The Mulligan

by Nathan Jorgenson

The Mulligan is a unique story about a common man. Rich in emotion and filled with unforgettable characters, The Mulligan winds it's way across America's heartland as master storyteller Nathan Jorgenson uses the life of Joe Mix to weave a tapestry colored with laughter, pain, and redemption. After investing much of his life in an unhappy marriage and an unfulfilling career, Dr. Joe Mix realizes that he made most of the important decisions of his life in order to please others, not himself. He married a woman he never loved because she had a stronger will than him. He chose a career that he wasn't interested in because he knew it was what his father expected of him. When the consequences of his wrong decisions threaten to smother him, Joe Mix finally snaps and decides to forsake all that he has done, and set out to reclaim the life he feels he should have chosen. The ensuing odyssey carries him to his childhood home in South Dakota, a cattle ranch in Montana, and ultimately to the end of the road; the banks of a trout stream on an Indian Reservation. We all wonder what our lives could have been, Joe Mix went looking for his life.

Genres: Fiction, Westerns, Book Club

586 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Karle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, I could not put it down. Best understood by anyone over 40, however it does teach that your goals in life can change, and that it is only yourself you have to live with, either happily or not. Up to you. GREAT book.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depressing start but storytelling improves when he gets out of town. Some quotable lines and quirky characters.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I've read it twice, once as a book and once as an audiobook.

[Tim Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living a life of quite desperation, Joe Mix takes a mulligan (a restart) and leaves his wife and successful dentistry practice of 25 years for nothing in particular. He just wants to get away. The reader gets to go along on his journey of rediscovery of himself. The journey takes him from Minn. to Montana. He meets a real cast of characters, which for me is the strength of the story. Joe is basically looking for happiness and to bring meaning to his life. He learns that the rich man ain’t the one who has the most; he’s the one that needs the least. One of my favorite quotes is by his friend Marsh when he tells Joe that in Montana you can buy great literature for $.40 a pound. Good story.”

[Lisa Neuharth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. As I was reading, the author didn’t always take me where I thought he would but he did take me through “normal life” and that was much better. Yes, this book took me awhile to read, but it isn’t the kind of book that should be rushed. You should read this book!

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book nearly as much as the other book I read by this author (Waiting for White Horses).

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Minnesota writer

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the characters that Mr. Jorgensen develops. You love them in spite of their flaws. Joe Mix takes the risk and walks away from his life in search of himself. And the adventure begins...

[Frederick J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story of life

A very heart warming story of living a lifetime of mistakes and then having the courage to correct those mistakes and making a new life. A very easy, smooth flowing read. I would guess that most readers can relate to many parts of this novel and that kept me interested.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the Crooked Number was so good I followed it up next with the Mulligan :) Gotta love the characters the Nathan Jorgenson creates. If you seek you shall find goodness where ever you go as Joe Mix did. Again lots of laughs and tears.

[John Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very promising setup, but the execution fell flat for me. The dialogue was cheesy and clunky, and the repetition of Joe's backstory grew tiresome. The book drastically slows down in the middle and takes a moment to pick up speed again.

[Sue Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depressing and slow start, but gets better when he leaves town. Great for some one who loves the outdoors and fishing and golf.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good as a Minnesota author. Loved the references to Rochester and other Minnesota areas. Looking forward to other books by this author.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I would give this book a 41/2 . I like this book a lot more then the Crooked Number.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book even though I’m not a golfer. I think a golfer would really enjoy it.

[Lynn Gaulin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t finish it. Had no interest in main character

[Darla Stanton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book. This one was to depressing. I kept telling “snap out of it already!”

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the stetting

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the topic and the story, however it did get a little long and drawn out.

[Robb R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Unpretentious story telling with an authentic upper Great Plains voice.

[James Digate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story. This is a book that makes a person that reads know why they read.
Extremely well written.

[Ted Knudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It moves along nicely. Compelling characters, good story and surprises. "Master" story teller may be a bit of a stretch (hence the 4) but the author is worthy of the read, certainly.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr Joe Mix is in a job he hates and in a love less marriage. He is a dentist, but he never wanted to be a dentist, he just wanted to be a cowboy like his father. He has a beautiful wife, but she loves the luxury life style his profession affords, but not him. So one day he decides to walk on on his present life, and make a fresh start, leaving everything to his wife.

We follow Joe Mix as he comes to this momentous decision, and has he subsequently tries to find his way, and in the process, himself. He leaves his former life with just a few treasured possessions including his fishing gear, and his old beat up truck. He acquires little on the way other than a delightful puppy dog, but he soon begins to understand what is really important and what makes a man truly rich.

Whatever one might think of Joe's decision to up and leave, one is soon won over to this charming man. Along the way we meet some fascinating characters, including James, the likeable young and naïve cowboy; Murdo, always with a story or two of his latest amorous pursuits; and Marsh, who plays an unusual game of golf.

The Mulligan is a beautiful story, insightful and thought-provoking, at times quite touching, occasionally very moving. It may not be the greatest writing, but it is a story well worth reading, and a story I am sure from which one will come away a better person for having read.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, I didn't actually finish this book. This book was chosen for one of the book clubs I am in. I read about 3/4 of the book. I would've probably finished it, if I had more time, but the book was due back. It is not a book I would've chosen myself to read. I felt there were a lot of "life lessons" in this book and I could relate to certain things the main character was thinking. However, this was kind of a sad book, and perhaps it was just the mood I was in that it was more difficult for me to read. I thought the book was too long, it didn't need to be as descriptive as it was and it could've been half the length that it was. If you enjoy golf, fishing and cowboys, you may really like the book, I know a lot of people who do. It just wasn't the book for me. I rated it 2 stars because although it was a book I had to force myself to read, the life lessons were relatable, and I think that says something about the book at least.

[Nicole Denekamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had many good life lessons to learn from and really makes you think about what you want to do in life and what you want to be known for. It's very interesting to read a man's point of view as he looks back on his life. There are many people who feel like the main character, Joe, did, but no one I know has ever taken the measures he did to change his life. This book leads itself to many good discussions. The things that made the book drag for me though were the length of it (probably could've been half as long) and the redundant descriptions ( I found myself skipping pages at a time).

[Teresa Albrecht]

This is the second book from Nathan Jorgenson,the first "Waiting For White Horses" was absolutely wonderful. My expectations for "The Mulligan" were very high after reading the first novel. It did not disappoint. Story centers around a mid-life crisis of a MN dentist who realizes there's more to life than wealth and prestige - sets off on a personal journey to find himself. Very insightful, pulls you in from the start and doesn't let go. My only ques - why haven't his books been turned into movies??

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me of Eat, Pray, Love in its themes, although it is a much easier read. The author's imaginative abilities are

really remarkable -- there's one scene about a balloon that I swear I will always think of when I hear the word, "balloon." When

it was over, I missed going on to the next adventure. Minnesota author, some of the book was set in Minnesota.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one a little more than Waiting for White Horses. I think the main character was a little more likable for me. And maybe a bit more believable. Waiting for White Horses took the reader into the world bird hunting while this book takes into the world of fishing; big river trout fishing. It also ventures into the world of golf.
Not sure why I was told this is a trilogy. There is no connection between this book and Waiting for White Horses. They are both stand alone books.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was longer than it needed to be... author seems to write just to prove he knows what he's talking about (goes into lenthy descriptions of fly fishing which I didn't feel added anything to the story). But that being said, I did like the book. I needed to finish it to find out where this man finally finds his peace.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished my first book of 2016! This book is a bit wordy, it could be a lot shorter but it was very good, lots of life lessons to be learned. I don't normally skim through any parts of a book but the whole golf/fishing parts were a bit long and detailed. If you would like to learn more about golf and/or fishing this would be a good book to read.