story of inspiration, courage, and coming of age, this autobiography of a 16-year-old cowboy with a Summer job on a cattle ranch in 1963 is filled with humor, conflict, horses, dogs, ghosts, grumpy old men, and pretty girls, and is about learning to overcome adversity, learning to walk tall, and finding the pathway to life in the wilderness. Original.

Genres: Nonfiction

310 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2002

Reviews

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

McCourt writes about what he knows - with a sort of cynical fondness for his own history and surroundings. He warns of his propensity for sarcasm in the introduction, but his negative portrayal of nearly everyone he encounters (hmmm, let's see - he likes his dad and Virginia. That's about it.) is at odds with his awe for his surroundings and his alleged naivete. He is still pining for the world of "Leave it to Beaver" and has no interest in understanding that the world has moved on.

All that aside, he does paint a fascinating picture of Nine Mile Canyon and central/eastern Utah in the early 1960s. I have always wanted to see this vast gallery of native art (and will soon, I'll tell you...) and this book just fueled that fire. This is my fourth McCourt book and I recently learned that he has written a history on Cass Hite which I am going to find... He is uniquely qualified to write about this region. His publishing company is impossible to find (via Google), but Amazon carries his books.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book (although it desperately needs a professional edit) right up until the "Guns" chapter. All of a sudden the writing became contrived and mean-spirited. Through the end of the book the author's attempts at sarcastic humor fell flat,unsophisticated and embarrassing. It seemed to me that the author dispensed with thoughtful writing in desperation to finish the book and I ended up wanting to throw the book away.

[John Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, humorous and captivating coming-of-age memoir. The author gives you a taste of the Utah ranch life of the 1960s. My grandpa owned a cattle ranch in Southern Utah during this same time, so his descriptions of ranch life, the work and the people, were familiar and accurate. His prose and insights are great, made richer, of course, with the wisdom many years later. Now I’m anxious to visit Nine Mile Canyon again with a new and deeper perspective. It’s a fascinating place.

Although it could be just a tiny bit more polished, McCourt has an easy-going and engaging writing style that made me not want to put the book down. He left me with wanting to know more about Nine Mile Canyon and the history of the area and the people there.

[Kaye Sivori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read! If you grew up in central/southern Utah or ever wanted to be a cowboy, this is a MUST read :)

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, easy, enjoyable read about a young man working on a cattle ranch.

[Pc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining and informative. Excellent story of a young man's journey to manhood in a very special setting. Loved it!