The Names of the Stars: A Life in the Wilds

by Pete Fromm

At twenty years old, Pete Fromm heard of a job babysitting salmon eggs, seven winter months alone in a tent in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Leaping at this chance to be a mountain man, with no experience in the wilds, he left the world. Thirteen years later, he published his beloved memoir of that winter, Indian Creek Chronicles —Into the Wild with a twist.

Twenty five years later, he was asked to return to the wilderness to babysit more fish eggs. But no longer a footloose twenty year old, at forty-five, he was the father of two young sons. He left again, alone, straight into the heart of Montana’s Bob Marshall wilderness, walking a daily ten mile loop to his fish eggs through deer and elk and the highest density of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states.

The Names of the Stars is not only a story of wilderness and bears but also a trek through a life lived at its edges, showing how an impulsive kid transformed into a father without losing his love for the wilds. From loon calls echoing across Northwood lakes to the grim realities of life guarding in the Nevada desert, through the isolation of Indian Creek and years spent running the Snake and Rio Grande as a river ranger, Pete seeks out the source of this passion for wildness, as well as explores fatherhood and mortality and all the costs and risks and rewards of life lived on its own terms.

Genres: Nature, Memoir, Nonfiction, Adventure, Biography Memoir, Outdoors, Science

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2016

About the author

Pete Fromm is a five time winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Literary Award for his novels IF NOT FOR THIS, AS COOL AS I AM and HOW ALL THIS STARTED, a story collection, DRY RAIN, and the memoir, INDIAN CREEK CHRONICLES. The film of AS COOL AS I AM, starring Claire Danes, James Marsden, and Sarah Bolger was released in 2013. He is the author of four other short story collections and has published over two hundred stories in magazines. He is on the faculty of Oregon’s Pacific University’s Low-Residency MFA Program, and lives in Montana with his family.

http://www.petefromm.com

Reviews

[Doug Thorsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fromm has had quite the life. However, you wouldn't know it by the first 50 pages. The book starts with Fromm in his current old age and there is an obvious reluctance to embrace again what has made his life interesting. He seems quite content to be settled down with his family. All of that is fine and well, but makes for dull reading. The book picks up when he starts flashing back to his carefree younger days. He goes back and forth from past to present, and it works well. He weaves a complete story, making sense of his life as he goes, and actively working towards his evolution as a man. The Names of the Stars is an impressive contemplation of a worthy life. The local aspect of the book is an added bonus.

[Mandy Applin Northwoods · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just discovered Pete Fromm this year ... I really enjoyed his book Indian Creek Chronicles, so decided to read this one as well. In this book, Pete is much older, with two young boys and a wife, and doing a lot of questioning and reflecting. I strongly relate to the way he describes being pulled in two directions at once - thus is the curse of having a spirit that likes to wander but also one who becomes homesick easily. Pete's writing about his adventures is dreamy and exactly the type of work that I really enjoy reading. This book is a little heavy on the "I'm a Dad now, kids, kids, kids, kids, should I be going off on these adventures now that I have kids, kids, kids, kids? ... and oh by the way my wife is staying back at home holding down the fort and watching those kids I am so in love with while I am out here having the time of my life." Hmm. I seem to read so many male authors having wonderful adventures that they then somehow find the time to write about while the women in their lives make room for them to do everything they want to do.

[Ryan Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unassuming, really good book. A perfect companion to "Indian Creek Chronicles," this one with more themes of life and death, the responsibility of a father, and the reflections of living a life that Mr. Fromm appears to be very proud of.

My only complaint, an unfair one, because it doesn't really have to do with the writing or the story, is that on several occasions his descriptions of his wife, were all like "she made sandwiches for the guys," and "she packed beers for us," and I was just like, come on man, you're taking off for a month and she's raising the kids. She's the hero of the story, for sure, and while I'm positive that he recognizes this, it just didn't really come through and it didn't sit right with me especially towards the end.

[Guillaume · Rating 2 out of 5]

Je suis gentil je mets 2 étoiles parceque c'est pas nul mais il se passe rien du tout. Juste y'avais des ours et ça ça mérite 2 étoiles point.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great follow up to Indian Creek Chronicles. Fromm's writing gently pulls you along through the book as he explores his identity now that he is a father and wonders what role the wilderness still plays in his life. Fromm spends a month in the wilderness hiking a 10 mile route each day to check on hatching grayling eggs. He gets way too close to grizzles, naps among elk and tries to reconcile the loneliness of being without his two boys, who he had hoped to bring with him on this adventure.

[Kristin Stiling · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I still loved his first memoir (Indian Creek Chronicles) more, I enjoyed this one as well. He shares gripping stories of life alone in the woods in a way that makes you feel like you’re there with him.

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’étais un peu perplexe en ouvrant ce livre. Pete Fromm seul dans une cabane au fond de la forêt pour veiller sur des poissons...? Déjà vu, non?
Oui, pour lui aussi (lisez « Indian Creek »), vingt ans plus tôt.
Mais Pete a choisi un nouvel angle d’attaque. Si le récit se déroule en pleine nature, le sujet cette fois est moins cette dernière que la famille, grandir, ce qui nous construit. Pete alterne la narration au présent et des anecdotes de son passé, qui l’ont construit. Ses expériences diverses, son parcours, la rencontre avec sa femme, ses fils.
Son amour pour ses garçons, voilà le vrai fil rouge du récit. Tout est structuré autour d’eux, ce qu’ils auraient aimé vivre, aimé voir, aimé faire avec leur père. La transmission, la construction Père-fils.
C’était sensible, touchant, ça parlera à tous les parents et en plus, y’a des ours. Un beau roman.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼]

***review copy***

This book made me put the ebook of Fromm's Indian Creek Chronicles: A Winter Alone in the Wilderness on my To-Be-Read pile. There's a lot on that heap but I've promised myself to move ICC towards the front.

I did this because after reading the sample pages I realized that the INDIAN CREEK CHRONICLES was the book I really wanted to read. Not so much this one, because to enjoy THE NAME OF THE STARS I think it helps to be familiar with the author.

Previous to THE NAMES OF THE STARS I had not run across Fromm's works. What struck me in reading this book and the sample chapters from INDIAN CREEK CHRONICLES is how we change over time. When he wrote the first book he was a youngster. Now he's a grown man who is deeply in love with his family. Or at least his children. They are so much apart of him that I smile, recognizing in him the same love in myself that I have for my own children.

But in comparing the two it's the first book that appeals to me more. It's more unselfconscious than this adult book that can't quite focus on Nature the way Fromm could when he was more unencumbered.


An okay book but with a different focus than some might be expecting. This book is something of an autobiography. Nothing indepth and boring but more of a hippity-hoppity narrative that brings new readers like me up to speed on his life. Fans will recognize bits of his swimming past, and then be brought up to date on what he is doing now.

--now I must plow through some other obligatory reading so I can dive into "Indian Chronicles" and then maybe "Night Swimming". Then maybe back to NoTS so I can appreciate it better.

~review copy
~I don't give stars to review copies as I think it's better not to.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful writing that weaves the wild, family, and our mortal coil together. It reminded me so much of Norman Maclean's The River Runs Through It and Other Stories except these were all true. Fromm mainly tells of his three week sabbatical from his family in the Bob Marshall Wilderness back in 2004. He signed up to babysit some fish eggs. He captures the solitude of being alone in the woods while pining for his young boys and family. In between this tale he alternates to the younger Fromm's adventures decades ago at Lake Mead, the Tetons, and Big Bend. We meet some real characters (stuff of legends) that if this was the naval service we would be calling these "sea stories." This belongs in the pantheon of literature on the West and life.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the best book I've read this year. I have visited this place in the Bob Marshall Wilderness so can picture it perfectly. Fromm's writing describes the place, weather and feelings perfectly. I feel as though I too spent the month at Gates Park by reading his daily accounts!

[Andy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some ways this is a sequel to Pete Fromm's earlier "Indian Creek Chronicles," which told of his months when he was dropped off as a college student in remote wilderness to monitor a fish egg project. I read Chronicles years ago and enjoyed Fromm's writing skills and his passion for the outdoors while doubting my own ability to endure the loneliness and isolation.
"Names of the Stars" takes place 25 years later when he spends a shorter time in the Bob Marshall wilderness monitoring another fish egg project. The context is different; Fromm is no longer a carefree college student, he is now married with two young sons and has the normal life responsibilities such as home ownership. Fromm still has his passion for the outdoors and has instilled it in his two sons who want to skip their Little League season and join him. That idea was second guessed by his wife and ultimately vetoed by the park service.
Fromm spends the entire time without seeing another human being. He does have numerous encounters with bears and his repeated contacts with grizzlies are well documented showing Fromm's fear of the unexpected encounters balanced with a love and healthy respect for these magnificent animals. Fromm also writes of the elk, wolves, coyotes and other animals he sees while also describing the natural beauty of the landscape.
Any potential monotony from reading pages of isolated observations of nature is skillfully broken by Fromm's flashbacks of his life, from his growing up, his times as college student and competitive swimmer, his park ranger experiences from lifeguarding at Lake Meade to river rafting to becoming one of the "wild" rangers unsuccessfully constrained by park bureaucracy to his relationship and eventual marriage and his joys of fatherhood.
This great memoir ends with this passage which follows Fromm's description of his heart attack which occurred after the events described in the book
"When the doctor who put the stent into my heart checks on me the following day, I tell him I'm a little torqued that thirty years of swimming, of hauling myself up and down mountains, hasn't done a thing for me. 'Oh, no' he answered , his accent clipped, ' your arteries are supple, your heart is big. Without your mountains you would be dead now.'
Fromm ends by writing "I couldn't agree more"

[Stasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's possible I might have liked this better if I'd read it faster. At first, I read only a few (short) chapters at a time, just cuz of the way it worked out when I had time to read, and it never really gelled for me. But the second half, which I read basically all at once, I liked better.

There were lovely insights, but I don't know. This is one of those books where I'm not sad I read it, but I don't know if I'll remember it that well--except for the part about having kiddos, which is something that I feel like "adventure" memoirs don't typically have (apparently adventuring while being a parent isn't a kind of memoir that exists much, or just that's not on my radar?) I appreciated that part of it, not because I have kids, but because I liked the complexity that added of really wanting to be wild and free, but also loving two little beings more than anything, and the tensions that brings up.

[Emma Rivet · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai choisi ce livre avec l'aide du libraire à qui j'avais demandé un roman "sur la randonnée et les montagnes parce que je suis nostalgique des vacances". Bon, la consigne n'est pas vraiment respectée, c'est le récit d'un homme qui part un mois dans une forêt complètement hostile, à une journ��e de route de la civilisation, peuplée de grizzlis qui le terrifie.
La bonne surprise, c'est que j'ai quand même beaucoup apprécié cette lecture, qui m'a fait découvrir un emploi que je n'aurais même pas imaginé : s'assurer que des oeufs de poissons éclosent tranquillement dans une rivière. La tranquillité et la sérénité de Pete face aux éléments naturels m'a impressionnée, l'introspection que son voyage lui a permis m'a touchée, notamment sur la place que ses enfants prennent dans sa vie (même si ça m'a rendue triste pour sa femme car visiblement elle ne lui a pas manqué du tout).
Je reste un peu confuse sur le style d'écriture, qui m'a plu mais ne m'a pas donné non plus envie d'explorer plus de l'oeuvre de Pete Fromm.
Bref, à lire si vous voulez vous échapper dans un autre monde (réel) et être content.e d'être blotti.e au chaud dans votre canap.

[Leslie Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artful storytelling. You can feel the wilderness, hear it, smell it, taste it, see it. Better though, is the constant angst and tug of family, the feeling that you love diametrically opposed things, asking the big questions, and being afraid. Pete's big questions and constant self doubt resonate so much with me. Wanting to be with family, but longing to be in the wildest, loneliest place possible, and wanting the worlds to run together--like they never can. I am very happy for this man that he was able to forge a career in writing. There is so much material to mine in his journey. Also, huge kudos to his wife. She seems to understand him and accept him and in my mind, she is the keeper of his flame.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

His reflections on male role models and fatherhood while walking though the bear-ridden woods are nice.

[Maria Gabarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"En los cañones reinaba un silencio sepulcral; cualquier crujido del escálamo se magnificaba y reverberaba. Las acampadas, con los cielos chisporroteantes de estrellas y la luz del fuego tratando de vencer a la oscuridad más absoluta, eran como una ventana abierta al resto del mundo."

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Pete lived here in Great Falls for a while when my favorite bookstore ever was open. He was back to read from this book this fall. And, if I didn't already love it because I have read every Pete book ever, the reading made me love it more.

Here is one of my favorite quotes. He is remembering his rule following father letting he and his brother run, fully clothed through ponds chasing home made rockets.
"Slipping and stumbling in the mud and grass, I wonder what my dad would have to say to that shrug of his, that nod into a pond, leading me so far off beaten paths-- if given a glimpse of the future, he'd do it again.

The glimpse is impossible, of course. Who could tell, looking at a tousle-haired kid staring up into the sky, water draining out of his burr-speckled jeans, that a world had opened to him, when it would take the kid himself thirty some years to realize it? But, it's still what I want to do for my boys at every opportunity. Let them take the oars, then jump overboard" (89).

I share this because it captures the essence of the book which is at once a reflection on who we are to our parents, our children, and to ourselves. And, how others shape who we become.
The shell story is his month tending fish in the Bob Marshall wilderness, also cool.

{If you loved The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan, you might love this, even if Western male authors aren't your thing}

[John Randolph · Rating 2 out of 5]

My guys book club read this recently. At 4+ stars in the Goodreads universe I thought I was in for a treat.

I found it to be a daily diary with some salt and pepper thrown in for good measure. While depth is implied, any meaning or deeper exploration is up to the reader's interpretation.

**Spoilers Below**

Generally summed up as: My boys couldn't go with me to take care of fish at a remote location. I hiked daily to check on the fish. I sang poorly and loudly to alert bears of my presence. I missed my boys and will tell you some stories about them. I went on a trip similar to this previously. The wildlife, weather and remoteness hint at drama. No real drama occurred. I was excited to see my family. Presumably the fish and family all lived happily ever after. The End.

There are books that stick with you for decades or even a lifetime after reading it once. The Names of the Stars is not one of those books. This book did make me want to go camping and fishing, so that's a good thing!

Those seeking to find themselves may find this a very different book than those who are already found.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author tells stories about living for a month in the Montana wilderness in May 2004 and also talks about previous experiences working in the Grand Tetons and Big Bend National Parks. I love the outdoors and have been hiking / camping in Wyoming and Montana.

While his writing is nicely descriptive, I didn't find this book compelling. His time in Montana was on the boring side and at times it read like entries in a biologists's journal. Also, why wasn't a map included showing his daily 10 mile hike to check on the salmon eggs? Give the reader a feel for where the Reading Tree is, the bridge, the Hill of Doom, etc.

This book felt somewhat scattered - 2004 in Montana, earlier times in Wyoming and Texas, upbringing in Wisconsin - there wasn't a thread pulling it all together.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I’m not sure how meaningful this book would be had I not read Indian Creek Chronicles - it certainly would have been a different read. I think Fromm is a good writer and does a nice job with the subject matter. He adds meaning to his memoir through his explorations of aging and fatherhood - the section about Sage was especially poignant. Some parts/thoughts felt a little redundant, but overall a compelling story about wilderness (and how it intersects with and informs our lives) and the tension between family, independence, and the urge for solitude.

[Will Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natural history, memoir, wilderness adventure, ultimately a love story. Arctic Greyling reintroduction. How the author kept tieing in his relationship with his kids was heartwarming. They obviously are a precious part of his life. I love the lyrical style of the writing, descriptive. The tension of spring time in grizzly country.

[Aurélie · Rating 3 out of 5]

20 ans après avoir passé un hiver à Indian Creek au cœur des Rocheuses à surveiller des œufs de saumon. Pete Fromm accepte de quitter sa vie familiale pendant un mois pour les montagnes du Montana. Le temps pour lui penser à sa vie et à son goût pour la nature sauvage. Le résultat de cette parenthèse introspective, un récit passionnant et des pages extrêmement touchantes sur la paternité.

[Megan Gendron · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Dès que je restais trop longtemps quelque part, l’envie de partir commençait à me démanger. Jamais exprimée, jamais formulée - il fallait plus, des choses que je n’avais jamais vues, entendues, ressenties ou même rêvées. Avec tout ça, comment pouvait-on rester sans bouger?»


«La vie en chantier» a été l’un de mes coups de cœur de 2022, «Le lac de nulle part», un coup de cœur de 2023. Quand je suis tombée sur celui-ci à la biblio, l’appel a été trop fort. Pourtant, il est bien différent de ce que je connaissais de l’auteur. Ici, Pete Fromm nous livre un récit autobiographique. Il nous raconte l’une de ses aventures en solitaire, un mois passé dans la forêt sauvage pour surveiller des œufs de poisson. Son récit est ponctué de souvenirs. Il nous amène à travers toutes les vies qu’il a vécu, tous les parcs nationaux qu’il connaît comme le fond de sa poche. Il parle de ses enfants, qui simultanément sont la plus belle chose de sa vie, mais aussi ceux qui rendent plus difficile le départ.

Il y a quelque chose avec les romans de Pete Fromm qui vient profondément me chercher. C’est dur de mettre des mots dessus. Ce qu’il écrit, en théorie, ce n’est pas du tout le genre qui me plairait habituellement. Mais sa plume est tellement magnifique… il décrit la nature, les animaux, sa famille avec tant de douceur, de respect et de reconnaissance que j’ai le moton à chaque fois. Les personnages et les lieux qu’il décrit prennent vie sous nos yeux, c’est assez épatant. À chaque fois que je termine un de ses livres, je ressens un petit vide, comme si je perdais un ami. Je lis beaucoup dans la vie, mais ils sont rares les livres qui réussissent à me faire sentir comme ça 🫢

[Pascale Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

25 ans après Indian Creek, Pete Fromm se retrouve à nouveau dans la nature pour surveiller des œufs de poisson. Cette fois-ci, il a 45 ans et passe un mois en solitaire. Il est bon de retrouver Pete. Même plume, même talent pour raconter les lieux et ses aventures. L’intérêt de cette suite, quant à moi, tient au fait que Pete est maintenant père de deux garçons. Il est tiraillé entre son désir d’aventure et la tristesse de manquer de précieux moments avec ses fils. Il doit apprivoiser à nouveau la solitude. Mais ses fils sont toujours dans ses pensées. J’ai bien aimé en apprendre plus sur sa vie grâce aux chapitres qui retournaient en arrière. Plusieurs « trous » ont ainsi été comblés entre la fin d’Indian Creek et Le nom des étoiles.

Une étoile de moins que son premier roman, car il y a quelques longueurs. Mais il s’agit d’une excellente suite et d’une lecture de « nature writing » comme je les aime.

[Manon · Rating 5 out of 5]

C' était le dernier Pete Fromm qu'il me restait à lire, et qu'elle meilleure conclusion qu'un livre retraçant son parcours.
D'indian creek au gates Park du Montana, que de chemin parcouru !
Je suis absoluement fan de ses écrits, et je suis plus qu'admirative de la personne qu'il est. J' ai adoré voyager avec lui à travers ces montagnes, croiser tous ces animaux (bien qu'on préfère certainement en éviter certain...).
J'ai été extrêmement touchée de la façon dont il parle de ses petits garçons et de sa femme, cette envie de leur faire découvrir son "monde", ainsi que la façon dont il explique avoir besoin de cette bouffée d'oxygène en partant, autant que celle qu'il prend en rentrant.
J'avais aimé le côté "amateur" lorsqu'il part à 20 ans, et je ne peux qu'apprécier l'expérience du rangers de 40.
La couverture est magnifique, le récit est beau, et l'auteur est un génie.
N' attendez plus pour le lire !

[Diann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am having technical trouble with the star rating. This is definitely a 5-Star book. WOW!
A good friend gave this to me as a "You HAVE to read this book." I always hate such a challenge. Then to read the back cover only to discover it is about a guy in the wilderness babysitting fish eggs...REALLY!?!

But. WOW! It is a fabulous story, very well-written. The author is able to capture the senses, emotions and experiences of the wilderness in succinct, but beautiful prose. This will be a loan to others, with the announcement, "You HAVE to read this book." LoL. and it will be on my re-read pile, as well. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Fromm shares his experience living and working alone in the woods. The writing is so good, I felt like I was there. Here's a review from on-line "The Names of the Stars is a trek through a life lived at its edges. From loon calls echoing across Northwood lakes to the grim realities of lifeguarding in the Nevada desert, through the isolation of Indian Creek and years spent running the Snake and Rio Grande as a river ranger, Pete seeks out the source of his passion for wildness, while exploring fatherhood and mortality and all the costs, risks, and rewards of life lived on its own terms."

[Ashley Ashiku · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful memoir that gives equal weight to the passing of the author’s closest friends and the detailed descriptions of the six point elk males that surround his cabin. Much of the memoir’s 250 or so pages are devoted to immersing the reader in the author’s love for the wild, his sons, and deep contemplation about death and mortality. A great read that leaves the reader with a sense of peace and enrichment from nature, even though I read this book in my house in the middle of the suburbs. Brought me back to the times I spent camping, horseback riding, surfing, and other outdoor activities. 5/5 stars !!

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book fromm GoodReads earlier in the year. I really enjoyed this book. I have not read any others from Pete Fromm. This story takes place mostly in MT and bounces around but a great read about discovering oneself after marriage and kids. After reading it I went to check out other books from this author. He is a bit witty, courageous, dutiful and easy to read. The book isn't terribly long and IMHO most will enjoy reading it. It's just a non-fiction story about a National Park Ranger. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir reminds me of modern art. I can imagine a reader saying, "I could write that" and someone responding, "But you didn't." There isn't anything remarkable about the writing craft or the narrative. There are pretty passages, a few exhilarating chapters, and moments of heartfelt emotion. But overall there isn't anything special. What is special, and why only Peter Fromm can write this book is because he has lived a life that many of us can't. We want to but we can't. Or we didn't think we could. That is the "But you didn't" and that is why this is worth reading.