Leland on The River Why, David James Duncan
Since its publication by Sierra Club Books nearly two decades ago,
The River Why has become a classic, standing with Norman Maclean's A
River Runs Through It as the most-read fiction about fly-fishing of our
era. Duncan's protagonist, Gus Orviston, is an irreverent young
flyfisherman--a vibrant character who makes us laugh easily and feel
deeply, and who speaks with startling truth about the way we live.
Leaving behind a madcap, fishing-obsessed family, Gus embarks on an
extraordinary voyage of self-discovery along beloved Oregon rivers.
What he finds is man's wanton destruction of nature and a
burning desire to commit himself to its preservation. The River Why is
a tale that gives a voice to the concerns and hopes of all
living things on this beautiful planet. It is the story of one
man's search for meaning, for love, and for a sane way to live.
About the author
David James Duncan is the author of The Brothers K, an American
Library Association Best Books Award winner and a New York Times
Notable Book, and River Teeth, a memoir and collection of stories. The
River Why and The Brothers K both won the Pacific Northwest Booksellers
Award. Duncan's work has appeared in Harper's, Outside, Orion, The Sun,
Sierra, Big Sky Journal, Northern Lights, Gray's Sporting Journal, and
many other publications. He lives with his family beside a Montana
trout stream.
