High Country

By: Willard Wyman

Narrated by: Ken Marks

A wrangler for some 40 years, Willard Wyman landed two Spur Awards for High Country as Best Novel of the West and Best First Novel.

During the Great Depression, young Ty Hardin is sent from his family's failing Montana ranch to learn from the last of the great packers, Fenton Pardee, a legend in the Montana Rockies.

High Country follows Ty through his packing apprenticeship and into World War II. Wounded and shipped home, Ty recovers by packing into the Montana mountains he loves, even as he watches human traffic through them take its ecological toll.

After his mentor dies, Ty leaves Montana for the Sierra Nevada--the highest country of all--where he becomes a legend in his own right.

©2005 University of Oklahoma Press (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"The characters are so well drawn, the authenticity of detail so finely wrought, you'd think they come from life. And you'd be right." ( True West)

A very enjoyable listen! One of my favorites.

Little did I suspect that this cast of ordinary Americans would so captivate my mind and soul! I believe that the narriator's excellent grasp of the plain language used by the amazing characters in this classic book made the listen even more interesting than the reading version. Excellently read with all of the proper idiosicracies of these regular, good American people comprissing the cast. I tip my hat to the author & especially to the production. I hated to see it end. I will remember it always.A must hear for outdoorspersons. John

The Last Great Mountain Man

Ken Marks is perfect for the narration- the way he carefully pronounces "t" when it is at the end of a word- has the sound of one of the Westerners of whom he speaks.

You have to fall, at least a little, in love with Ty Hardin. His country, his mules and his life.

This is a great read!