The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All

A Novel

By: Josh Ritter

Narrated by: Josh Ritter

From singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, a lyrical, sweeping novel about a young boy's coming-of-age during the last days of the lumberjacks.

In the tiny timber town of Cordelia, Idaho, ninety-nine year old Weldon Applegate recounts his life in all its glory, filled with tall tales writ large with murder, mayhem, avalanches and bootlegging. It’s the story of dark pine forests brewing with ancient magic, and Weldon’s struggle as a boy to keep his father’s inherited timber claim, the Lost Lot, from the ravenous clutches of Linden Laughlin.

Ever since young Weldon stepped foot in the deep Cordelia woods as a child, he dreamed of joining the rowdy ranks of his ancestors in their epic axe-swinging adventures. Local legend says their family line boasts some of the greatest lumberjacks to ever roam the American West, but at the beginning of the twentieth century, the jacks are dying out, and it’s up to Weldon to defend his family legacy.

Braided with haunting saloon tunes and just the right dose of magic, The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All is a novel bursting with heart, humor and an utterly transporting adventure that is sure to sweep you away into the beauty of the tall snowy mountain timber.

Even better than Bright’s Passage

Although one of music’s greatest lyricists I was still pleasantly surprised Josh Ritter could out do Bright’s Passage. However he managed to do it. The Great Glorious Goddamn Of It All stands as his greatest literary achievement to date. I anxiously await his third book.

offbeat story by great songwriter!

This book by a singer-songwriter I love tells the story from the vantage point of the 99 year old narrator, with most of the action having taken place when he was 13, living among lumberjacks. It's a hardscrabble life, and there is a fair amount of grisly action, with some (well, one, really) nasty characters, and several good ones.

Excellent tale

I loved the way the author spins this story and does so in his own voice. I will find any other books he may have written. Highly recommend.

Witty, fun, and raw

Great fun read of tall tales and a wonderful historical perspective of lumber jacking. Higher marks for performance when speaking for the older characters if a much older voice was used.

Raw story - very emotional

Excellent story telling. First rate. Interesting characters. Described the difficult life of loggers before mechanization.