AUGUST 2021 - AudioFile
Robertson Dean’s deep, rich voice reels listeners in as he narrates this wonderfully written memoir of family, Montana, and the art of fly fishing. Maclean rounds out the story told in his father Norman Maclean’s bestseller, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT. Son John provides context, family tales, and personal memories of several generations of men and women, and the land and waters that shaped their lives. The audiobook combines these reminiscences with a meditation on nature and details the print-to-film journey of Norman’s autobiographical novella. Dean’s performance highlights both the complex emotional undertones of the memoir, conveying the family members’ individual personalities and reactions to life’s challenges, and the wonder and beauty of the West, especially the sights, sounds, and excitement of fishing the big rivers. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
05/10/2021
Maclean (Fire on the Mountain) offers a lyrical love letter to Montana’s Blackfoot River, fishing, and his storied family in this captivating memoir. His father Norman Maclean’s 1976 novella, A River Runs Through It, brought the area worldwide attention and unpacked the murder of Norman’s brother, Paul. With this narrative as an inspiration, Maclean chronicles his relationship with the river, beginning with his ancestors’ move from Scotland to northwestern Montana, where the family built a cabin a century ago. Though Maclean’s job as a journalist forced him to leave Montana in the ’70s, he returned to Blackfoot often. Like his father, he “needed both worlds, a high-powered intellectual life and the life of the woods and rivers.” He shares family stories passed through the generations—such as one about losing a fish in the car of his father’s friend—as well as the “conflicting stories and wild rumors” around his enigmatic uncle Paul, who some believed was murdered because of gambling debts. Fans of his father’s novella will relish the details that served as its inspiration and are here rendered in Maclean’s sharp yet poetic prose as tribute to a “pantheon of notable family fishers.” This richly observed narrative is sure to reel readers in. Agent: Jennifer Lyons, Jennifer Lyons Literary. (June)
From the Publisher
A lyrical companion to his father’s classic, chronicling their family’s history and bond with Montana’s Blackfoot River. His storytelling—from the fishing with his dad to the life and death of his uncle Paul—is reliable, elegant and charming. … Spectacularly vivid and personal. … While Maclean’s journalistic prose is sharp and concise, it can also be beautiful.” — Washington Post
"The prose in Home Waters, which is often transporting, flows with a shadow-cast grace. ... The best word I can think of to describe Home Waters also happens to be the Maclean’s family word: beautiful." — Field & Stream
"A memoir about the Maclean family’s four-generation tie to Montana’s Blackfoot River that elaborates on the back story of Norman Maclean’s extraordinary 1976 novella A River Runs Through It." — Wall Street Journal
"Maclean’s father, Norman, wrote the classic novella A River Runs through It. This memoir is an ode to its inspirations." — New York Times Book Review, "New & Noteworthy"
"Graceful and compelling. ... Greatly expands what we might already know about Montana, fly fishing and the meaning of family. ... This is a great book." — Chicago Tribune
“A worthy non-fiction companion to his father’s classic, A River Runs Through It. … Reminded me of Herman Melville recounting whaling minutiae in Moby Dick. … Throughout Home Waters, Maclean shows that he’s a real writer. But he’s also a real reporter with a long career for the Chicago Tribune." — Chicago Sun-Times
“A wonderful book about fathers, sons, brothers, and family." — USA Today
“A moving memoir of a family’s love affair with the Blackfoot River in Montana. … Lovers of literature and nature will be captivated by this heartfelt tribute to place and family.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“In this welcome companion to an American classic, John N. Maclean casts a story of place, family, and legacy: of highland streams and woodlands, and the gifts waiting in their depths; of a quiet father with much to share; and of the sometimes meandering, sometimes tumbling courses that carry us through life. A spare, patient, and compelling reminiscence that stays with you.” — Earl Swift, New York Times bestselling author of Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island
"Finally, a brilliant, intimate, and reliable chronicle of the remarkable Maclean family and the origins of a great book, welded seamlessly to the memorable angling days and writing life of a central member. I loved Home Waters." — Nick Lyons, author of Spring Creek
"I can honestly say I loved Home Waters. Reading it felt like a visit with old friends—the characters from A River Runs through It—who you haven’t seen in a long while, during which you learned some things you’d never known before. John N. Maclean’s book does a wonderful job of illustrating the importance of family and place—something we can all relate to even if the particulars of our stories are very different." — Kirby Lambert, Montana Historical Society
“John Maclean's Home Waters is a wonderful reflection on how a sense of place and shared activity, especially sport, defines our lives, our families, and the meaning we find in them.” — David Brooks, executive director, Montana Trout Unlimited
“Maclean’s Hemingway-esque prose is as clear as a mountain stream, flowing with a poetic cadence and lyrically describing the many splendid natural treasures to be found under the Big Sky. A sure bet for readers who enjoy American and natural history and a must-read for fishing enthusiasts.” — Booklist
“Maclean offers a lyrical love letter to Montana’s Blackfoot River, fishing, and his storied family in this captivating memoir. … Fans of his father’s novella will relish the details that served as its inspiration and are here rendered in Maclean’s sharp yet poetic prose. … This richly observed narrative is sure to reel readers in.” — Publishers Weekly
“The mythology of fly-fishing in the West is richer because of this book.” — Angler's Journal
"A must-read. ... Its narrative revolves around relationships rooted in Montana's favorite pastime, connecting with anyone who covets the meditative value of casting for trout on familiar rivers. ... Pick up a copy to read this summer and let your mind wander to the waters you call home." — Outside Bozeman
“Even if you aren’t a fly-fishing aficionado and don’t know a wet fly from a dry one, you just might be hooked within the first few pages as Maclean reels you into this engaging book of family, place and history.” — Helena Independent Record
"John Maclean has filled in the holes of his father’s story with Home Waters. Where Norman used his book to make his peace with his past, John’s narrative shows how his dad, like a savvy trout that always avoids the hook, learned to distinguish truth from imitation and pass that wisdom on to the next generation. ... John didn’t fall far from the Maclean writing tree. Like his father, the longtime Chicago Tribune writer has an affinity for crafting his experiences in aesthetic tones." — Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
"In Home Waters, John Maclean brings readers back to his family’s love of Seeley Lake and a life spent out of doors, a life marked by both magic and tragedy, but always by fly fishing for trout. Good reading." — Petoskey News-Review
"A testament to the power of place and the love that binds us, throughout the generations. Home Waters is a keeper." — Flathead Living Magazine
"Wonderful...Maclean tells his life story in his own way, uniquely and with eloquence and style." — The Piscatorial Journal
USA Today
A wonderful book about fathers, sons, brothers, and family."
Chicago Sun-Times
A worthy non-fiction companion to his father’s classic, A River Runs Through It. … Reminded me of Herman Melville recounting whaling minutiae in Moby Dick. … Throughout Home Waters, Maclean shows that he’s a real writer. But he’s also a real reporter with a long career for the Chicago Tribune."
Washington Post
A lyrical companion to his father’s classic, chronicling their family’s history and bond with Montana’s Blackfoot River. His storytelling—from the fishing with his dad to the life and death of his uncle Paul—is reliable, elegant and charming. … Spectacularly vivid and personal. … While Maclean’s journalistic prose is sharp and concise, it can also be beautiful.
Nick Lyons
"Finally, a brilliant, intimate, and reliable chronicle of the remarkable Maclean family and the origins of a great book, welded seamlessly to the memorable angling days and writing life of a central member. I loved Home Waters."
Chicago Tribune
"Graceful and compelling. ... Greatly expands what we might already know about Montana, fly fishing and the meaning of family. ... This is a great book."
Wall Street Journal
"A memoir about the Maclean family’s four-generation tie to Montana’s Blackfoot River that elaborates on the back story of Norman Maclean’s extraordinary 1976 novella A River Runs Through It."
Earl Swift
In this welcome companion to an American classic, John N. Maclean casts a story of place, family, and legacy: of highland streams and woodlands, and the gifts waiting in their depths; of a quiet father with much to share; and of the sometimes meandering, sometimes tumbling courses that carry us through life. A spare, patient, and compelling reminiscence that stays with you.
Field & Stream
"The prose in Home Waters, which is often transporting, flows with a shadow-cast grace. ... The best word I can think of to describe Home Waters also happens to be the Maclean’s family word: beautiful."
Washington Post
A lyrical companion to his father’s classic, chronicling their family’s history and bond with Montana’s Blackfoot River. His storytelling—from the fishing with his dad to the life and death of his uncle Paul—is reliable, elegant and charming. … Spectacularly vivid and personal. … While Maclean’s journalistic prose is sharp and concise, it can also be beautiful.
Chicago Sun-Times
A worthy non-fiction companion to his father’s classic, A River Runs Through It. … Reminded me of Herman Melville recounting whaling minutiae in Moby Dick. … Throughout Home Waters, Maclean shows that he’s a real writer. But he’s also a real reporter with a long career for the Chicago Tribune."
Chicago Tribune
"Graceful and compelling. ... Greatly expands what we might already know about Montana, fly fishing and the meaning of family. ... This is a great book."
USA Today
A wonderful book about fathers, sons, brothers, and family."
Wall Street Journal
"A memoir about the Maclean family’s four-generation tie to Montana’s Blackfoot River that elaborates on the back story of Norman Maclean’s extraordinary 1976 novella A River Runs Through It."
Angler's Journal
The mythology of fly-fishing in the West is richer because of this book.
Helena Independent Record
Even if you aren’t a fly-fishing aficionado and don’t know a wet fly from a dry one, you just might be hooked within the first few pages as Maclean reels you into this engaging book of family, place and history.
Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
"John Maclean has filled in the holes of his father’s story with Home Waters. Where Norman used his book to make his peace with his past, John’s narrative shows how his dad, like a savvy trout that always avoids the hook, learned to distinguish truth from imitation and pass that wisdom on to the next generation. ... John didn’t fall far from the Maclean writing tree. Like his father, the longtime Chicago Tribune writer has an affinity for crafting his experiences in aesthetic tones."
Kirby Lambert
"I can honestly say I loved Home Waters. Reading it felt like a visit with old friends—the characters from A River Runs through It—who you haven’t seen in a long while, during which you learned some things you’d never known before. John N. Maclean’s book does a wonderful job of illustrating the importance of family and place—something we can all relate to even if the particulars of our stories are very different."
Booklist
Maclean’s Hemingway-esque prose is as clear as a mountain stream, flowing with a poetic cadence and lyrically describing the many splendid natural treasures to be found under the Big Sky. A sure bet for readers who enjoy American and natural history and a must-read for fishing enthusiasts.
Outside Bozeman
"A must-read. ... Its narrative revolves around relationships rooted in Montana's favorite pastime, connecting with anyone who covets the meditative value of casting for trout on familiar rivers. ... Pick up a copy to read this summer and let your mind wander to the waters you call home."
David Brooks
John Maclean's Home Waters is a wonderful reflection on how a sense of place and shared activity, especially sport, defines our lives, our families, and the meaning we find in them.
Booklist
Maclean’s Hemingway-esque prose is as clear as a mountain stream, flowing with a poetic cadence and lyrically describing the many splendid natural treasures to be found under the Big Sky. A sure bet for readers who enjoy American and natural history and a must-read for fishing enthusiasts.
Explore Big Sky
Sometimes real-life stories, memoirs that explore classic earlier memoirs, are as fine as the original. In many ways, they are exceeded. This is the case. Great work, John Maclean. You started as a cub reporter but you became the kind of writer we all aspire to become. You did your dad proud.
Seeley Swan Pathfinder
"Local readers and those close to any of its characters of this book will find a commonality and shared sense of being present that is rarely put into such eloquent prose. It carries us in quiet serenity back to those places and experiences we treasure most."
Idaho Senior Independent
"Maclean is a master of description, painting for the reader a vivid sense of the landscape, but also of the way it affects the psyche. ... At once an homage to his family and forbears as well as a deep, spiritual investigation of his own life and career, John Maclean’s Home Waters is, like A River Runs Through It, a masterpiece in its genre."
"Maclean reflects on fishing, family, and the timeless novella that made his father famous."
AUGUST 2021 - AudioFile
Robertson Dean’s deep, rich voice reels listeners in as he narrates this wonderfully written memoir of family, Montana, and the art of fly fishing. Maclean rounds out the story told in his father Norman Maclean’s bestseller, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT. Son John provides context, family tales, and personal memories of several generations of men and women, and the land and waters that shaped their lives. The audiobook combines these reminiscences with a meditation on nature and details the print-to-film journey of Norman’s autobiographical novella. Dean’s performance highlights both the complex emotional undertones of the memoir, conveying the family members’ individual personalities and reactions to life’s challenges, and the wonder and beauty of the West, especially the sights, sounds, and excitement of fishing the big rivers. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-02-18
A moving memoir of a family’s love affair with the Blackfoot River in Montana, made famous by A River Runs Through It, the novella written by Maclean’s father, Norman.
As the author of this book makes clear, the Blackfoot River holds a particularly special place in Maclean family history. In 1909, the Rev. John Norman Maclean, John’s grandfather, moved to Missoula to become pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. A decade later, he got a permit to build “the family cabin, a simple log affair…at Seeley Lake, fifty-five road miles northeast of Missoula on the edge of what is now the million-plus acre Bob Marshall Wilderness.” The cabin has now been in the family’s hands for “five generations and counting.” Beginning with his earliest memories of fly-fishing with his father on the river, Maclean passionately explores the history of his family’s life in the region as they became well-respected members of the community and developed an abiding love for the land. The author also digs into deeper history, noting that for centuries, Native peoples “wore a trail along the river as they traveled through the Blackfoot Valley and across the Continental Divide, out and back to the buffalo hunting grounds in the Missouri River country to the east.” Maclean then follows the path of Meriwether Lewis, who, along with his men and a few Nez Perce guides, passed through the area after separating from William Clark. The view from Lewis and Clark Pass, writes the author, is one of the most breathtaking in Montana, a place where the landscape remains “much as it appeared centuries ago…a land with a long-term memory.” In addition to patient nature writing and an introspective approach to the literary inspiration he has received from the land, Maclean discusses the genesis of Norman’s famous book and mystery surrounding the death of one of the characters.
Lovers of literature and nature will be captivated by this heartfelt tribute to place and family.
