We were poor but didn't know it. Our family of eleven individuals-I'm second of nine children-lived on a school teacher's salary and lots of part-time work by our parents. In spite of modest income, our parents required good behavior, spirited efforts in school, and musical practice.
A Thin Slice of Sky is the story of a family hacking the 1950s and '60s in the mountains and small towns of Montana. A family of eleven builds its own house and bridge, grows, hunts, and harvests its own food, and cultivates music. This book chronicles the humorous and heroic aspects of work, travel, and daily life in a remarkable family.
Romp with them through the saga of this mountain family's intrepidity. Read it to vicariously experience the fun of a bear in the house, a horse in the house, a lunchtime repast of fresh deer liver lightly roasted on a stick, and how to miss a moose broadside at 40 yards.
There's a tone of Muir (rhapsody), Thoreau (simplicity), Emerson, (self-reliance), and even a hint of Shackleton (endurance). Appreciators of memoirs, the West, and simple living are sure to enjoy this collection of essays, celebrating without glamorizing a book-worthy upbringing.
From the book:
"Bear Canyon confines the view. Residing on its floor, near the creek, we enjoyed somewhat less daylight than average Montanans. In spite of these limits, our family enjoyed copious light and warmth. In some ways our views were as expansive as those of people living next door to the United Nations, or up the street from the Philharmonic. The straitness of our environs held us back but little, offset by parental magnanimity and love. Our thin slice of sky shone amply."
