Ivan Doig Books

Ivan Doig grew up in the rugged wilderness of western Montana among the sheepherders and denizens of small-town saloons and valley ranches. What he deciphers from his past with piercing clarity is not only a raw sense of land and how it shapes us but also of the ties to our mothers and fathers, to those who love us, and our inextricable connection to those who shaped our values in our search for intimacy, independence, love, and family. A powerfully told story, This House of Sky is at once especially American and universal in its ability to awaken a longing for an explicable past.

The central volume in Ivan Doig's acclaimed Montana trilogy, Dancing at the Rascal Fair is an authentic saga of the American experience at the turn of this century and a passionate, portrayal of the immigrants who dared to try new lives in the imposing Rocky Mountains.Ivan Doig's supple tale of landseekers unfolds into a fateful contest of the heart between Anna Ramsay and Angus McCaskill, walled apart by their obligations as they and their stormy kith and kin vie to tame the brutal, beautiful Two Medicine country.

Set in the fall of 1909, the story follows widower Oliver Milliron, who responds to a unique newspaper ad for a housekeeper. Rose Llewellyn, the cheerful applicant, and her knowledgeable brother, Morris Morgan, arrive in Marias Coulee amidst a wave of homesteaders eager for the Big Ditch irrigation project. The narrative explores themes of hope, community, and the transformative power of ambition as these characters navigate life on the Montana prairie.

"[A] novel that best expresses the American spirit." –The Chicago Tribune “If America was a melting pot, Butte seemed to be its boiling point,” observes Morrie Morgan, the itinerant teacher and inveterate charmer who stole readers’ hearts in The Whistling Season. A decade later, he steps off the train and into the copper mining capital of the world in its jittery 1919 heyday. While the riches of “the Richest Hill on Earth” may elude him, once again a colorful cast of local characters seek him out. Before long, Morrie is caught up in the clash between the ironfisted Anaconda Mining Company, radical “outside agitators,” and the beleaguered miners. As tensions build aboveground and below, Morrie finds a unique way to give a voice to those who truly need one, and Ivan Doig proves yet again why he’s reigning king of Western fiction.

Set in 1920s Butte, Montana, the narrative centers around a beloved character who harnesses the influence of the press to navigate the challenges and dynamics of the era. The story weaves together themes of journalism, community, and personal growth, showcasing the impact of media on society during a transformative time in American history. With a rich backdrop and engaging storytelling, the book captures the spirit of the West and the resilience of its characters.