When fourteen-year-old Pauly takes a swim in the Clark Fork River one summer day, he doesn’t expect to see a boy drown. Surrounded by everyday violence in his Montana town, Pauly is determined to prove himself, navigating the awkward fumbles of boyhood against a backdrop of strikes, gang fights, soldiers headed for war, and Prohibition.First published in 1941 and never before reissued, The Bitter Roots is a largely autobiographical novel full of evocative details of a time and place, including a glimpse of the young Norman Maclean, author of the classic, A River Runs Through It. It’s a frank, unvarnished portrait of an America struggling with racism, class prejudice, conflicts between labor and capital, and sexual stereotypes. A vivid coming-of-age story, The Bitter Roots reminds us that finding and holding on to your identity is one of the greatest battles there is.Published jointly with the University of Montana Press.
