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The Wintering Place
Deserting to escape the horrors of the Indian wars two soldiers, Irish brothers, seek peace with the woman they love. Dakota Territory, 1867. The O’Driscoll brothers have survived a Sioux massacre, but Michael is gravely wounded. The deserters are fleeing north with Tom’s lover, Sara, when they come upon a sheltering rock by a river down off the Bozeman trail. If there is game here, they may survive the winter. But their attempts to find food and endure the savage winter are threatened by the arrival in their camp of two trappers, whose presence sets in motion a series of bloody events that will mark the trio as Outlaws, hunted by the Montana Vigilance Committee, their likenesses appearing on Wanted posters in settlements and mining camps along the trail. Enter any town, and they will have to shoot their way out. The rock and the river become their safe place, and when spring comes, their paradise. But the world seeks its way to them, and even in paradise human nature makes its own trouble. In this follow-up to his acclaimed novel, Wolves of Eden , Kevin McCarthy tells a story of three very human characters battling to survive in a vast, beautiful, and unforgiving landscape.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2022
17 people are currently reading
3587 people want to read
About the author
Kevin McCarthy
116 books116 followersKevin McCarthy is the author of the highly acclaimed historical crime novel, 'Peeler' (Mercier Press, 2010). Called a '...dark, brooding, morally complex masterpiece...' by the Belfast Telegraph, 'Peeler' was selected by the Irish Times as one of its Top Ten Thrillers of 2010 and as a Read of the Year 2010 by the Philadelphia Inquirer. His short story "Twenty-five and Out" appears in 'Down These Green Streets: Irish Crime Writing in the 21st Century'. Kevin's second novel, 'Irregulars', is published by New Island Books and was shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Book of the Year 2013. His novel, 'Wolves of Eden', published by W.W. Norton, was selected by Amazon as one of its 20 Best Books 2018. His latest novel, 'The Wintering Place' (W.W. Norton, 2022), a follow up to The Wolves of Eden, was selected by Amazon as one of its 20 Best Books of the Month, November 2022. He is represented by Jonathan Williams Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 7, 2022
Okay, I enjoyed this book. Now, I love Westerns but I have to admit that when I first started reading this story I wasn’t so sure it was my idea of a Western. No cattle, no horses, no cowboy boots and hats and no gunslingers good or bad anywhere in sight but there are three people on the run with one broken-down horse, who are trying to evade the US cavalry.
This story takes place in 1867 after the Civil War and two Irish brothers and their half Indian woman are struggling to endure. One brother managed to survive an Indian massacre while the other rescued his woman from the brothel where she had been a prisoner and they are just trying to live each day as they head away from Fort Phil Kearny into the wilderness of the Dakota Territory..
By the time I finished this book all my original doubts about this being a Western were gone. There were good guys and bad guys, trappers, gold mines and grizzly bears but most of all it was about three people who saved each other.
You don’t have to enjoy Westerns to like this book because it’s more about the well-written characters who you will come to like and, yes, admire.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and the author Kevin McCarthy.
This story takes place in 1867 after the Civil War and two Irish brothers and their half Indian woman are struggling to endure. One brother managed to survive an Indian massacre while the other rescued his woman from the brothel where she had been a prisoner and they are just trying to live each day as they head away from Fort Phil Kearny into the wilderness of the Dakota Territory..
By the time I finished this book all my original doubts about this being a Western were gone. There were good guys and bad guys, trappers, gold mines and grizzly bears but most of all it was about three people who saved each other.
You don’t have to enjoy Westerns to like this book because it’s more about the well-written characters who you will come to like and, yes, admire.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and the author Kevin McCarthy.
Want to read
November 8, 2022Five words or phrases to describe McCarthy’s The Wintering Place: Raw, Disturbing, Visceral, Emotionally Invasive, Riveting. This is a novel for fans of Donald Ray Pollock and Cormac McCarthy, readers who enjoy (perhaps with grimacing faces) the feel of dirt under the character’s nails, an odor of decaying blood lingering and fetid, the kind of novel that settles a deep chill in your bones and in your soul. The Wintering Place is a novel about resilience and survival and the cost of that survival on the human soul.
The novel is set in the 1840s on the American plains, in the rural hills and the long stretches of lonely woods. It revolves around two brothers, Irish immigrants, who have fought and lived according to a primal form of justice. They are army deserters, fugitives in more ways than one. Blood and death are on their hands, rightly or wrongly. A woman, the bride of one of the brothers, accompanies them — and together they are a kind of family, dependent on each other for their survival and security. There is a bond of love between, the kind that is weathered by the harshness of life, silent, sullen, and not always kind. The woman is like the brothers: alone in the world, a survivor of a place and time that beats women out of their dignity, power, and softness.
The three of them seek a wintering place. A place to hole up for the dark season. They need only to survive the weather — that is, until they encounter animals of their own kind who threaten them. Humanity is the evil that lurks in the shadows of the forest. The snow, wolves, and frost kill too, but humans pose the most danger.
The three of them encounter ruffians like themselves, Native Americans, officers of the law, traders and merchants who hold the power of life or death over all who dare to traverse the plains in winter. Everyone is seeking a safe wintering place in some way or another.
My description sounds stark, but McCarthy’s prose and the way he unpicks the fabric of the story and lets it unravel into its bare parts, is captivating. I read this novel compulsively, wanting always to know what happens next. Do they survive another day? Will one of them perish in the effort?
The characters were fleshy, real, and irresistible; the stink of their unwashed bodies and the smell of blood permeated the safety of my apartment as I read this book. It was as if I could sense them in the room with me. McCarthy uses an epistolary delivery, bringing the characters into dialogue with the reader directly; it is almost like having a conversation with them.
At the end of the novel, this reader even felt a little lost — as if there was a little death in the finishing of this book.
I must add one more word to the description: Haunting.
The novel is set in the 1840s on the American plains, in the rural hills and the long stretches of lonely woods. It revolves around two brothers, Irish immigrants, who have fought and lived according to a primal form of justice. They are army deserters, fugitives in more ways than one. Blood and death are on their hands, rightly or wrongly. A woman, the bride of one of the brothers, accompanies them — and together they are a kind of family, dependent on each other for their survival and security. There is a bond of love between, the kind that is weathered by the harshness of life, silent, sullen, and not always kind. The woman is like the brothers: alone in the world, a survivor of a place and time that beats women out of their dignity, power, and softness.
The three of them seek a wintering place. A place to hole up for the dark season. They need only to survive the weather — that is, until they encounter animals of their own kind who threaten them. Humanity is the evil that lurks in the shadows of the forest. The snow, wolves, and frost kill too, but humans pose the most danger.
The three of them encounter ruffians like themselves, Native Americans, officers of the law, traders and merchants who hold the power of life or death over all who dare to traverse the plains in winter. Everyone is seeking a safe wintering place in some way or another.
My description sounds stark, but McCarthy’s prose and the way he unpicks the fabric of the story and lets it unravel into its bare parts, is captivating. I read this novel compulsively, wanting always to know what happens next. Do they survive another day? Will one of them perish in the effort?
The characters were fleshy, real, and irresistible; the stink of their unwashed bodies and the smell of blood permeated the safety of my apartment as I read this book. It was as if I could sense them in the room with me. McCarthy uses an epistolary delivery, bringing the characters into dialogue with the reader directly; it is almost like having a conversation with them.
At the end of the novel, this reader even felt a little lost — as if there was a little death in the finishing of this book.
I must add one more word to the description: Haunting.
September 22, 2022
The continuing story of Irish brothers Tom and Michael and the half-Native American woman Sara on the run for crimes they did not commit. They are living off the land in the wilds of the Dakota Territory. Trying to stay one step ahead of those who are looking for them, the violence of war and steer clear of future violence, the group is near starvation and struggling to survive winter. The brutal but beautiful landscape of the mountains suits the gentle nature of the three until others invade and push them too far. A story of adventure, the violence of the old West and the intimate bond between the two brothers and the woman they both love. This is perfect for fans of LONESOME DOVE, TRUE GRIT and NEWS OF THE WORLD. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
July 16, 2022
Wonderful read
December 6, 2022
One of best books I’ve read in 2022. The writing is really descriptive….you can feel the biting cold wind and smell the pine trees. Pioneers had it tough and the Indians had it tougher, women of both suffered the most and were perhaps the strongest. Great book describing what it was like at the end of the 1860’s for immigrant soldiers just trying to find a place in the new American West.
August 9, 2022
Much more interesting story than I had originally thought and very well written. For people who are a fan of this genre, this novel is definitely worth a look!
January 7, 2023
I didn't realize it until afterwards, but this book is the sequel to McCarthy's "The Wolves of Eden." It picks up the story of two Irish brothers, Michael and Tom O'Driscoll, following the events of that book, which climaxed in the 1866 so-called "Fetterman Massacre" battle between the US Army and native forces under Red Cloud. Fortuitously, last year I enjoyed Michael Punke's book "Ridgeline," which was a fictional account of that same battle in Wyoming Territory. This book picks up the story of two army deserter brothers only a few days after the battle, so "Ridgeline" functioned as an unintentional prequel for me!
Punke's book did an excellent job describing the rag-tag nature of army soldiers of the time, including a heavy contingent of Irish immigrants. The O'Driscoll brothers of this book are two of them -- come to the shores of America to escape violence and injustice in Ireland, only to find plenty of the same on the other side of the Atlantic. Presumably "Wolves of Eden" covers all that befell them, although much is alluded to here, so I never felt like I was missing out on anything. They've deserted for the army for reasons that get slowly spelled out, bringing with them one brother's lover, a woman of mixed French/Native background.
With one brother badly wounded, and "Wanted" posters peppering the territory, they hole up in a cave off the Bozeman Trail to wait out the winter. What ensues is a tense thriller, as they have to contend with harsh weather, a pair of trappers whose intentions are unclear, dwindling supplies that force them to an unruly trading post, natural predators, and, of course, the natives of the area. It's a great survival tale, although not for the faint of heart, with a fair amount of graphic physical and sexual violence.
The form is a little clunky, as it alternates chapters about the winter with chapters written as a kind of journal later on by one of the brothers, in a kind of fractured, unpunctuated narrative -- but it generally holds together. Readers who enjoy gritty survival tales should definitely check it out, especially if you enjoyed the book or film of Punke's other story, "The Revenant" -- it's got a good deal of the same dark tone.
Punke's book did an excellent job describing the rag-tag nature of army soldiers of the time, including a heavy contingent of Irish immigrants. The O'Driscoll brothers of this book are two of them -- come to the shores of America to escape violence and injustice in Ireland, only to find plenty of the same on the other side of the Atlantic. Presumably "Wolves of Eden" covers all that befell them, although much is alluded to here, so I never felt like I was missing out on anything. They've deserted for the army for reasons that get slowly spelled out, bringing with them one brother's lover, a woman of mixed French/Native background.
With one brother badly wounded, and "Wanted" posters peppering the territory, they hole up in a cave off the Bozeman Trail to wait out the winter. What ensues is a tense thriller, as they have to contend with harsh weather, a pair of trappers whose intentions are unclear, dwindling supplies that force them to an unruly trading post, natural predators, and, of course, the natives of the area. It's a great survival tale, although not for the faint of heart, with a fair amount of graphic physical and sexual violence.
The form is a little clunky, as it alternates chapters about the winter with chapters written as a kind of journal later on by one of the brothers, in a kind of fractured, unpunctuated narrative -- but it generally holds together. Readers who enjoy gritty survival tales should definitely check it out, especially if you enjoyed the book or film of Punke's other story, "The Revenant" -- it's got a good deal of the same dark tone.
July 18, 2022
I won this book on Goodreads. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.
The Wintering Place was an exciting win for me because I am from North Dakota, and while this isn't usually the genre I read, I was looking forward to giving it a go. Usually people who write about the Dakotas get it SO wrong, but thankfully that wasn't the case here.
I really enjoyed the story. It wasn't some over-the-top craziness. You could believe that everything that happened to Tom, Sara, and Michael would actually happen to people that were living in the Dakota Territory in the winter of the 1800s. Their hardships, and even their celebrations are believable of people in that time. I found the characters to be interesting (and this is not a spoiler, but Sara is a low-key, humble bad ass).
I understood why Michael's journal entries were written the way they were, but the entire story was a bit tricky to read. I found myself re-reading a bit of the story because of how it was written. For instance, there was a whole paragraph of seven lines that was just one sentence held together by a few "and"s. I thought that was just the journal entries, which would make sense since I assume Michael doesn't have a strong education, but there were several places in the book where this took place. I am not sure if that is the author's writing style, or how he wanted to portray the writing of that time, but it made the reading a bit cumbersome.
Overall though I really enjoyed this story, and it will be stamped and placed in my library.
The Wintering Place was an exciting win for me because I am from North Dakota, and while this isn't usually the genre I read, I was looking forward to giving it a go. Usually people who write about the Dakotas get it SO wrong, but thankfully that wasn't the case here.
I really enjoyed the story. It wasn't some over-the-top craziness. You could believe that everything that happened to Tom, Sara, and Michael would actually happen to people that were living in the Dakota Territory in the winter of the 1800s. Their hardships, and even their celebrations are believable of people in that time. I found the characters to be interesting (and this is not a spoiler, but Sara is a low-key, humble bad ass).
I understood why Michael's journal entries were written the way they were, but the entire story was a bit tricky to read. I found myself re-reading a bit of the story because of how it was written. For instance, there was a whole paragraph of seven lines that was just one sentence held together by a few "and"s. I thought that was just the journal entries, which would make sense since I assume Michael doesn't have a strong education, but there were several places in the book where this took place. I am not sure if that is the author's writing style, or how he wanted to portray the writing of that time, but it made the reading a bit cumbersome.
Overall though I really enjoyed this story, and it will be stamped and placed in my library.
October 16, 2022
The Wintering Place by Kevin McCarthy is the sequel to Wolves of Eden. It can very definitely be read without having read Wolves of Eden, but I would probably suggest that the books be read in order because they are both so very good.
Brothers and soldiers Tom and Michael Sugrue are struggling to survive. Tom had killed the owner of a brothel to rescue Sara, a half-Native woman, and then deserted. The two soon come across Michael, who has been badly wounded in a Lakota massacre at Fort Phil Kearny. Tom and Sara take Michael with them as they flee to the north.
Portions of the novel are narrated by Michael, in his journal, so do not expect the King’s English. He is, after all, a good Irish Catholic ... (I have seen some reviews where people disliked these chapters due to the dialect. I found them to be honest and revealing.) Tom does little speaking, as he took a Confederate ball through his mouth at Chickamauga, but the narrator provides us with many of his thoughts.
The story shows all the roughness of the Old West, without the gloss and glamour that appear in most novels and movies. (I guess that is a trigger warning, if the previous mentions of a murder and brothel were not sufficient.)
The three main characters are carefully and honestly developed. And I found myself fully immersed in the story ... hoping that things might work out for the brothers and Sara, despite long odds against that happening.
Brothers and soldiers Tom and Michael Sugrue are struggling to survive. Tom had killed the owner of a brothel to rescue Sara, a half-Native woman, and then deserted. The two soon come across Michael, who has been badly wounded in a Lakota massacre at Fort Phil Kearny. Tom and Sara take Michael with them as they flee to the north.
Portions of the novel are narrated by Michael, in his journal, so do not expect the King’s English. He is, after all, a good Irish Catholic ... (I have seen some reviews where people disliked these chapters due to the dialect. I found them to be honest and revealing.) Tom does little speaking, as he took a Confederate ball through his mouth at Chickamauga, but the narrator provides us with many of his thoughts.
The story shows all the roughness of the Old West, without the gloss and glamour that appear in most novels and movies. (I guess that is a trigger warning, if the previous mentions of a murder and brothel were not sufficient.)
The three main characters are carefully and honestly developed. And I found myself fully immersed in the story ... hoping that things might work out for the brothers and Sara, despite long odds against that happening.
October 24, 2022
This was a very good book, and although it's in the Western genre, I think most readers would enjoy it for the character development. Two brothers, Michael and Tom, along with Tom's close female companion Sara, are on the run from an Indian massacre that gravely injured Michael. They eventually find a cave along a river that they think will provide them food and shelter over the winter. Not long after two trappers stop by to share what little food and shelter the group can provide. The trappers are not what they appear to be and an incident not long after they arrive almost costs the brothers and Sara their lives. The brothers are also considered deserts from the army and fear being arrested if they travel into town for supplies. Eventually circumstances require that they venture to a trading post where they hope no one will recognize them and they will be able to obtain much needed food/provisions. A lot of this story takes place within the cave and along the river so there isn't the feel of a western (notably a lack of animals), but the human interactions and how the brothers and Sara survive make for an enjoyable read. Thanks to #Netgalley and #W.W. Norton for the ARC.
November 27, 2022
Jumped into this title without having read the prior one by McCarthy. But did not have any trouble with what had transpired. In 1867, two Irish brothers, Tom and Michael, are on the run in the Dakota Territory. They are accompanied by Sara, a mixed race French/Native American who they “liberated” (most likely in the earlier novel) from a rough brothel/enslavement.
All they want to do is find a place to endure the harsh winter where they can heal from their wounds and figure out their next move. Things do not go well: trappers with bad intentions; a trip to an outpost for supplies; avalanche; scarce hunting and a past that comes back to challenge them. Tom and Sara form a romantic bond, while Michael chronicles in a diary his viewpoint of what is happening and how they are coping with past and present dangers.
Parts of this book, especially the brutality recalled The Revenant. If a reader is not up for that kind of detail nor the journal format, this may not be the best choice. Otherwise, the characters and emphasis on their ethnicity makes for a unique experience of the harsh and wild West.
Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.
All they want to do is find a place to endure the harsh winter where they can heal from their wounds and figure out their next move. Things do not go well: trappers with bad intentions; a trip to an outpost for supplies; avalanche; scarce hunting and a past that comes back to challenge them. Tom and Sara form a romantic bond, while Michael chronicles in a diary his viewpoint of what is happening and how they are coping with past and present dangers.
Parts of this book, especially the brutality recalled The Revenant. If a reader is not up for that kind of detail nor the journal format, this may not be the best choice. Otherwise, the characters and emphasis on their ethnicity makes for a unique experience of the harsh and wild West.
Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.
September 12, 2022
Dakota Territory, 1867. Tom and Michael O'Driscoll (this may or may not be their name) and Sara are on the run. The brothers survived the horrors of the Civil War and then plunged into the Indian conflicts. Just trying to find a place to winter where they can stay out of trouble, and survive, they find a cave that will give them some protection from the elements.
Much of the book is written as journal entries, written by Michael, and as such, are difficult to read. The entries read like they truly were written by someone who had little education and fewer spelling skills. Abbreviations were used in some instances, and it is up to the reader to figure out what he's talking about. Having said that, this is still a good read. A look at the West that we might no normally see in a story.
The threesome meet strangers on the way, survive avalanches, bitter weather, food shortages, loss of their horses. This all creates a story filled with a certain amount of tension.
I received an e-ARC from W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Much of the book is written as journal entries, written by Michael, and as such, are difficult to read. The entries read like they truly were written by someone who had little education and fewer spelling skills. Abbreviations were used in some instances, and it is up to the reader to figure out what he's talking about. Having said that, this is still a good read. A look at the West that we might no normally see in a story.
The threesome meet strangers on the way, survive avalanches, bitter weather, food shortages, loss of their horses. This all creates a story filled with a certain amount of tension.
I received an e-ARC from W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley in exchange for a review.
September 4, 2022
Overall, a good story. I found it tough to read the chapters where Michael was narrating / writing. Those gave me a headache trying to decipher every time. There were some very good characters - Sara, Tom, Michael, Ryan, the two Crow Indian boys 'Holds the Buffalo' & 'Sits Close'. My favorite was Whitstable. I did not care for the part where they killed the female bear and especially her cub. I understand the times the story took place in and the desperation to survive. I just wish there could have been a different outcome for the cub. I found the ending of the novel to be very depressing. Thank you goodreads for the free copy of the book to read and review.
August 27, 2022
I thought that this was a phenomenal book! To be fair, I do have a soft spot for westerns and a good action/adventure book. I thought that the writing was great, and I read the entire book in a single setting. I took a star off because there were moments where I wish the author was more concise and clear with his writing. I found myself having to reread things and not fully understanding the author's intent. Aside from that, I thought that this book was very well written, and I look forward to reading more books from McCarthy!
March 25, 2023
I hoped this book would be more interesting and captivating after reading the reviews, but I didn’t finish it. Chose to give it up after a quarter.
Some interesting descriptions, yes, and at times you can FEEL the winter. However the best stories should contain more than page-long, repetitive descriptions. And the diary POV either wasn’t believable at times or was overly smothering. Character development was lacking as I wasn’t drawn into any of them.
Some interesting descriptions, yes, and at times you can FEEL the winter. However the best stories should contain more than page-long, repetitive descriptions. And the diary POV either wasn’t believable at times or was overly smothering. Character development was lacking as I wasn’t drawn into any of them.
December 29, 2024
3.5/3.75
The writing and use of language and perspective are outstanding. It's just that I feel like I've read 500 historical novels set in this same time period that are also well-written, also bleak, also depressing, also end badly for everyone (though this does have an active conclusion that keeps things a little more interesting).
The writing and use of language and perspective are outstanding. It's just that I feel like I've read 500 historical novels set in this same time period that are also well-written, also bleak, also depressing, also end badly for everyone (though this does have an active conclusion that keeps things a little more interesting).
Read
September 7, 2022Great book, great characters, great story!
I’m not usually into Westerns per se, but the characters in this book are quite well written and kept me interested. I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you for the book and the opportunity to read something outside of my usual genres!
I’m not usually into Westerns per se, but the characters in this book are quite well written and kept me interested. I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you for the book and the opportunity to read something outside of my usual genres!
December 24, 2022
Rounding up to 4. The writing is just so good. Irish brothers Tom and Michael surely get themselves into some trouble. Irish author McCarthy once again paints a perfect picture of the American west. I sense a third book.
July 19, 2022
McCarthy is a good writer. The story felt off and not well thought out to me.
September 14, 2022
Good story. Good character development. Did not care for different POV especially one being a journal entry.
November 17, 2022
The story didn't grab me,so threw in the towel on chapter 5 .
December 25, 2022
4.5 stars. Another terrific, yet haunting, novel from McCarthy.
Read
January 5, 2023DNF
January 5, 2023
Great historical fiction. Good character development and lots of action.
March 12, 2023
Enjoyed it a lot - very violent but also human - good ending
May 24, 2023
A bit brutal at times but I came to like the characters who, mostly, tried to cope with the hand they were dealt.
July 8, 2023
Two Irish brothers, veterans of the Union Army in Civil War, and Indian wars in South Dakota, desert the Army and live as outlaws in Territory of Montana.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews