Ride with Me, Mariah Montana

Doig just didn't reach me with this one. It's the third in his McCaskill trilogy, the first two of which were rare treats. We first met our narrator, Jick McCaskill, in English Creek, as he learned the basics of ranching and sheepherding from his father and uncle. Jick's coming-of-age story was marvelous; his coming-to-terms-with-age story was often a slog. The prose felt labored, repetitious, awkward. The characters, particularly Jick's daughter and former son-in-law were unlikable squabblers who were both old enough to know better, and after the first 40 pages of their constant bickering with each other and sparring with Jick, I was ready to give up on them. But there were glimmers of the style, humor and story that I've previously show more loved in Doig's work, so I persisted, though it continued to be hard. Despite a few near-brilliant bits, I found the road trip at the center of Ride with Me to be aimless and often tedious. That it eventually led to a fairly satisfactory destination for everyone involved did not make up for the hours of monotony; that was my plaintive voice whining "Are we there yet?" over and over. show less

Jick McCaskill returns here, in the final book of the Two Medicine trilogy. He is in his mid-60s now and as scrappy and humorous as ever. It is 1989 and it is Montana's centennial summer. He is asked by his daughter and her ex-husband, who work for a Missoula newspaper, to travel with them, as they do a grand tour of their beloved state to document this milestone. He reluctantly agrees and they take off in his trusty Winnebago. They bicker throughout but even deeper bonds form too, as they travel across this beautiful state. Doig can get a bit exhausting at times but he is an entertaining storyteller and he knows his home state with deep adoration. A good solid trilogy.

Jick's daughter, Mariah, asks him to drive her and ex-husband Riley Wright around Montana as they work on a series of stories on the 1989 Centennial for Missoula's newspaper. Riley is the writer, while Mariah is the photographer...the scribbler and the shooter. Traveling in a Winnebago as they criss-cross the state leads to some pretty funny stuff such as this description of the close-up of a buffalo before he decides to attack this strange metal beast: "It was news to me that a buffalo appears to be two animals pieced together, the front half of a shaggy ox and the rear of a donkey. There is even what seems like a seam where the hairy front part meets the hairless rear half. But although they are a cockeyed-looking creature--an show more absentminded family where everybody had put on heavy sweaters but forgot any pants, is the first impression a bunch like this gives--buffalo plainly know what they're on the planet for. Graze. Eat grass and turn it into the bulk of themselves. Protein machines." (23)

Ivan Doig can write humorous scenes, but he really shines when he describes the majestic country. I have never been to Montana; however, it is on my list of places to visit after reading about the mountains, river valleys, golden meadows, and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. His breezy dialogue between these unlikely fellow sojourners was amusing at first but wore thin after a while. The outcome seemed too predictable...until everything I thought was going to happen fell apart. The bottom line however is that it was yet another enjoyable read by a favorite author. show less

This is a very sweet book. It doesn't have the gutsy depth of the previous books in the trilogy. The whole book is a kind of resolution of the tensions of the earlier books. Everything comes out for the best.

I just turned 65 and bought a camper to tool around the country in, so this book really resonated with me! I don't expect quite the level of adventure... but, well, maybe we'll have more adventure! Maybe it's the journalistic perspective that keeps everything in the book at a relatively safe distance.

Anyway it was fun to follow their travels on a map of Montana!

While the ongoing travel around Montana turns into a rather boring long saga and Jick's dialogue is not up to [Rascal Fair] or {English Creek],
there is still notable writing when Jick carries his Churchill speech along and the angry Buffalo delivers a well-deserved punch.

The Baloney Express was a true highlight!

Why there is no compassion for lamb and sheep slaughtering is never explained.

And why didn't The Rangers shot the Grizzly again with a tranquilizer instead of killing him?

And why do Indians always get a pass on the extreme cruelty of the Buffalo over the cliff killing
of so many creatures just left to die.

Riley's articles were erudite fun reading.

Riley's best line: "Aw, crud,"

Jick's best line: "this place is still in a bad show more mood."

Mariah's best: "ack-ack-ack-ack."

And, from Garland Good Hope Hebner: "A time was had by all."

I sure miss Lucas Barclay and Angus McCaskil! show less

This was a fine ending to the Montana trilogy by Doig.

These feel similar to Lonesome Dove, but are not depressing the way that series was.

My least favorite of the trilogy. Did not cotton to Mariah. Sorry for the trilogy to end but a satisfying ending to the farm when deeded over to the historical society.