Heart Earth - by Ivan Doig (Paperback)

About the Book

Doig returns to the rich territory he explored in This House of Sky in this moving prequel--a stunning memoir that captures the texture of the American West during and after World War II. "Doig (is) at the top of his considerable powers, moving smoothly between fact and memory and meditation".--Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Book Synopsis

Ivan Doig's companion memoir to his bestselling This House of Sky--inspired by the letters his mother wrote during World War II--is "a lyrical evocation of the Doigs' gallantly hardscrabble existence and love for the unforgiving Montana mountains" (San Francisco Chronicle).

Raised by his father and maternal grandmother, Ivan Doig grew up with only a vague memory of his mother, who died on his sixth birthday. Then he discovered a cache of her letters, and through them, a spunky, passionate, can-do woman emerged. His mother was as at home in the saddle as behind a sewing machine, and as in love with language as her son.

In this prize-winning prequel to his acclaimed memoir This House of Sky, Doig brings to life his childhood before his mother's death, and the family's journey from the Montana mountains to the Arizona desert and back again. "Profoundly original and lustrous," (Kirkus Reviews) Doig eloquently captures the texture of the American West during and after World War II, the fortune of a family, and one woman's indomitable spirit. Doig is "a colloquial stylist without equal...and Heart Earth is a book that repeatedly proves the power of language" (Los Angeles Times).

From the Back Cover

"Like Doig's "This House of Sky," this book repeatedly proves the power of language. Ivan Doig uses words like oil paint to create canvasses of enduring value and originality."--"Los Angeles Times"
Ivan Doig grew up with only a vague memory of his mother, Berneta, who died on his sixth birthday. Then he discovered a cache of her letters--and through them, a spunky, passionate, can-do woman as at home in the saddle as behind a sewing machine, and as in love with language as Doig would prove to be. In this moving prequel to his acclaimed memoir "This House of Sky," Doig brings to life his childhood before his mother's death and the family's journey from the Montana mountains to the Arizona desert and back again. He eloquently captures the texture of the American West during and after World War II, the fortune of a family, and one woman's indomitable spirit.
"Fresh, vivid language [energizes] Doig's keen insight into a woman whose warmth he felt only briefly."--"The Seattle Times"
"An affecting book, heartbreaking in its recital of the stark severance of a young family's life, but ennobling in the implacable spirit that infuses its pages . . . [It] should endure as [a] magnificent testimonial to the men and women who people it, and as [a] classic of the bittersweet history of the American West."--"The Washington Times"
Ivan Doig is the author of ten previous books, including the memoir "This House of Sky," a National Book Award Finalist. A former ranch hand, newspaperman, and magazine editor, Doig holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Washington. He lives in Seattle.

Review Quotes

"Doig at his best: fresh, vivid language energizing his keen insight."-- "The Seattle Times"

"Like Doig's This House of Sky, Heart Earth is a book that repeatedly proves the power of language... Ivan Doig uses words like oil paint to create canvasses of enduring value and originality." --Michael Dorris "Los Angeles Times"

"Profoundly original and lustrous." -- "Kirkus Reviews"

About the Author

Ivan Doig (1939-2015) was a third-generation Montanan and the author of sixteen books, including the classic memoir This House of Sky and most recently Last Bus to Wisdom. He was a National Book Award finalist and received the Wallace Stegner Award, among many other honors. Doig lived in Seattle with his wife, Carol. Visit IvanDoig.com.