Track of the Cat, (Chapters 1-5)

"There hadn’t been a god for many years."…"God was dead.  Let Him rest in peace.  Now, finally, the earth was hers with no taint of Heaven."  If I were going to try to be a successful fiction writer, I would want my debut book to begin with lines as powerful, captivating and “edgy” as this.  From the beginning, all the praise I’ve heard about this author appears to be true.  (I also think I read somewhere that she is actually quite religious, that this is her art speaking, not her.) 

This, as Barr’s debut novel, reads like one written by a seasoned pro.  She doesn’t seem to be trying to impress us or dazzle us.  She takes her time and allows the characters – especially Anna, the heroine – to be human and naturally vulnerable.  She gives us enough background on Anna’s past experiences and incidentals about her current life to develop the character without sidetracking from the thread of the story.  Keeping the plot simple and easy to follow, she’s not trying to be too clever with the story line.  All the while, we’re treated to some very nice, thoughtful writing, with real depth.   

“Any excuse to drag out the hunting rifles was a good excuse in Texas.  Texans were the best hunters in the world.  They were born to it, believed in it, almost like a religion.  Hunting and football, not opposable thumbs and the ability to laugh, were what separated Man from the apes.”  This is, of course, West Texas she’s talking about, really more like the New Mexico and Old Mexico that it’s sandwiched between – not the more “genteel” Austin, or even Dallas that most of us are more familiar with.  Yet, this colorful description is not all that exaggerated, and most Texans readily recognize the type! 

When asked about his seven millimeter Browning hunting rifle and whether he hunts big game: “I used to,” Harland answered and Anna could tell he was uncomfortable with the subject.  “I bought that line about it being a 'challenge.'  When I found out a bull elk had an intelligence level equivalent to that of an eighteen-month-old toddler, I kind of lost my taste for it.”  Those of us who have always been a little uncomfortable with the idea of killing things for fun – oops, I meant “hunting as sport” – can totally relate.  These rangers, probably true-to-type for the most part, care about preserving the natural habitat and food chain of the area they protect.  

This author has a very loyal following, which is what attracted my attention to begin with, and I can see why she does.  Anyone who likes the outdoors, wild open places, environmental awareness, horses, wildlife of all kinds and mysteries will be drawn to this author like a magnet.  The prose is everything I had been led to believe it would be.  Her novels mostly center on the various national parks around the U.S., a different one for each story.  That is an added bonus that, along with her strengths as a writer, will definitely keep me coming back.



Next week: Chapters 6-10