The Weight of an Infinite Sky: A Big Sky Country Epic – Prodigal Son, Cattle Rancher Legacy, and Inherited Burdens

by Carrie La Seur

The critically acclaimed author of The Home Place explores the heart and mystery of Big Sky Country in this evocative and atmospheric novel of family, home, love, and responsibility inspired by William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

The only son of a cattle rancher, Anthony Fry chafed against the expectation that he would take over the business that had belonged to his family for generations. While his ancestors planted deep roots in the unforgiving Montana soil, Anthony wanted nothing more than to leave Billings for the excitement, sophistication, and culture of city life. After college he fled to New York, hoping to turn his lifelong love of the theater into a career.

But New York wasn't the dream Anthony thought it would be. Now, with the unexpected death of his father, Anthony suddenly finds himself back in the place he swore he'd left behind. While the years have transformed the artistic dreamer, they've also changed Billings. His uncle Neal, always the black sheep of the Fry family, has become alarmingly close with Anthony's mother, and a predatory mining company covets the Fry land.

Anthony has always wanted out of Montana, away from his father's suffocating expectations. Yet now that he may be freed from the burden of family legacy, he's forced to ask himself what he truly finds important . . . answers that will ultimately decide his fate.

In this unforgettable novel, Carrie La Seur once again captures the breathtaking beauty of the West and its people as she explores the power of family and the meaning of legacy--the burdens we inherit and those we place upon ourselves.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Westerns, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, Family

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2018

About the author

Montana environmental lawyer and writer. Outspoken outdoorswoman. "Completely solid." I give good book recommendations!

Reviews

[Laura Pritchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm delighted whenever I come across books that tackle the real issues of the West (and not the nostalgic trite cowboy detective stuff, for example). This is one such book and I adore its frank honesty---this novel captures the real and complex topics of our times: land-use issues, family dynamics, alcoholism, art, and the beauty and sorrows of small-town life. But it's not a book "only" about the West--it's a book about humanity and how messy (and lovely) we can be.

[Maxwell]

DNF @ 40%. Not a bad book but not interesting me much. I don't really see it getting better for me so just going to put this one down now.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A guy comes home to Montana after his father's death...and Hamlet ensues, only Ophelia doesn't drown.

Definitely not for me, but others might like it.

[Phyllis Krall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set beneath a beautiful Montana sky, Billings has been the home of generations of ranchers who are strongly devoted to their land. Anthony Fry feels differently than most of the ranchers he knows and wants to escape to New York City, hoping to become an actor and find a more exciting life after he graduates from college. When his father unexpectedly dies, Anthony comes back home and takes a job running a theatre camp for children for the summer. His Uncle Neal is helping his mother run the ranch which creates tension when Anthony comes home to visit. A mining company is trying to buy the Fry land, along with other ranches, which makes him realize how much his legacy means to him.

I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. It was a most enjoyable read and is highly recommended. Loved reading the descriptions of the beautiful Montana land as well as the cattle ranchers who are devoted to it.

[Jenny Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm trying something new for my "reviews" this year. Rather than critique, I'm going to create my own micro-fiction piece (100 words or less) in response to something in the novel. My hope is to create art from art.

This is my first "Little Review."

It was inspired by the following line: "It only reflected him in unflattering angles."

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love of the Land
A worthy follow-up to THE HOME PLACE, this is a beautifully written novel of family hurts leading to reconciliation. Throughout the story love of the land shines brightly. Anthony’s descent into alcoholism is painful, but the book ends with a message of hope.

I received an ARC through a Goodreads giveaway. There was no expectation of a favorable review.

[Chris Conley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many ways, this book resolved some things from The Home Place. I confess that I did not like this book as much as 8mdid the first. In fairness, because I did not care for Anthony very much. I was satisfied with the conclusion.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pretty skeptical going into this one, but I actually found the story really relatable even though I’ve never been anywhere close to Montana. Sure, I would have loved to see more secondary characters get developed, and I still have an outstanding question about the title, but I really did enjoy this book.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Thank You to Goodreads for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!
Anthony Fry has left his family ranch to find happiness and success in the NYC world of theater. But he returns with his dreams shattered after his father's death. When a mining company arrives and fights for the land his father and neighbors loved, he becomes involved in saving his heritage and driving the intruders out. Driven by questions and troublesome misconceptions surrounding his father's death and the interference of his uncle, Anthony searches for values to ensure his destiny.
He learns that things are not always transparent and one must choose one's fate within himself.
I had a little difficulty getting into this book, but after a bit it picked up and kept me interested

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the characters, took me a minute to settle into the writing style, but enjoyed that too. But the end??? Way too tied up in a bow for me. Like she ran out of time and had to hurry up and finish it.

[Bill Alliston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story line is compared to Hamlet. Not sure about that, but the setting in big sky country (infinite sky) gives it a well-earned place as a high value read. Very very good reading.

[Marty Pellum · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me about half-way through to get into the rhythm of this novel and to begin to appreciate the characters, culture and landscape painted by the author's words. I found the central figure, Anthony Fry, a bit narcissistic and his overly dramatic reaction to normal life situations more than a little frustrating. On the other hand, I appreciated how the author used Anthony and his character flaws to reveal the depth and nature of the people of Montana. She interwove some great lyrical passages that carried the novel above the somewhat limited storyline. All in all, not a bad read.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author does a great job of describing the Montana ranching country, both the physical environment and the ranchers who live there. That came through very vividly for me. Also, the author really made the various minor characters' personalities come alive for me. But I had trouble sympathizing with the main character and the ending fell flat for me. Without revealing too much, I felt like the 'ghost' and the main character's questions about his father's death were raised and then never really resolved.

[Rachel Carr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from a goodreads giveaway.

It took me a long time to get into the story/characters and the main character was difficult to like at first. I would have enjoyed more description of the setting, ranch life and overall more character development. The story wasn't bad (it's basically a re-telling of Hamlet, so clearly a story with good bones) but it just didn't connect well with me. The writing style is good, no grammatical/spelling issues (I had an ARC).

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just okay - while well-written I felt it was very slow moving. I also felt like I needed more of a background story for Anthony and his family. I won an ARC of this book from Goodreads.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m really glad I read my other Bookcase Club book first (my 5 star read) because if I’d read this first I don’t know how long it would’ve taken me to get to start it and I’d have seriously been missing out.

My issue with this book is it was a story that had a lot of potential, but it fell incredibly flat. The book was only 250 pages and it was more than 100 pages in that the book (and the main character Anthony) seemed to gain any direction.

Anthony grew up on a ranch, surrounded by other families growing up on large amounts of working land. It's a rough life. And the author is from Montana where this book took place, so I appreciated the little things she added in to bring the area to life, such as racism against Native Americans, and the huge issue of people being bullied off their land. She built up great foundations for her characters too. Anthony was complex. He left Montana to pursue a life in theatre in NYC that did not exactly pan out, and he's returned to Montana shortly after the mysterious passing of his father to figure himself out. The only problem is, Anthony had absolute no direction for about half of the book and I couldn't figure out really what the story was. Anthony has no money. He has a drinking problem. He is in love with his cousin's wife. He hates his uncle, and a huge coal mining corporation is trying to get them to sign over their land. He works with kids at a summer theatre camp and does a lot of arguing, drinking and moping. I was very bored. And very confused. Because the many many characters had all of their own drama which was a confusing web, but none of it seemed to be the main focus. I had no idea who was really an important character and who wasn't, and I could not for the life of me keep track of them all, since the author referenced them by first name, last name AND who they were to Anthony, all one at a time. It took me about the entire book to figure out who the heck Jayne was.

It's probably the last 50 pages where anything actually happens. Anthony finally realizes what's important to him and decides to focus his attention in that direction a little bit. He continues to be a bitter, angry, belligerent character. And then all of a sudden the tunes change. People aren't who you think they are and you have no idea what to think anymore. And not in a good way. I was just completely confused by this book. I liked the ending, but it was very sudden and abrupt. There was no build up to it, so it didn't feel natural or believable. The entire tone of the story was very flat. There was no build, and the climax was so far at the end that I was just like okay this needs to be over I don't care anymore. And then it was over.

Just not for me. And I wouldn't really recommend it. Although there are good reviews on here, so who knows.

[David Valentino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hamlet Saddles Up

As Carrie La Seur references in her Acknowledgements, Hogarth Press is, over time, issuing well known authors’ modern takes on various plays of Shakespeare, among them Jeanette Winterson’s The Gap of Time (The Winter’s Tale), pretty good, and Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed (The Tempest), a bit disappointing, considering it’s Atwood.

La Seur has undertaken the task in The Weight of an Infinite Sky, loosely patterning the novel along the lines of Hamlet. The setting here is modern Montana. The prince, Anthony, is a rancher’s son, who wants to work in entertainment, rebelling against the idea he must be a rancher. Claudius is Uncle Neal, the cur, object of Anthony’s animosity, whom he suspects of killing his father. Mother Susan is Gertrude, timid rather than calculating. Dean is the old king, quite a demanding and tight-wound fellow, who while dead lives in the minds of the characters. Hilary is Ophelia, based on her history in a psychiatric institution, and her past relationship with Anthony. And since Anthony is in theater, having failed in New York, he returns to run a summer children’s theater camp. The references to Shakespearean works abound, along with more modern plays and musicals, and just music in general; it can be trying in its volume. To tie the novel even more closely to Hamlet, La Seur forgoes standard chapters in favor of five acts with scenes as subsets.

Does it work? Not really, which is not to say it’s a bad novel, just maybe not the worthiest paean to the Bard, one who himself knew how to lift and raise up material, Hamlet included. Whereas Hamlet is a tragedy of a tormented soul, of frustrating indecision, and of bloody revenge (death toll: 9), The Weight of an Infinite Sky descends into something like a big Kumbaya moment (one apparent accidental death). Modern audiences are no different from Elizabethan playgoers, a work of revenge requires blood.

La Seur does paint an educational picture of Montana. The rugged land, the vastness of it, come across. Even more, she portrays the people who live on the land, the ranchers and tribal people, in ways that might help coastal folks better understand them. And she, in literary terms, takes strip miners to task not only for denuding the land but for mistreating and deceiving people who only want to be left to their traditional lives living off the land. (Anyone’s who flown over strip mined mountains has witnessed firsthand how devastating these earth gougers are.)

Probably if you intend to read the novel, you might enjoy it more by tempering your expectations on the Hamlet front.

[Cheryle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The critically acclaimed author of The Home Place explores the heart and mystery of Big Sky Country in this evocative and atmospheric novel of family, home, love, and responsibility inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

The only son of a cattle rancher, Anthony Fry chafed against the expectation that he would take over the business that had belonged to his family for generations. While his ancestors planted deep roots in the unforgiving Montana soil, Anthony wanted nothing more than to leave Billings for the excitement, sophistication, and culture of city life. After college he fled to New York, hoping to turn his lifelong love of the theater into a career.

But New York wasn’t the dream Anthony thought it would be. Now, with the unexpected death of his father, Anthony suddenly finds himself back in the place he swore he’d left behind. While the years have transformed the artistic dreamer, they’ve also changed Billings. His uncle Neal, always the black sheep of the Fry family, has become alarmingly close with Anthony’s mother, and a predatory mining company covets the Fry land.

Anthony has always wanted out of Montana, away from his father’s suffocating expectations. Yet now that he may be freed from the burden of family legacy, he’s forced to ask himself what he truly finds important . . . answers that will ultimately decide his fate.

In this unforgettable novel, Carrie La Seur once again captures the breathtaking beauty of the West and its people as she explores the power of family and the meaning of legacy—the burdens we inherit and those we place upon ourselves.

[Dawn Hogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

La Seur's title is as brilliant as her prose, which, at times, gave me what I seek in novels--a moment of arrest, where I must stop to ponder truth.

Almost as another character, the western landscape is painted vividly in this novel. It was easy to picture where I was at any time.

Dividing the book into five acts further links this novel to Shakespeare's Hamlet, a story that underlies the tense situation La Seur presents readers with in The Weight of An Infinite Sky. La Seur's Hamlet is a deeply flawed Anthony Fry, who cannot figure out how to live under the weight of his dead father's legacy. It's not easy to like this protagonist, whose self-destructive behavior seems to have no bounds, but flashes of his generous heart emerge now and then, as when he reaches out to Brittany, a young girl who seems as lost in the world as Anthony does.

The true villain in this novel seems beyond human ability to defeat, but in a moment that serves as the catalyst for Anthony's salvation, he discovers the path that saves him. What he learns are truths we all know but often forget. In the end, this novel weaves us all together under the same infinite sky.

[Cat Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling of 'Hamlet.'

The book got off to a slow start, but by the middle I was caught up in the drama of it all. I have to admit that I'm a theatre person, so the references to plays and the MC's experiences in New York and with a summer theatre camp pulled me in more than most and kept me going when things were plodding.

It's very well written and there are a few really excellent bits of poetry, particularly the one from which this novel's title was taken.

My only complaints are that there were so many characters who weren't especially memorable that I finally gave up trying to keep them straight. They became just 'ranch people.' The second criticism was the ending. This is Hamlet with a happy outcome, but it all fell flat at the end as though the writer was sick of it and was trying to wrap things up the best she could. Anthony, the MC, wasn't particularly likeable, but he served his purpose in the tale.

Still, I enjoyed the journey for all that. Definitely will seek out other works by Ms. La Seur.

[Ramona Mead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two and a half stars. I didn't have strong feelings about this one. A friend who read it at the same time had the best question: What's worse, a neutral book or a bad book? I'm not sure. The best thing about this book is that it takes place near where I live, and I'm familiar with the towns referenced, plus a family friend is mentioned! Otherwise it's a bland novel. The story is interesting at times, but I couldn't figure out what it's truly about. That made it hard for me to root for any of the characters, especially since they're pretty flat. I'm not sure if part of my poor perception of this book is the audiobook narrator, who was also flat. There were times he was obviously attempting a Native accent, but it wasn't consistent so I had a hard time keeping track of which characters were Natives.

The novel's premise is relatable: our protagonist, Anthony, returns home from a failed attempt to be an actor in New York City to his family ranch after his father's death. There was a lot of potential but it fell short for me.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm torn about this. The beautiful language (notably the poem by Brittany) and some of the smaller characters (including Brittany) kept me reading when I began to tire of Anthony and his attitude. At the same time, the language is occasionally awkward. La Seur has created a miserable character on Anthony who is mired in alcohol and unhappy with his life. There's no virtually no back story on how he became involved some people (his roommate Gretchen) and on others, the tale is gorgeous (Paula and Jenna). I read this on kindle and periodically wished I could flip pages backward because I felt I was missing something- something that would be explained pages and pages later. The basic plot is not unique (man comes home to ranch, big corporate entity taking over area, man joins with others to fight entity) but La Seur has created some interesting intersections. Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC. This is for fans of Western literature.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first title, by La Seur, The Home Place, which was also set in Montana. This particular title I really didn't enjoy at all and it took me a long time to read it. A young man in his twenties, Anthony Fry, cannot make up his mind if he wants to continue his life in the theater where he has not been successful during his stay in New York City. Now he has returned to Montana and will he take over his late father's ranch and stay tied to the land. In recent years we have heard that young people's brains don't really mature till they are in their mid twenties. This was definitely true for Anthony, he was indecisive from one day to the next as well as irresponsible in drinking habits, women, and respect to his family. Of course, there was a coal company wanting to mine on the properties of the Fry family and surrounding ranches.
Overall not the best title I have read. However, I will read another one of La Seur's if she writes a third one.

[Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We're broken compasses," he said "We never point north."
Anthony is brought back to his childhood home months after his father's death. He begins to realize that the story behind the great tragedy doesn't add up, neither does the sudden interest in the ranch's land. As Anthony looks for answers, he is left with one question, was it really an accident?
Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars ⭐
Thoughts:
-I found this book at Dollar Tree, and was ecstatic that it is marketed as a Hamlet retelling. I honestly found Anthony to be a well written character, yes he acted impulsively at times, but I feel that made him more real. I did find the story to be a bit slow to get through at some points, but in the end I was not disappointed. The redemption was everything I hoped it would be. If I'm rating this story on the Hamlet retelling aspect itself, I would say the author did a fantastic job referencing the classic play.

[Payton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a SLOW start. Strongly considering DNFing at about 50% but decided to push through and shortly after that it started to pick up.

It felt to me like the first half of the book was just a bunch of character names being thrown at me without much character building. I found it hard to follow what each character's relationship to each other was as well.

I did like La Seur's use of real, important issues (mining/land rights and the inclusion of native people). The actual writing itself I really enjoyed, from sentence to sentence. But I did get lost, like I said, for about the first half of the book.

I also am sure that this book would have made a better connection with me if I had a better understanding of Hamlet, but I went into this one fully blind so that's my own bad. All in all I would be interested and willing to read more from this author, but I would not necessarily seek it out.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This modern retelling of Hamlet, set on the ranches of Montana, just didn't hit the spot for me. The characters were not engaging and so it was difficult to really care about them. The theme and idea behind the book resonated with me and I was really hoping to love it, as I always enjoy the little people taking on the corporations. But the ending was overly rushed and ultimately unsatisfying as it tied everything up much too neatly, considering the angst, betrayal and questioning of life choices most of the characters were experiencing.
To go from quotes such as this: "Were people born with darkness in them, or did they receive it from others like a diabolical assignment that changed their fate?" to happy families within less than twenty pages seemed highly unlikely.

[Ken The Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Props to Carrie La Seur for developing a plot in the modern Rockies that doesn't follow The Familiar. Instead, the reader is treated to a real story, with real risks and difficult emotions. The tribalism of so many rural communities is better understood after reading about protagonist Anthony Fry attempting to navigating past relationships and prior expectations. I found his character annoying - perhaps that was the idea? The author's talent was evident in several turn of a phase, for example: "A sinister soundtrack rose up in his mind, cueing showdowns he'd rather never see". On the other hand, I was a little disappointed with the pace - I did not sense a build-up to any type of conclusion.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received this book in a book case subscription box- I can’t quite make up my mind if it deserves 2 or 3 stars. The story is slow to develop and the characters fall a bit flat. The overall story line centers around Anthony running a children’s theater and a mining company taking over land by trickery. The theater aspect assumes that you are familiar with all of the plays mentioned and seems like a grasp at making a stage for a scene that accuses a man of murder- the ending was lackluster and left a lot to be desired. The saving grace is the small mystery of did one brother kill the other and the painting of the Montana landscape.

[Ellen Notbohm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inventive retelling of Hamlet very believably transposed to modern day rural Montana, right down to the protagonist you have to work to like because he's so ... so ... Hamlet-like, earnest but stymied and indecisive. La Seur is a master at creating sense of place; seldom have I read a book where the setting felt so three-dimensional coming off a page. Small spoiler: the ending of the story does depart from Hamlet, i.e. no pile of bodies. This too was believable (and welcome). A very atmospheric, thought-provoking and enjoyable read.

[Desirae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to check this out because the description noted that it was inspired by Shakespeare - particularly Hamlet.

I found the story to be a bit dense, there was never any clear since of beginning, middle, and end, and although there were moments of clarity, honestly I found tedious.

There was a particular scene toward the end where a young character is playing with matches in a barn and accidently sets it on fire, killing a kitten and several animals that physically made me sick.