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Bone Fire
Ishawooa, Wyoming, is far from bucolic nowadays. The sheriff, Crane Carlson, needs no reminder of this but gets one anyway when he finds a kid not yet twenty murdered in a meth lab. His other troubles include a wife who’s going off the rails with bourbon and pot, and his own symptoms of the disease that killed his grandfather.
Einar Gilkyson, taking stock at eighty, counts among his dead a lifelong friend, a wife and—far too young—their only child; and his long-absent sister has lately returned home from Chicago after watching her soul mate die. His granddaughter, Griff, has dropped out of college to look after him, though Einar would rather she continue with her studies and her boyfriend, Paul. Completing this extended family are Barnum McEban and his ward, Kenneth, a ten-year-old whose mother—Paul’s sister—is off marketing spiritual enlightenment.
What these characters have to contend with on a daily basis is bracing enough, involving car accidents, runaway children, strokes and Lou Gehrig’s disease, not to mention the motorcycle rallies and rodeos that flood the tiny local jail. But as their lives become even more strained, hardship foments exceptional compassion and generosity, and those caught in their own sorrow alleviate the same in others, changing themselves as they do so. In this gripping story, along with harsh truths and difficult consolation come moments of hilarity and surprise and beauty. No one writes more compellingly about the modern West than Mark Spragg, and in Bone Fire he is at the very height of his powers.
Einar Gilkyson, taking stock at eighty, counts among his dead a lifelong friend, a wife and—far too young—their only child; and his long-absent sister has lately returned home from Chicago after watching her soul mate die. His granddaughter, Griff, has dropped out of college to look after him, though Einar would rather she continue with her studies and her boyfriend, Paul. Completing this extended family are Barnum McEban and his ward, Kenneth, a ten-year-old whose mother—Paul’s sister—is off marketing spiritual enlightenment.
What these characters have to contend with on a daily basis is bracing enough, involving car accidents, runaway children, strokes and Lou Gehrig’s disease, not to mention the motorcycle rallies and rodeos that flood the tiny local jail. But as their lives become even more strained, hardship foments exceptional compassion and generosity, and those caught in their own sorrow alleviate the same in others, changing themselves as they do so. In this gripping story, along with harsh truths and difficult consolation come moments of hilarity and surprise and beauty. No one writes more compellingly about the modern West than Mark Spragg, and in Bone Fire he is at the very height of his powers.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
45 people are currently reading
647 people want to read
About the author
Mark Spragg
13 books132 followersMark Spragg is the author of Where Rivers Change Direction, a memoir that won the 2000 Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers award, and the novels, The Fruit of Stone, An Unfinished Life, and, Bone Fire. All four were top-ten Book Sense selections and An Unfinished Life was chosen by the Rocky Mountain News as the Best Book of 2004. Spragg’s work has been translated into fifteen languages. He lives in Wyoming with his wife, Virginia, with whom he wrote the screenplay for the film version of his novel, An Unfinished Life, starring Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, and Jennifer Lopez, and released in 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
May 21, 2012
It's difficult to imagine this as the same author who wrote An Unfinished Life. The characters are all there, along with numerous others introduced here in a random parade of (barely) related plot lines that ultimately go nowhere.
Lengthy, rambling sentences spiced with dictionary words force the reader to stop, re-read, looking for subject/verb/author's intent. Chapters jump from character to character, with no indication of who we're following now. New characters are introduced with no hint of how they might be connected. There are more plot lines than can be tracked without a pencil and paper.
This is a work that requires true concentration and effort from the reader simply to comprehend what's happening. The casualty along the way is the reader's relationship with the characters. They soon cease to matter.
When a writing calls this much attention to itself, repeatedly and unrelentingly, the only words that come to my mind are "undisciplined" and "unfocused." If symbolism is intended, I would add "pretentious."
This reads like a piece whose author was being paid by the word.
Lengthy, rambling sentences spiced with dictionary words force the reader to stop, re-read, looking for subject/verb/author's intent. Chapters jump from character to character, with no indication of who we're following now. New characters are introduced with no hint of how they might be connected. There are more plot lines than can be tracked without a pencil and paper.
This is a work that requires true concentration and effort from the reader simply to comprehend what's happening. The casualty along the way is the reader's relationship with the characters. They soon cease to matter.
When a writing calls this much attention to itself, repeatedly and unrelentingly, the only words that come to my mind are "undisciplined" and "unfocused." If symbolism is intended, I would add "pretentious."
This reads like a piece whose author was being paid by the word.
August 24, 2011
Once I pick up a Spragg book, I can barely put them down. I love his writing. Bone Fire is his third novel, each set in Wyoming and each centering around the same set of people, more or less. The first in the series was The Fruit of Stone and I absolutely loved that book. Next was An Unfinished Life, also a great story, even though I was not quite as impressed as with the first. An Unfinished Life was made into a movie starring Morgan Freeman, Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopez. The movie was well acted and movie goers liked it, but critics gave it C+ and that was probably a fair rating for the movie. Bone Fire is by far the best book of the series. It is a book that can be read without having read the previous two books but it will certainly make you want to go back and read, at least An Unfinished Life, and maybe The Fruit of Stone too. I suppose I enjoyed this book so much because it is all so plausible, so real life, no candy coating. If you were a fan of Plainsong(another of my favorites)by Kent Haruf, you should like this book. I would not be surprised if I gave The Fruit of Stone 5 stars, but even though I thought this book was much better,I have became a little less generous with my 5 star ratings. Too many good books and I'll save my 5 stars for those super special, awesome, nothing else like them books.
July 19, 2013
I can't believe it took me so long to get around to this book, as I'm a fan of Mark Spragg's work. I'm glad I waited, though, because today I'm in that state of bliss that comes from having been recently re-immersed in a world that I have some knowledge of but had to leave when I moved from Wyoming to Colorado. Spragg gets it right, as always.
Take the youngest character in this book, Kenneth. He is only ten, yet has totally absorbed the western values that shape the best men in that region. When his wacko, but charming, mom comes for one of her brief and unexpected visits, he keeps his level head. He knows she'll leave soon. This is not his preference, but just the way she is. Rather than spend the evening with her, he opts to let his father do that and chooses to go out and change the water in the flood irrigated fields. He says, "I should get used to changing the water by myself...So I know I can."
That awareness of how things are with loved ones and that practicality suffuses every character, yet each is also surprising and interesting--not really the kind of people you'd expect to find in Wyoming, but the kind of people you do find there: people who have read some, who think that Dick Cheney ought to have to see at least one of the boys destroyed in the Iraq war every day of his life, and who, instead of undermining one another, although they do plenty of that, do rise to the challenge, or try to, when things get really serious and rough for someone they love.
The book also challenges every notion you ever had about a western story. The sheriff, who we normally expect to triumph in the end and win the woman he loves, has a terminal illness. And he loves two women, one of them his first wife, and the other the widowed wife of a best friend. Spragg writes masterful dialogue. Here, for example, is the sheriff on a tryst with his ex-wife:
He opened and closed the barbed-wire gate behind them, idling out across a pasture of a dozen sections or more. They parked on a rise with a view across the foothills to the south, and up toward Montana in the other direction, sitting for a moment listening to the engine tick as it cooled.
"I'm not unhappy."
"I am," he said.
She looked at him. "Can we get out?"
They are talking about their current marriages. We know this, but not because we're told. There's a great deal of artistry in writing dialogue like this. It works because of the space around it, by which I mean the descriptive, physical space. We are there with them. It is quiet and the land is vast. Such places call for fewer, but well-chosen words.
Take the youngest character in this book, Kenneth. He is only ten, yet has totally absorbed the western values that shape the best men in that region. When his wacko, but charming, mom comes for one of her brief and unexpected visits, he keeps his level head. He knows she'll leave soon. This is not his preference, but just the way she is. Rather than spend the evening with her, he opts to let his father do that and chooses to go out and change the water in the flood irrigated fields. He says, "I should get used to changing the water by myself...So I know I can."
That awareness of how things are with loved ones and that practicality suffuses every character, yet each is also surprising and interesting--not really the kind of people you'd expect to find in Wyoming, but the kind of people you do find there: people who have read some, who think that Dick Cheney ought to have to see at least one of the boys destroyed in the Iraq war every day of his life, and who, instead of undermining one another, although they do plenty of that, do rise to the challenge, or try to, when things get really serious and rough for someone they love.
The book also challenges every notion you ever had about a western story. The sheriff, who we normally expect to triumph in the end and win the woman he loves, has a terminal illness. And he loves two women, one of them his first wife, and the other the widowed wife of a best friend. Spragg writes masterful dialogue. Here, for example, is the sheriff on a tryst with his ex-wife:
He opened and closed the barbed-wire gate behind them, idling out across a pasture of a dozen sections or more. They parked on a rise with a view across the foothills to the south, and up toward Montana in the other direction, sitting for a moment listening to the engine tick as it cooled.
"I'm not unhappy."
"I am," he said.
She looked at him. "Can we get out?"
They are talking about their current marriages. We know this, but not because we're told. There's a great deal of artistry in writing dialogue like this. It works because of the space around it, by which I mean the descriptive, physical space. We are there with them. It is quiet and the land is vast. Such places call for fewer, but well-chosen words.
March 17, 2010
Mark Spragg’s latest book, Bone Fire, continues the story of Griff started in An Unfinished Life. I suggest you start with An Unfinished Life first or the sequel will be confusing. Bone Fire picks up with Griff dropping out of college to take care of her grandfather Einar who has become ill. Griff has become an artist, using pottery as her medium. This was one of my favorite parts of the book. Her art sounds amazing, very unique, and is so thoroughly described I could almost see it.
Many characters from An Unfinished Life make appearances and they are as human, gritty, and loving as before. I have a real weakness for Mark Spragg’s western characters. The plot is fast-paced and interesting, but sometimes jumbled up a bit. The frantic pace can detract from Spragg’s real talent of drawing out his characters and the landscape.
I enjoyed Bone Fire. I didn’t think it was as good as An Unfinished Life, but it was nice to see where the characters had gone with their lives. If you liked Peace Like a River or Evensong you will appreciate Mark Spragg’s books.
Many characters from An Unfinished Life make appearances and they are as human, gritty, and loving as before. I have a real weakness for Mark Spragg’s western characters. The plot is fast-paced and interesting, but sometimes jumbled up a bit. The frantic pace can detract from Spragg’s real talent of drawing out his characters and the landscape.
I enjoyed Bone Fire. I didn’t think it was as good as An Unfinished Life, but it was nice to see where the characters had gone with their lives. If you liked Peace Like a River or Evensong you will appreciate Mark Spragg’s books.
January 18, 2024
Bone Fire is a hidden gem, within this Wyoming multiverse that Mark has created. I've been on a kick re-reading through these books, and while it might be an unpopular opinion, I think Bone Fire is my favorite of the "trilogy." There's no mincing of words, Mark is an expert at writing believable characters of all ages. While his acclaim is largely attributed to An Unfinished Life (also because of the movie) I love that the POV in Bone Fire mainly switches to an older Griff and Einar (among a few other friendly faces), and some new ones, like Kenneth, who I absolutely adore.
I have always been obsessed with Mark's craft, even at the sentence level, and he writes beautifully. Growing up in Eastern Montana, much of what Mark writes about is actual geographical locations in Montana and Wyoming, and he captures those landscapes vividly. Somehow, the multiple characters and POVS culminate into this larger rhetoric based around living a lifestyle in rugged landscape. You often wonder if you love or hate the characters, which makes them even more believable. When moments of tenderness arrive (and they do), you're often overwhelmed between the fluctuation of danger and violence, yet to face a reprieve here and there, which is brilliant. I would highly recommend this book.
I have always been obsessed with Mark's craft, even at the sentence level, and he writes beautifully. Growing up in Eastern Montana, much of what Mark writes about is actual geographical locations in Montana and Wyoming, and he captures those landscapes vividly. Somehow, the multiple characters and POVS culminate into this larger rhetoric based around living a lifestyle in rugged landscape. You often wonder if you love or hate the characters, which makes them even more believable. When moments of tenderness arrive (and they do), you're often overwhelmed between the fluctuation of danger and violence, yet to face a reprieve here and there, which is brilliant. I would highly recommend this book.
December 24, 2022
This book is about how people spend their time when they figure out time is running out. One character drinks, another works day and night, another starts getting rid of possessions. The description mentions the meth lab, but the lurid crime part of the story is only a subplot.The focus is on cultivating disorientation by expressing how the characters all live in the past and present at the same time.
February 13, 2011
This seems to be the final in a "loose trilogy" written by Spragg, and it is a great read! I call it loose because all of the books can be read as stand-alones, but I think I'd recommend them in order anyway. In Bone Fire, Spragg has honed his craft a bit; the characters are still top notch, but their relationships are better defined. The main character throughout the books, Einar, is much older and in failing health. His grandaughter, Griff cares for him and the ranch. His best friend Mitch is dead and long gone, as are his wife and son. His ex-daughter-in-law, with whom he has a semi-strained relationship, is in a failing marriage, and we are introduced to his sister, Marin, who arrives at his ranch to help him through his troubles. Behind all these complex characters is a bond with the land and past that Spragg depicts with an artist's touch. He describes the Wyoming countryside with such deftness that we can easily imagine ourselves there with the characters.
This is the third book by Spragg that I've read, and I'm continually surprised that he is not a "known" author. His is some of the best writing that I've enjoyed in a long time. The characters, the sense of place, the spare dialogue, and the emotions are so real that you feel as if you're a part of the story.
There are a few discrepancies between the three books that are noticeable, but do not distract from the overall story. This is a definite 4 star read, but not quite as good as
. Highly recommended.
This is the third book by Spragg that I've read, and I'm continually surprised that he is not a "known" author. His is some of the best writing that I've enjoyed in a long time. The characters, the sense of place, the spare dialogue, and the emotions are so real that you feel as if you're a part of the story.
There are a few discrepancies between the three books that are noticeable, but do not distract from the overall story. This is a definite 4 star read, but not quite as good as
. Highly recommended.
Read
July 8, 2010Mark Spragg’s Unfinished Life is in my top 20 list of all-time favorite books (and it was a great movie too starring Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, and Morgan Freeman), so I was eager to read Spragg’s new book Bone Fire. Bone Fire is about ordinary people and how they face life’s challenges. Griff, Einar, and many characters from Spragg’s earlier books appear in Bone Fire and they each face a challenge.
Octogenarian Einar has suffered a stroke and must submit to receiving care from Griff and his long-lost sister. Griff, a college dropout, would like to return to art school in Chicago but feels drawn to her grandfather and the land. Sheriff Crane Carlson is dealing with a meth-related murder and struggles with his declining health, personal choices, and behavior of his alcoholic wife.
Set in Wyoming, Bone Fire offers a strong sense of place a good character development. Although the characters are stoic in how they deal with adversity, they all deeply care for one-another and the reader sees compassion and generosity between the characters as each comes to terms with their personal issues. Spragg’s writing is at times lyrical and other times stark. Overall Bone Fire is a beautiful book that captures a segment of modern life in the West. ~~Enjoy~~
From ICPL Staff Picks Blog
Octogenarian Einar has suffered a stroke and must submit to receiving care from Griff and his long-lost sister. Griff, a college dropout, would like to return to art school in Chicago but feels drawn to her grandfather and the land. Sheriff Crane Carlson is dealing with a meth-related murder and struggles with his declining health, personal choices, and behavior of his alcoholic wife.
Set in Wyoming, Bone Fire offers a strong sense of place a good character development. Although the characters are stoic in how they deal with adversity, they all deeply care for one-another and the reader sees compassion and generosity between the characters as each comes to terms with their personal issues. Spragg’s writing is at times lyrical and other times stark. Overall Bone Fire is a beautiful book that captures a segment of modern life in the West. ~~Enjoy~~
From ICPL Staff Picks Blog
Read
January 7, 2012Third in his Wyoming series, tells more of the lives of Einar Gilkyson, his granddaughter Griff, daughter-in-law Jean, and other characters from An Unfinished Life and The Fruit of the Stone. The Wyoming west is really the main character. It’s a very male book in many ways (the women don’t fare too well in this landscape and in these men’s lives). Beautifully etched. Laconic conversations that deliver large meaning with few words. Very Scandi in that way. It makes me want to go back and read all three together, to sort the characters.
March 24, 2018
As I read one review that slammed this book for meandering plot and words that required a dictionary at one's elbow, I wondered if that person mixed up his titles. I found this a sparely-written novel in the style of Kent Haruf, whose works I loved. No flowery words or phrases, no elaborate descriptions, just a cast of characters whose lived are interwoven in fascinating ways. The synopsis provided by Goodreads provides a much better overview than I could offer. Great story.
December 6, 2021
One star (reserved for DNFs), I gave up on page 72. A shame as I loved 'An Unfinished Life'.
A ramble through the daily lives of disparate characters connected by propinquity. It didn't appear to be going anywhere. I've loved books that take this approach but this one bored me and that's about the worst crime for any novel.
I'd just finished a novel where I reread paragraphs aloud to myself in order to savour them, with this I reread them because I was wondering whether it's going to rain when I take the dog out, what I'm having for lunch or if my mum needs any shopping (all more interesting than what was going on on the page).
I'll be returning it to the charity shop for some other lucky person to waste their £2 on (first addition hardback, near perfect condition - ideal as decor).
A ramble through the daily lives of disparate characters connected by propinquity. It didn't appear to be going anywhere. I've loved books that take this approach but this one bored me and that's about the worst crime for any novel.
I'd just finished a novel where I reread paragraphs aloud to myself in order to savour them, with this I reread them because I was wondering whether it's going to rain when I take the dog out, what I'm having for lunch or if my mum needs any shopping (all more interesting than what was going on on the page).
I'll be returning it to the charity shop for some other lucky person to waste their £2 on (first addition hardback, near perfect condition - ideal as decor).
May 8, 2018
Mark Spragg is an excellent writer. An Unfinished Life was a fantastic book. Bone Fire continues with the Unfinished Life characters ten or more years later. This book was a challenge to rate because there were some wonderful moments of the highest quality writing especially between an adoptive father and his son as well as Spragg’s usual sparse and powerful prose. Unfortunately, the story didn’t come together as cleanly and completely as An Unfinished Life or Fruit of Stone. This was a high 3 star and still a very good story that felt like it had great potential which was not fulfilled. I hope Spragg publishes more novels in the future.
May 29, 2020
Colleen says:
In this modern-day Western, we revisit many of the characters who populate the author's other two novels. While each book stands alone, I would suggest reading Spragg's books in order. This novel does bring closure to the story lines of a number of people I have loved getting to know. I feel like these are my friends (who all know how to ride a horse), and I hope Spragg will write other books, with or without these characters. Also worth reading is Spragg's memoir, Where Rivers Change Direction.
In this modern-day Western, we revisit many of the characters who populate the author's other two novels. While each book stands alone, I would suggest reading Spragg's books in order. This novel does bring closure to the story lines of a number of people I have loved getting to know. I feel like these are my friends (who all know how to ride a horse), and I hope Spragg will write other books, with or without these characters. Also worth reading is Spragg's memoir, Where Rivers Change Direction.
May 4, 2021
A powerful novel about the modern day West and the people who live and love there. Powerfully written and intricately constructed stories with characters whose lives come together and move apart in an almost rhythmic, balanced manner. The characters encounter and confront some of the more contemporaneous issues of today while staying true to their inherited and long-lived Western values - all without the preaching style of some other authors. Spragg's love of the land is apparent in every paragraph. I really enjoyed his storytelling.
March 25, 2022
All of Mark Sprague’s books are 5 star wonders. I loved them from the first sentence. This one was a piece of my heart from the first paragraph. I know how it feels to ride a horse up a steep hill with slippery footing. The power and effort they will expend for you. I read this paragraph to my husband and he knew that I’d never lay it down until it was finished.
Please Mr. Sprague write more books. You know Wyoming and you know the lifestyle. Don’t keep your talent to yourself.
Please Mr. Sprague write more books. You know Wyoming and you know the lifestyle. Don’t keep your talent to yourself.
April 22, 2024
While this book was a good read it fell short of his previous works. Lost some of the authenticity by trying to be too PC. 14 years later it's not wearing well.
Nonetheless I read this in two sittings. It held my attention more because I had read the previous books. Seems like the characters lost their luster. This work occasionally veers off into soft porn episodes.
This author doesn't seem to be writing anymore.
Nonetheless I read this in two sittings. It held my attention more because I had read the previous books. Seems like the characters lost their luster. This work occasionally veers off into soft porn episodes.
This author doesn't seem to be writing anymore.
November 7, 2019
I loved this book. It was only after I had gotten into it, I realized it is a somewhat sequel to An Unfinished Life.
It reminds me of Kent Haruf, who is one of my all time favorite writers. It is very western in feel, which I love. The characters are rich with nuances. I'm thinking he may have another one coming because there were some unfinished things in the book.
It reminds me of Kent Haruf, who is one of my all time favorite writers. It is very western in feel, which I love. The characters are rich with nuances. I'm thinking he may have another one coming because there were some unfinished things in the book.
January 19, 2022
Not a bad book by any means. The writing is good and kept me interested in the story. However, I felt that there were too many characters, which made it hard for you to get attached to any one character or get to know them intimately enough. Flew through this one, just don't think I will be thinking about it after this.
January 25, 2018
I didn’t realize when I picked up this book that it was basically a sequel to An Unfinished Life. It took me awhile to get the characters straight since I didn’t read the first book. I found it enjoyable once I did get them in order and plan to read the first book.
May 8, 2018
Spragg is one of those writers that sucks you into an entire world with the barest of writing. I don't think this is a book that would appeal to everyone, it is sparse, like Wyoming itself, which is one of the reasons I liked it.
October 25, 2020
Not as good as An Unfinished Life, even though it has most of the same characters. In fact for me that was where the problem lay. There were too many characters, all coming undone at the same time.
The writing like before was excellent, but the book really has nothing uplifting taking place.
The writing like before was excellent, but the book really has nothing uplifting taking place.
November 5, 2021
An excellent sequel to "An unfinished life". This writer is like Louis L'Amour and Larry McMurtry combined into one. I've read all of his books and highly recommend them all. It'd be a crime if he stopped writing now
October 6, 2022
Just not my cup of tea
Well written but there really was not any character that I had an affinity for. Plus I did not enjoy each paragraph starting with a pronoun and not character name. It was hard to get a grip on who was who in the beginning of the book.
Well written but there really was not any character that I had an affinity for. Plus I did not enjoy each paragraph starting with a pronoun and not character name. It was hard to get a grip on who was who in the beginning of the book.
November 11, 2018
Tried to listen to the audio but very difficult to follow the characters and plot. Might be a better read.
January 26, 2019
A pretty sad book overall but still a good one. Old men, men dealing with their women and women just taking care of business.
February 2, 2019
This is my second Mark Spragg book in 3 days and I wish there were two more. This is what reading fiction should be like every time.
November 1, 2019
DNF'd after the author changed from past tense to present tense, often in the same sentence. I was always taught that changing tenses like that in the same paragraph/sentence was bad writing.
May 14, 2020
Pending full review.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
August 7, 2020
Scattered
Started out with great intensity. After chapter 1 ,was like trying to follow someone severely ADHD. Could have been an excellent book. Very disappointed.
Started out with great intensity. After chapter 1 ,was like trying to follow someone severely ADHD. Could have been an excellent book. Very disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews