Be a Man: Raised in the Shadow of Cowboys

by Russell Rowland

Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 1, 2026

About the author

I'm a Montana native, and I returned home in 2007. My first novel, In Open Spaces, made the San Francisco Chronicle's bestseller list. I got my MA in Creative Writing from Boston University in 1991, and have been a MacDowell fellow and a fortune cookie writer. The Watershed Years, the sequel to number one, was published in 2007 and was a finalist for the High Plains Book Award. In 2012, WEST OF 98, an anthology I edited with Lynn Stegner, was released by the University of Texas Press. And in 2012r, my third novel, High and Inside, was released by Bangtail Press and was also named a finalist for the High Plains Book Award. In April 2016, Fifty-Six Counties: A Montana Journey came out. This is my first non-fiction effort, about my travels to every county in Montana and what I learned from this journey.

Reviews

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book! Touching and heartfelt, interesting and fascinating, truly excellent, this book is a memoir for the ages. Read this book if you're interested in memoirs, the West, identity, family, and how to persevere. Russell Rowland writes another wonderful book that I highly recommend.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most surprising thing to me about this memoir is its accessibility to the writer and to the subject matter. Mr. Rowland takes his reader to Montana in the late 1950s, the Montana of the 1970s, and, later, to the present day, with really moving anecdotes and imagery. His experiences with addiction, the edict of the era and to the West itself for men, especially, to “hold it in and tough it out,” and the collateral damage to virtually everyone involved caused by this edict, are laid bare and unpacked. I love how adeptly the author weaves this Western “myth of manhood” and its impact into different aspects of his life, such as familial relationships, romantic relationships, his success as an author, as a musician, friendships, addiction, etc. Rowland’s knack for storytelling and digging deep make this memoir more than just a good read. Its thought-provoking message resonates and lingers. If you are interested in finding out the truth about the “wild West” beyond “Yellowstone,” you will find an excellent resource in this memoir.

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts off well with Russell Rowland talking about his childhood years and family. He’s a strong storyteller and doesn’t bog the reader down with trivial details about his family members. When he gets to his young adult life, however, like in many memoirs, the writing starts getting less interesting. He becomes an alcoholic, as his father was, and goes on and on about that, until he quits drinking. He also has issues with women, including violence.

Next comes his writing years, which were relatively interesting, including describing how he wrote fortune cookie messages. (Now we know where they come from!) Throughout the whole memoir, Mr. Rowland is describing how men are seen or supposed to be in Montana and the West in general. That was obviously one of the main reasons for writing the book. All in all, his thoughts and feelings about that are pretty negative.

My problem with that is how well does his feelings match the feelings of most men in Montana who grew up in his generation? I’m afraid the fact he did have a drinking problem for years, as well as women issues starting with his mother, leaves me wondering if his negativity is rooted in addiction and family relationship issues. Are the expectations and stereotypes of men from the West, as he sees it, being used as an excuse for all the personal problems in his own life?

(Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)

[Sunday Dutro · Rating 4 out of 5]

a memoir about growing up male in the USA and specifically in Montana. What does it mean to “be a man?” Why aren’t men allowed to experience a full range of emotions, with only stoic strength being acceptable. A testament to toxic masculinity. An interesting read.