Books that Weirdly Remind Me of Where I Grew Up

Weirdly enough for a navy brat, I mostly grew up in Idaho. Idaho is mostly know for potatoes and being extremely rural. I remember hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters and landscapes that range from alpine desert to wild woods. To this day, mountains, sagebrush, and miles of uninhabited space feel like home.

Because there are so few Idaho writers (Vardis Fisher is probably the best known), it’s rare to see it as a setting in fiction. Instead, I tend to catch surprising glimpses of home in books set all over the place. When I find a book that feels like home, it feels special and the book tends to burrow its way into my heart.

Preparation for the Next Life, by Atticus Lish

This book features a character from western China, Zou Lei, who left the dusty wide open spaces to try and make a new life in America. Her descriptions of China remind me of summers in Idaho when it’s been months since it rained; her character reminds me of the people who leave the state to find opportunities their parents never had.

Round House, by Louise Erdrich

This book is so good I’ve been a little obsessed with it since I read it this summer. As I read it, Joe Coutts’ description of the reservation where he lives reminded me strongly of the reservation just north of my hometown. I could see Joe’s reservation so clearly in my mind that it was cinematic. Also, the way Joe mocks and loves his home is a lot like the way I make fun of Idaho but don’t like it when non-Idahoans do.

Mothers, Tell Your Daughters, by Bonnie Jo Campbell

I don’t know why, but I imagined a lot of the stories in this collection in Idaho or somewhere a lot like it. The settings are rural and a lot of the characters seem like they have few opportunities to break out of their isolation or dependence on others. There’s a lot of hard won female wisdom in this book that also makes me think of the very tough women I met in Idaho.