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In the Arms of Mountains: A Memoir of Land, Love, and Queer Resistance in Red America
A powerful story of hope, resilience, and political resistance where you least expect it, from Idaho’s first openly LGBTQ+ lawmaker
"One doesn’t need to be queer to feel seen, heard, and empowered...A reminder that activists need to believe that the impossible can happen."
—Carole King, singer, songwriter, activist, and author of A Natural Woman
Cole LeFavour was 11 years old when their hippie parents moved the family to a guest ranch in Idaho. Hours to the North, as the LeFavours unpacked pots and pans, Richard Butler dreamed of establishing a white separatist nation. It’s here, in one of the reddest states on the map, where Cole learned to raise ducklings, hike the wilderness alone, and build political resistance where you least expect it.
This is the story rural America deserves to tell—and that the rest of the country needs to hear. Follow LeFavour’s journey from their 2-mile walk to the school bus along a dirt road to their monumental election as Idaho’s first openly queer state senator. Cole recounts anti-apartheid protests in Berkeley, the solitary life of a fire lookout, and the gravitational pull of unexpected romance and loss. In the Arms of Mountains is a memoir with dirt under its nails and heart on its sleeve. It shatters the carefully constructed “monolithic heartland” myth and rewrites Hillbilly Elegy’s bleak epitaph.
Haunting, hopeful, and full of fight, Cole’s story reminds us of what’s possible when we look beyond red and blue, right and left, to meet each other at the edge of the wild.
"One doesn’t need to be queer to feel seen, heard, and empowered...A reminder that activists need to believe that the impossible can happen."
—Carole King, singer, songwriter, activist, and author of A Natural Woman
Cole LeFavour was 11 years old when their hippie parents moved the family to a guest ranch in Idaho. Hours to the North, as the LeFavours unpacked pots and pans, Richard Butler dreamed of establishing a white separatist nation. It’s here, in one of the reddest states on the map, where Cole learned to raise ducklings, hike the wilderness alone, and build political resistance where you least expect it.
This is the story rural America deserves to tell—and that the rest of the country needs to hear. Follow LeFavour’s journey from their 2-mile walk to the school bus along a dirt road to their monumental election as Idaho’s first openly queer state senator. Cole recounts anti-apartheid protests in Berkeley, the solitary life of a fire lookout, and the gravitational pull of unexpected romance and loss. In the Arms of Mountains is a memoir with dirt under its nails and heart on its sleeve. It shatters the carefully constructed “monolithic heartland” myth and rewrites Hillbilly Elegy’s bleak epitaph.
Haunting, hopeful, and full of fight, Cole’s story reminds us of what’s possible when we look beyond red and blue, right and left, to meet each other at the edge of the wild.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 21, 2026
I am deeply moved, deeply troubled and profoundly grateful to Cole LaFavour for telling their story. I share their commitment to and love for Idaho, for all its people and its wild and primitive places. I feel inadequate to comment on their story, especially their work on Add the Four Words. (I highly recommend watching the documentary “Add the Words” in conjunction with reading their memoir.) As a privileged, old, White man I am humbled by their willingness to share their story, by their trust that a sincere reader could receive it gratefully yet with respectful acceptance of the difficulties of really fully appreciating another’s life experience even when their story is so well told. I hope I would have joined their band of activists willing to stand for the silenced. I will make opportunities to love and support the vulnerable in this very conservative state. (BTW- I wonder why the Idaho Freedom Foundation was not mentioned as a source of political fear and coercion. I have seen their pernicious influence in the most local of issues and elections.) I think our state- and country- would be well served if more people would read their memoir.
May 30, 2026
Real Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Rural America deserves more than an elegy: A powerful story of hope, resilience, and political resistance where you least expect it, from Idaho’s first openly LGBTQ+ lawmaker
Cole LeFavour was 11 years old when their hippie parents moved the family to a guest ranch in Idaho. Hours to the North, as the LeFavours unpacked pots and pans, Richard Butler dreamed of establishing a white separatist nation. It’s here, in one of the reddest states on the map, where Cole learned to raise ducklings, hike the wilderness alone, and build political resistance where you least expect it.
This is the story rural America deserves to tell—and that the rest of the country needs to hear. Follow LeFavour’s journey from their 2-mile walk to the school bus along a dirt road to their monumental election as Idaho’s first openly queer state senator. Cole recounts anti-apartheid protests in Berkeley, the solitary life of a fire lookout, and the gravitational pull of unexpected romance and loss. In the Arms of Mountains is a memoir with dirt under its nails and heart on its sleeve. It shatters the carefully constructed “monolithic heartland” myth and rewrites Hillbilly Elegy’s bleak epitaph.
Haunting, hopeful, and full of fight, Cole’s story reminds us of what’s possible when we look beyond red and blue, right and left, to meet each other at the edge of the wild.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: I liked this read just fine. I was more interested in the author's journey to becoming an Idaho state legislator than their family history, but both held my attention.
Seeing myself in their life's journey was not simple, but my curiosity pulled me along, and I ended my read feeling "here's someone I think would not like me personally but would be interesting to chat with at a cocktail gathering."
Beacon Press politely holds out a hand expecting you to put $17.95 in their palm for an ebook.
The Publisher Says: Rural America deserves more than an elegy: A powerful story of hope, resilience, and political resistance where you least expect it, from Idaho’s first openly LGBTQ+ lawmaker
Cole LeFavour was 11 years old when their hippie parents moved the family to a guest ranch in Idaho. Hours to the North, as the LeFavours unpacked pots and pans, Richard Butler dreamed of establishing a white separatist nation. It’s here, in one of the reddest states on the map, where Cole learned to raise ducklings, hike the wilderness alone, and build political resistance where you least expect it.
This is the story rural America deserves to tell—and that the rest of the country needs to hear. Follow LeFavour’s journey from their 2-mile walk to the school bus along a dirt road to their monumental election as Idaho’s first openly queer state senator. Cole recounts anti-apartheid protests in Berkeley, the solitary life of a fire lookout, and the gravitational pull of unexpected romance and loss. In the Arms of Mountains is a memoir with dirt under its nails and heart on its sleeve. It shatters the carefully constructed “monolithic heartland” myth and rewrites Hillbilly Elegy’s bleak epitaph.
Haunting, hopeful, and full of fight, Cole’s story reminds us of what’s possible when we look beyond red and blue, right and left, to meet each other at the edge of the wild.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: I liked this read just fine. I was more interested in the author's journey to becoming an Idaho state legislator than their family history, but both held my attention.
Seeing myself in their life's journey was not simple, but my curiosity pulled me along, and I ended my read feeling "here's someone I think would not like me personally but would be interesting to chat with at a cocktail gathering."
Beacon Press politely holds out a hand expecting you to put $17.95 in their palm for an ebook.
August 21, 2026
Idaho is a state with many different facets. There is plenty to love about the closeness to nature; even in Boise you can take a trail out of town into wilderness. And there are many kinds of wildernesses: mountains, white water, plains, you name it. There is also plenty to be wary, as well. I lived in Boise for much of the 1980s and some of the 90s into the early 2000s. The city was changing, and although it was evident that the majority was white (I am not), there could be a certain uncomfortableness at being stared at, especially in the 1980s, if you hung out with other people of color, of which there were few.
It is easy to understand what Cole Nicole LeFavour went through during their life in Boise. I was a bystander for some of the early parts of it. We were neighbors and knew many of the same people, as one always finds their kin if they look hard enough. That Cole became more of an activist the longer she stayed, demonstrates her love for a place that is difficult to define. You fight for what you love, what you believe in, what you know is right. And they kept fighting. It can be a lifetime of struggle.
"The personal is the political" or is it "the political is personal"? Both are true in this case as with all people who are looking for a better, more equal life for all the "others" in the world. Cole has shown their commitment to this fight, and we are all the stronger for it.
It is easy to understand what Cole Nicole LeFavour went through during their life in Boise. I was a bystander for some of the early parts of it. We were neighbors and knew many of the same people, as one always finds their kin if they look hard enough. That Cole became more of an activist the longer she stayed, demonstrates her love for a place that is difficult to define. You fight for what you love, what you believe in, what you know is right. And they kept fighting. It can be a lifetime of struggle.
"The personal is the political" or is it "the political is personal"? Both are true in this case as with all people who are looking for a better, more equal life for all the "others" in the world. Cole has shown their commitment to this fight, and we are all the stronger for it.
August 21, 2026
In the Arms of Mountains is a powerful memoir about identity, place, resilience, and political courage. Cole Nicole LeFavour traces a remarkable journey from growing up on a remote Idaho guest ranch to becoming the state's first openly LGBTQ+ state senator, offering a deeply personal perspective on what it means to build resistance and community in a place often portrayed as politically uniform.
What makes the memoir especially compelling is the way LeFavour connects personal experience with the larger realities of rural America. Wilderness, family, activism, romance, loss, and political struggle all become part of a story that challenges simplistic assumptions about the American heartland and demonstrates that meaningful change can emerge in unexpected places.
With its combination of memoir, LGBTQ+ history, political experience, and reflections on rural life, In the Arms of Mountains should resonate with readers interested in identity, activism, American politics, and stories of perseverance. It is ultimately an encouraging reminder that communities are more complex than their political labels and that resistance can take root almost anywhere.
What makes the memoir especially compelling is the way LeFavour connects personal experience with the larger realities of rural America. Wilderness, family, activism, romance, loss, and political struggle all become part of a story that challenges simplistic assumptions about the American heartland and demonstrates that meaningful change can emerge in unexpected places.
With its combination of memoir, LGBTQ+ history, political experience, and reflections on rural life, In the Arms of Mountains should resonate with readers interested in identity, activism, American politics, and stories of perseverance. It is ultimately an encouraging reminder that communities are more complex than their political labels and that resistance can take root almost anywhere.
June 1, 2026
An incredibly inspiring, uplifting memoir of the courage to stand up for your beliefs and community in the face of bigotry, intolerance and ignorance. A story of resilience and perseverance in the face of long odds, not always being successful but never giving up the fight to make things better for their community. At times hilarious other times heartbreaking, always fascinating. With cameos from an interesting cast of characters including gonzo journalist Hunter Thompson and singer-songwriter Carole King. Cole LeFavour is a superbly talented writer & storyteller. The perfect read for Pride Month or any month of the year. Highly Recommended!
June 10, 2026
In the Arms of Mountains is a beautifully written memoir that shows that the political is always personal. LeFavour recalls their unique childhood--anyone else have Hunter S. Thompson for a neighbor?--and builds to their life as an LGBTQ activist. The book is a reminder of the slow arc of change and the heartbreaking sacrifices that accompany it. Yet overall, this memoir is optimistic--we can all fight for and find our place in the world.
August 17, 2026
I had the pleasure of meeting Cole at our local Idaho Pride march in 2026. Being a non native of Idaho, I had no idea who they were, but greatly appreciated their conversation and words of support as a part of the personalized signing.
Now, after reading the book, I wish I could sit down with them and talk over coffee or tea.
Now, after reading the book, I wish I could sit down with them and talk over coffee or tea.
August 24, 2026
This memoir brought to light things I had no idea were a part of American, Idahoan, and queer history. It is written at a decently quick pace for a memoir, and gives to reader lots of room to think and decide on an opinion for themselves, a talent few modern politicians possess. Overall was well written and thought provoking without being overly heavy or hard to read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
In the Arms of Mountains is about a person finding beauty in nature and in others and how that beauty helped them to find their place in the world. And how finding their place helped others to find theirs.
The fire lookout stories are intense. I felt like I was right there with them. The love story is so tender. I cried.
The fire lookout stories are intense. I felt like I was right there with them. The love story is so tender. I cried.
June 14, 2026
I listened to the audiobook. Not a fan of it.
July 20, 2026
3.5 rounded up. I didn’t know this was a politician going into it. Interesting if not a bit longer than it needed to be.
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June 25, 2026 "He told me he wanted to vote yes, but the church told him he could not."
is one of the most infuriating quotes from this book.
This is a straight forward account of the author's life, with most of the focus on her unsuccessful campaign to "Add the Words" of sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's nondescrimination law.
is one of the most infuriating quotes from this book.
This is a straight forward account of the author's life, with most of the focus on her unsuccessful campaign to "Add the Words" of sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's nondescrimination law.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book was moving, made me cry. It makes you think about the safety of individuals in red states who are just trying to live their lives.
The audiobook is also moving but funny too. The reader does an excellent job.
The audiobook is also moving but funny too. The reader does an excellent job.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews