Who Owns the West?

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Summary: The West can be a personal story
Review: In Who Owns the West, William Kittredge takes us on an emotional, often thought provoking ride of his intimate encounters with landscapes, friends, family, and fellow writers of the Western United States. His thoughts and reflections are often framed around what is our relationship with the land and one another.

The book spans both the time and distance axes of Kittredge's life. Running from his childhood experiences on the family ranch outside of Klamath Falls, Oregon to his current residence in Missoula. Insights and connections to place come in the expected places and forms (e.g., fellow established writers) to some not so expected such as small, dark taverns frequented by folk who speak their mind and get more passionate with each drink. The author excels at describing a "West" that is unique, personal, and still defining its character.

Kittredge writes in closing how each of us embody a story whether we know it or not. A screenplay that is essentially our life story exists, and the ultimate question is whether we are writing it or only acting out someone else's story. The answer to the larger question of "Who Owns the West?" is we all do. And if you love the West, as Kittredge does, you'll draft a story of compassion and empathy for both the land and the life that inhabits this special place.