Stony Mesa Sagas

by Chip Ward

"Now, good people, go eat up this novel and enjoy every bite, and every biting observation. Buckle your spurs; you're in for a wild ride."

—REBECCA SOLNIT

Pursued by a mad assassin after their arrest for chaining themselves to a mining site gate , Luna Waxwing and Hip Hop Hopi seek refuge in the remote village of Stony Mesa. Immersed in the diverse cultures and conflicts of the contemporary West, the young couple struggles to understand the wild lands that surround them, while trying to understand one another.

After living for four years in wilderness, CHIP WARD moved to the edge of an environmental sacrifice zone, where he organized and led several campaigns to make polluters accountable. He cofounded HEAL Utah and served on the board of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance for several years. Starting as a bookmobile librarian, Ward ended his library career as the assistant director of the Salt Lake City Public Library. He is the author of two books, Canaries on the Living Downwind in the West and Hope's Three Visions for Healing the American Land . He writes regularly for Tomdispatch.com. His essay about homelessness, "How the Public Library Became the Heartbreak Hotel," is the inspiration for the movie The Public .

Genres: Fiction

395 pages, Paperback

Published November 14, 2017

Reviews

[Becky Roper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think I was going to like this book when I started reading it, but it really grew on me. It is a story about the damage to environments in the west, and a sort or morality tale with thinly veiled references to familiar groups and people. The characters are interesting and mostly believable. It does make you think. The author is a Utahn who is active in environmental causes and once worked as assistant director of the Salt Lake City Public library.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kayla said good bye to each one and thanked them. They were encouraging and offered help anytime. When the last one was through the door she walked to the parlor window and watched them leave. Luna's dog Juniper, who had been asleep on the doorstep only moments before, was alert now and joyfully exploring each bush for izards and the aromatic mysteries known only to the canine realm. Kayla watched her guests hug each other at their cars as they departed. She wished she could take part in that. In time, she told herself, in time. We are all on the same path, moving together in fits and starts, navigating a fickle shore.


~~A breathtaking photo of mesas in Arizona. Ward doesn't specify the exact setting of his novel--besides the Southwest, and that the town of Stony Mesa is a gateway to a national park (he doesn't say which one). I pictured either Arches National Park in Utah, or Monument Valley in Arizona.

My two cents: I appreciate Ward's love of nature, and he did a good job showing the ways in which ranching and traditional large scale farming have harmed the natural ecosystems in the south-west. However, the writing is amateur at best, and the dialogue is downright clunky. He breaks the book into 3 separate sagas, but spends the first part of sections two and three explaining what happened in the previous sagas--as if we haven't just read it. The right wing preppers are exaggerated to the point of caricature. And the death of a rancher didn't make any sense. Given 0.5 stars or a rating of "very bad". Recommended only as a library checkout if you want to read all things western, and can't find a better option.

Further Reading: An in depth article from National Geographic on the practice of Oil Sands mining. The first saga in Ward's novel surrounds Luna protesting against a company using what they learned in Alberta, Canada to start a new mining operation in the American Southwest. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/en...

~~An article from Britannica on Southwest Indian culture over the centuries, including how their way of life was changed by American expansion west during the 19th and 20th centuries.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sout...

~~This article is a great starting point for discussion and debate on the use of public land, ranching, cattle grazing, and environmental impacts--as well as potential partnerships and solutions. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/...

~~Finally, one of my biggest gripes with Chip Ward is that he severely stereotypes religion, ranchers, country music, etc--basically anything that isn't left wing. Our country is much more complex and nuanced than simple political parties or occupations. One example--a country music song calling out for protection of the environment in Florida, specifically the Everglades. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sh9...

[Debdanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had a sense of humor and could write, THIS the novel I would want to write. I loved it- a Western Carl Hiaasen! And I LOVED how he resolved the Clive Bundy story- I wish it had happened that way in the real world. The author didn't sugar coat any of our problems, but handled them with optimism, humor, and grace. I hope his world view is closer to reality than what we see on the nightly "news."

[Robyn Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading about my part of the country--vivid characters, accurate portrayal of attitudes.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Surprisingly better than I thought it would be. Author does a really good job of capturing the culture clash going on in the Southwest U.S.

[Margaret H]

DNF. Just not for me. I can see why people like it.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts out channeling Carl Hiaasen. Ends with a beautiful vision of community renewal through personal connections. See my review in Catalyst Magazine