Home Waters: A Chronicle of Family and a River

by John N. Maclean

In the spirit of his father's beloved classic A River Runs Through It comes a gorgeous chronicle of a family and the land they call home: Home Waters is John N. Maclean’s meditation on fly fishing and life along Montana's Blackfoot River, where four generations of Macleans have fished, bonded, and drawn timeless lessons from its storied waters.

“The trout completed its curve in an undulating, revelatory sequence. A greenish speckled back and a flash of scarlet on silver along its side marked it as a rainbow. One slow beat, set the hook … in those first seconds I felt a connection to a fish of great size and power." 

So begins John N. Maclean's remarkable memoir of his family's century-long love affair with Montana's majestic Blackfoot River, which his father, Norman Maclean, made legendary. Now himself past the age that his father published his bestselling novella, Maclean returns annually to the simple family cabin that his grandfather built by hand, still in search of the fish of a lifetime. When he hooks it at last, decades of longing promise to be fulfilled, inspiring John, reporter and author, to finally write the story he was born to tell. 

A book that will resonate with everyone who feels deeply rooted to a place, Home Waters is chronicle of a family who claimed a river, from one generation to the next, of how this family came of age in the 20th century and later as they scattered across the country, faced tragedy and success, yet were always drawn back to the waters that bound them together. Here are the true stories behind the beloved characters fictionalized in A River Runs Through It, including the Reverend Maclean, the patriarch who introduced the family to fishing; Norman, who balanced a life divided between literature and the tug of the rugged West; and tragic yet luminous Paul (played by Brad Pitt in Robert Redford’s film adaptation), whose mysterious death has haunted the family and led John to investigate his uncle’s murder and reveal new details in these pages.

A universal story about the power of place to shape families, and a celebration of the art of fishing, Maclean’s memoir beautifully portrays the inextricable ways our personal histories are linked to the places we come from—our home waters. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, History, Biography

272 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2021

About the author

John Norman Maclean is a prize-winning author and journalist, has published four books on fatal wildland fires.

Maclean was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1943, the second of two children.Maclean is the son of Norman Maclean, author of the novella A River Runs Through It.

He attended the Chicago school system through high school and graduated from Shimer College, then in Mt. Carroll, Illinois, a former satellite school of the University of Chicago. An honor student at Shimer, he received the school’s distinguished alumni award in 1975.He married Frances Ellen McGeachie in 1968; they have two adult sons, Daniel, a science teacher in Anchorage, Alaska, and John Fitzroy, a public defender for the state of Maryland.


John Maclean was a writer, editor, and reporter for the Chicago Tribune for 30 years before he resigned in 1995 to begin a second career writing books. Maclean started his journalistic career in 1964 as a police reporter and rewrite man with the legendary City News Bureau of Chicago. He went to work for the Chicago Tribune the following year.

In 1970, Maclean was assigned to the Washington Bureau of the Tribune. As diplomatic correspondent there he covered the State Department and was a regular on the "Kissinger Shuttle," covering much of the "shuttle diplomacy" of Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Maclean was a Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University for the 1974-1975 academic year. He became the Tribune’s Foreign Editor in Chicago in 1988. He resigned from the newspaper in 1995 to write Fire on the Mountain.

Maclean, a frequent speaker at wildland fire academies, workshops, and conventions, is a member of the Seeley Lake Volunteer Fire Department and the Explorer's Club. He is a qualified as a federal public information officer.

Reviews

[Susan K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I did not want to end. It feels like my last tie to a favorite author Norman Maclean and I just want to savor it.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mclean has more than expanded on his father's classic story, he's opened up insight into his family and parts of their lives spent in Montana. Mclean has respect for the land and for the Blackfoot River, which has meant so much to the family. There's fly fishing, yes, but there are also portraits of members of the family and anedotes. And there's more about Paul, who was murdered. Although this isn't a murder mystery but a paen to the region, those who remember Paul will be intrigued by what Maclean has learned- no spoilers. It's beautifully written. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. A very good read.

[Chas DeBolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is highly recommend for fans of the author's Father's work. Norman Maclean's Young Men and Fire is one of my all time favorites. I have not actually read A River Runs Through It. But I will now, after having read about the family and the the Blackfoot River from the son's perspective in Home Waters. I spent 18 summers in Montana at my Grandparent's home in the Clark Fork Valley - out in the mountains daily with aunts, uncle's, and cousins. For me the sense of place, respect for and admiration of nature, and love of fishing a river with family are among my most precious memories.

[Sean]

I don't know why this book isn't receiving attention. Other than the Washington Post's rave review, the media hasn't seemed to notice it. This is the son of Norman Maclean, writing about the back story of A River Runs Through It, the Maclean family history, and the history of Montana. It's a bit scattershot, but the author's voice is strong and the subject matter always captivating. Plus, it has a beautiful map of Montana as endpapers and woodcuttings preceding each chapter.

[James Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

It must be very hard to be a writer with a (justly) famous author for a father, especially when you share the same last name. John Maclean, the son, is a fine writer. But he isn’t Norman Maclean. That’s not a criticism. No one can be Norman Maclean.

Much of “Home Waters” is the family history behind Norman Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It”. It is good family history, but much of the value is for people who already know “A River…”. This book is a good one, but I recommend reading “A River…” first. Go ahead. It’s short and you’ll love it.

“Home Waters” is also about the areas in Montana familiar to the Maclean family. I live here, and have fished in many of the same places. For me, this was like going through old family photo albums: nostalgic and charming. If you haven’t spent time in this part of the country, you will probably also enjoy these descriptions. But it’s impossible for me to be certain, since I will never read the book with fresh eyes.

One rarely hears about Norman (the father) in Chicago, where he lived most of his life. I met the man when I lived in Chicago. I’ve heard him read. He was pure Montana. But he was also a great teacher at an elite urban university (The University of Chicago). He seemed more like an outdoorsman who managed to get by in a big city than the other way around. This book also portrays him that way.

I loved this book, because I’ve loved the works of the Maclean the Elder, and because we share the same “home waters”—both Montana and Chicago. I suspect this book would charm others, too.

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever been to Montana and fished some of its wonderful rivers as I have, you will recall those days and memories. I have fished the Big Horn, Clarks Fork of the Yellow Stone, the Madison, and the Gallatin rivers. The book brought back some wonderful memories. Wish I could go back.

[Jason Herrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Norman McLean published the classic, A River Runs Through It, around 25 years ago. Home Waters was written by his son to tell the family story. He also includes some flyfishing stories, some Montana history, and some history on wildfires. The book bounces around from place to place, as well as back in forth in time, but was still an enjoyable read.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one more than I did, and I'm not quite sure why I didn't. Maclean's a strong writer and sections of this book are excellent (particularly the final few stretches). The publication history of A River Runs Through It is fascinating, and it's nice to learn some more about the family history, too.

The book's a little scattershot, though, and some sections (even on the family) turn more toward dry reportage. It becomes a blend of biography, autobiography, and regional history that actually holds together okay, but doesn't really hold momentum.

I imagine that fans of Norman Maclean or those with a real interest in the topics in the book will enjoy it, but I don't expect it to be embraced by a wider audience (though hopefully I'm wrong).

[Margaret R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought back so many memories. I was working at the University of Chicago in 1976 and remember the excitement over the publication of A River Runs Through It. It was my go to gift for all occasions that year. I still have a copy and was excited to learn that it is one from the second run, it has "adways" on page 27 but the ISBN number on the publishers page is correct. I loved that little blue book and will now need to settle in and read it again.
The son's is almost but not quite as good as the father's .

[Kayla Boss]

this is a book for anyone who loves fishing 🎣 it’s a book for those with family traditions they are attached to, especially if they revolve around fishing or being in the mountains. it’s a book for anyone who has read “A River Runs Through It” by Norman Maclean, loved it, and wants to know about the author and his family. for anyone who is familiar with the part of Montana that the author’s family is tied to.

thanks to Harper Collins for the ARC!

[John Larrabee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice family story about fishing in Montana, written by John Maclean, son of Norman Maclean, the author of "A River Runs through It."

[Andy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Maclean is the son of the Norman MacClean who famously wrote " A River Runs Through It."
John's "Home Waters" is partly a follow up/explanation of River Runs Through It, pointing out parts of his father's book that were fictionalized and adding more detail and background, especially about his Uncle's (the Brad Pitt character) death in Chicago, not Lolo. But Home Waters is more than that, it is also somewhat of a family history, the Maclean family as well as John's mother's family who were also from Montana. It is also a love song to the Maclean cabin on Seeley Lake that has been drawing the Macleans back to Montana for generations, a history of the area around Missoula and Seeley Lake, especially the Lewis and Clark expedition that explored the area, and of course, also about fly fishing. But don't let that push away, Maclean's consistently good writing and passion for fly fishing makes those pages interesting even to the non fisherman, and of course the reader can always do what I did during some of those sections, skim.

This is simply a great book

[Peg Lotvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely lyrical memoir of a family living and fishing in Montana's Blackfoot River. Most of the family after the first generation did not live full time in Montana, but they always returned to a family cabin on Seely Lake. John Maclean, son of Norman Maclean author of A River Runs Through It, recounts bits and pieces of his family's history enjoying their time at the cabin, always fishing in the Blackfoot and other rivers and lakes in the area. In this book, fishing is probably a metaphor but the lovely flow of language makes it unnecessary to figure out what it is.

[JMM · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Maclean offers a further glimpse into the family and place portrayed in his father’s novel, A River Runs Through It. Though I appreciated Maclean’s story and his writing, there was a rambling quality to this memoir that left me unsatisfied – though I’m sure many will appreciate this paean to family, fly-fishing, and the beauty of Montana.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Norman Maclean's son provides the backstory to his father's gem about Montana and flyfishing and the wilderness, as well as his own time as a child and an adult on the Blackfoot River and Seeley Lake. Perfect timing for the read, as I'm headed to the Blackfoot with my son Christopher for a week of flyfishing in seven days! A good chapter on Meriwether Lewis' journey homeward up the side of the Blackfoot, as well as one on Norman's (and John's own) research and writing about deadly wildfires.

[Karen Parisot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich in history and nature, Home Waters is the story of the Maclean family. Some people probably already know the author’s father, Norman, who wrote, A River Runs Through It. In John’s book, he begins with his family’s shared love of fly fishing and the Blackfoot River and how they came to build a cabin on national forest land in Montana in the 1920s. While relating his family history he covers a range of topics from fishing and history to wildfires and ecology. Though I personally am not a fan of fishing in any form, the author presents it in such a way as to give it an almost mystical quality. His family has a fascinating story and I found it and all the other stuff very interesting.

[Jonathan Aman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read and loved both of his father's books, I was intrigued when I read about the author's latest. Well, John is the clear son of Norman, even when speaking of writing. I was captivated by the storytelling with several moments on par with A River. If your surname is Maclean, please write a book involving fly fishing.

[Peggy Dover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely do I rate any book a five-star read, but Home Waters heartily deserves it. John N. Maclean, son of Norman Maclean, author of A River Runs Through it, tells the story of family and close friends--the inner circle of those blessed to share memories of a several-generation family cabin at Seeley Lake in Montana. Each page contains a deeply felt, personal tale of reverence for loved ones and the land (and water) that binds them. Each chapter is carefully sculpted and placed within the book. One of my favorite lines is this one:

"It [large trout] was a winner, brought to hand within sight of the family cabin where ghosts of the past are ever-present--and keep score."

I highly recommend this book, not only for the excellent word placement and quality product it is, but for the way it made me feel connected to my own family's past. Home Waters helped me remember what matters--that the good is ever-flowing even as changes come.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book “Home Waters” is a beautiful story of four generations of the Maclean family and their love of the Blackfoot River.
Years ago I was fortunate to pick up Norman Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It”. That book still stays in my mind today. This book by his son (John M Maclean) “Home Waters” is the true stories of the characters fictionalized in “A River Runs Through It”. The stories are full of life, love, fishing, and loss. They pulled at my heart as I know the truth of the saying-there is no place like home. Home in this book is the magnificent Blackfoot River the Maclean Family has loved and revered for a century.
A review rating of 5 stars was easy to score.
I received an Advanced Reader’s Edition of “Home Waters” through a gracious giveaway on Goodreads by Willam Morrow.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waters and fires, places, fish and family

John Maclean has woven several lifetimes of memories of the waters and the lives they touched. His stories of his family, the Big Blackfoot River and Seely lake are told with the same reverence and love his father crafted in A River Runs Through It and Young Men and Fire. This is a book I will return to many times for the love of his family that he shared, poetry of water in the canyon, and wind in the larches.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this via Goodreads Giveaway contest. Outstanding book! Part history of Montana, part family history, and part meditation on fishing, it truly runs the gambit. Maclean does a wonderful job of connecting his family with Montana history and fishing, without sounding too sentimental or distant. His writing is strong and descriptive, and he does justice to his father. Highly recommend for those interested in Norman Maclean, fishing in Montana, history of Montana, and memoirs.

[Ryan Wentzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read A River Runs Through It for the first time last year, I looked forward to this work by Norman Maclean's son, John. Home Waters provides some of the backstory to A River but also reflects on a family's connection to a place, membership in a community that encompasses both the living and the dead, and the beauty of the natural world.

It was a pleasure to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Jennifer Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written. A lovely tribute to his family, fly fishing, Montana, A River Runs through It, and history of those. My husband and my father will love this book as they love fishing so this book will resonate more with them. Not my usual read and not really my cup of tea, but I do recommend it for those with a passion for fishing.

I won this ARC on Goodreads Giveaways. Thank you Harper Collins for the opportunity to read Mr. Maclean’s work.

[Laura Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book written by John Maclean about his family history in Montana and their love of the land and fishing. The family originated in Scotland, made their way rough Canada and ultimately settled in Montana. They loved the land, the Lord, family and fishing. John”s father wrote. A River Runs Through It. Thus part of the book focuses on his brothers death. Life ha its ups and downs. This is is loving peaceful journey filled with fishing.

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will resonate primarily with A River Runs Through It and Norman Maclean fans. I have spents many weeks in Montana in all seasons except the dead of winter and love it. I could watch A River Runs Through It over and over. If you want to know the real story behind the Paul (the Brad Pitt character) you need to read Home Waters, his uncle's lovely memoir.

[Diana N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a family story/memoir about the Maclean family. It really takes you though the generations of the family and their love of spending time fishing in Montana. The book also touches on John's dad's boom "A River Runs Through It." A beautiful heartfelt story and tribute!

[Amy Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it! Cuts right to the heart of family, fishing and all the memories made along the way! Heart felt and honest. Makes us all want for those places of peace and serenity found by beautiful, moving bodies of water!! Well done!!

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book about the author's father, Norman Maclean, who wrote "A River Runs Through It," an all-time favorite book of mine, in his 70s, after a youth spent in Montana and a career as teaching English at the University of Chicago. It's also about firefighting, the Maclean family cabin on Seely Lake in Montana, conservation, and family history. I was interested to discover that the hit movie baed on the book with Robert Redford and Paul Newman had both attracted far too many tourists to the Blackfoot River and also allowed local groups to raise large sums of money to clean it up.

Why didn't I give it 5 stars since I enjoyed it so much? Because the author only talks glancingly, parenthetically, about the native Americans who originally occupied the land and what happened to them, instead dwelling lovingly on the pristine paradise that his family enjoyed every summer and their sense of being tied to the land. He also doesn't mention that Norman Maclean's life of teaching at the university during the year and being an outdoorsman in Montana every summer, never publishing academic articles or books, would never be possible today, with academia's proverbial pressure to publish or perish. The book's sense of intimacy and understanding--of the landscape, of the country, of the history, and even of his father's life--is thus incomplete and I felt cheated thereby. Biography is always shaped as much by what we don't tell as what we tell.

[Cam Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in a devout fly fishing family and watched A River Runs Through It as a teen. The film inspired a personal trip to fish the Blackfoot River, as Mr. Maclean acknowledges it did many others. More than once I tried shadow-casting for myself. Needless to say this memoir held a special interest for me.

I haven't read the River text but feel like I got the just of it from the film and this memoir, maybe I'll visit it later, although it's not high on my list. This book was an easy, insightful and enchanting read. Maclean's writing on fishing is mesmerizing and can only be told from someone with extensive personal experience chasing trout. My love for Western Montana grew stronger while reading this. I thoroughly enjoyed the anecdotes on history and family. The segments about his father's humility when authoring his own work after a long career in teaching literature was insightful and a valued lesson for aspiring writers.

There was a recent firefighter tragedy in my community so the stories about firefighters were close to home, albeit a bit out of place, but it makes sense for the author to include those perspectives because it's their memoir.

One thing I didn't favor was the writing jumps around often, I prefer a more organized flow instead of going from the author's childhood to his father's youth and back and forth. Other than that, no criticism and I really enjoyed this quick read.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several years ago I read A River Runs Through It and Other Stories, and it instantly became and remains one of my favorite books of all time. It's a beautifully written collection of stories about family bonds, tradition, hard work, friendship, and of course, in the titular story, the art and healing powers of fly fishing.

Both my mom's and dad's sides of the family have roots in western Montana not far from where A River is set, and I can't help but feel a certain sense of jealousy in Norman Maclean's firm understanding of his family history and connection to that region when I know so little about my own. As an amateur fly fisher, I also can't help but feel let down at not having had such a skill passed down to me as a kid by a doting grandparent or parent. I think one of the reasons I love the book so much is because it instills a sense of longing in me for the type of childhood I craved but never had.

All points aside, this new memoir by Norman's son, John Maclean, continues his father's legacy as a wonderfully written account of one family and their traditions, now spanning five generations. A blurb on the back of the book described the experience of reading it as "like a visit with old friends," and I couldn't agree more.