Environmental Issues | Book Chatter

The Last Ranger
By Peter Heller
Vintage, July 2024, 304 pp.

The Short of It:

There needs to be a new genre to categorize Heller’s work. It’s outdoorsy, environmentally aware, and somehow a mystery all at the same time. In other words, a lot to love.

The Rest of It:

Officer Ren Hopper is an enforcement ranger with the National Park Service, tasked with duties both mundane and thrilling: Breaking up fights at campgrounds, saving clueless tourists from moose attacks, and attempting to broker an uneasy peace between the wealthy vacationers who tromp through the park with cameras, and the residents of hardscrabble Cooke City who want to carve out a meaningful living. ~ the publisher

Ren’s exposure to wealthy vacationers puts a damper on an otherwise perfect job. Being outside and getting to work in such a beautiful place is the thing of dreams, but as good as that is, when the wildlife, mainly the wolves and local bears are targeted for their pelts, Ren finds himself in a range war. The animals are protected to a degree but when they cross boundaries, as animals do, their lives are not guaranteed and hunters looking to profit off those expensive pelts suddenly become the hunted.

When one of Ren’s closest friends, a scientist studying the wolf pack, finds herself targeted by a local hunter, Ren vows to protect her. Especially since Ren already lost the love of his life to a terminal illness. Can he afford to lose someone close to him again?

Ren is the kind of guy you want in your corner. He’s rugged, but also tender in all the right places. Reasonable, until he’s not. He loves hard and protects his people, the best way he can. I really enjoyed my time with Ren and this rambunctious cast of characters. The Last Ranger possesses the charm of a small town but the looming threat of the outside world and with it, the reminder that at any second all can be lost.

The Last Ranger is a treat for anyone who appreciates the beauty of wide, open land. It’s a little bit of a mystery and there is a little love tossed in there too but I would not call this a romance by any means unless you consider this a love letter to nature and all it contains.

Highly recommend.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

The Bird Hotel
By Joyce Maynard
Published by Arcade, May 2, 2023,9781956763737, 432 pp.

The Short of It:

Maynard never fails to tell a story, and tell it well.

The Rest of It:

After a childhood filled with heartbreak, Irene, a talented artist, finds herself in a small Central American village where she checks into a beautiful but decaying lakefront hotel called La Llorona at the base of a volcano.

The Bird Hotel tells the story of this young American who, after suffering tragedy, restores and runs La Llorona. Along the way we meet a rich assortment of characters who live in the village or come to stay at the hotel. With a mystery at its center and filled with warmth, drama, romance, humor, pop culture, and a little magical realism, The Bird Hotel has all the hallmarks of a Joyce Maynard novel that have made her a leading voice of her generation. ~ Indiebound

I was delightfully surprised by this novel. I expected to love it, but I didn’t expect La Llorona to find a place in my heart. I love it when a home, village or dwelling is so well-imagined that it takes on an identity of its own. The crumbling hotel with all its challenges is lovingly restored by Irene. Her sensitivity to the environment around her and the respect she has for the hotel’s original staff, earns her respect in the village.

People come to La Llorona for many reasons. To get away from it all, to find elusive herbs, to profit off the locals and yes, sometimes to hide as Irene continues to lay low to protect the secret she is hiding. Irene’s grief over losing a child and husband continues to grow and hold her captive, Memories of her mother’s last words replay in her head. She is heavy with grief and La Llorona gently calls her mind to other things.

People come together. Some become family, others become enemies. There’s heartache and great displays of loyalty. I found myself completely absorbed by the hotel and its people. It was one of those reads that you fall right into.

Recommend.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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