So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger

**Discussion Questions available!

Release date: 2008 / 285 pages

Synopsis (from back cover): In 1915 Minnesota, Monte Becket — ‘a man fading, a disappointer of persons’ — has lost his sense of purpose. His only success long behind him, Monte lives a simple life with his loving wife and whipsmart son. But when he befriends outlaw Glendon Hale, a new world of opportunity and experience presents itself.

First line: “Not to disappoint you, but my troubles are nothing — not for an author, at least.”

Review: I just finished this novel and the word “satisfying” leapt into my mind.  Possibly even “deeply satisfying.”  I really enjoyed Enger’s first novel Peace Like A River, but had heard mixed reviews of his second and wasn’t sure what to expect.

What I found was a good, old-fashioned Western — an adventure story at heart — with a nice frame around it.  The narrator and protagonist, Monte Becket is a former postal employee who stumbled upon fame as a novelist when he wrote, for fun, a rollicking adventure story called Martin Bligh.  He decides to leave his job and embrace his new role as a writer and finds himself completely uninspired.

Feeling a bit like a failure, he comes upon a train-robber named Glendon Hale and decides to join him on a romantic quest.  What follows becomes the inspiration Monte has been searching for.

What results is a very fast, purely pleasurable adventure story that is fun to read and hard to put down.  It is, quite simply, pleasant and satisfying.

Part of my enjoyment may stem from the fact that Monte, Enger and I all live in Minnesota — there is an understated peace and appreciation of the land that resonated even when the adventurers left Minnesota.  Ever since I left Florida last week, I have been overwhelmed by the pristine beauty and brilliant sunshine that surrounds me.  Of course, I can’t actually leave the house for more than an hour due to the inhuman temperatures, but thank goodness my home is filled with windows!

But I digress…  I do recommend So Brave, Young, and Handsome if you are of a mind to enjoy an old-school Western — a page-turning adventure story that will keep you company as you endure winter… and wrote up some discussion questions in case your book club is interested!

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