Melinda Worth Popham

This has been one of my all-time favorites since I came upon it at a library in Ottawa (KS) and took the time to read it. The book follows along in the fashion of "Black Beauty" and Felix Salten's "Bambi" but unlike those two books it has a refreshing depth all of its own.

The story is a glorious masterpiece that weaves together two separate stories - the viewpoint of a spirit-thirsting coyote and his companions plus the story of a grieving couple who upon packing up for the Pacific ended up in the desert of the Kofa Mountains. Living together as neighbors it is only the sad consequences of human action plus love that drives them apart.

The characters were strongly created - their personalities a perfect blend that gave the story its strength. And it is a story that is full of emotional beauty, philosophical musings and the nature of survival that drives each species that lives side by side.

Definitely a timeless classic for generations to come.....

P.S. With this book I have to say the cover art is very important for passing it off. This is the one that I came upon first and this is definitely the best cover art that can be found for the book itself. I am fortunate that even though my sister gave me one copy without it that I was able to find a hardcover with this exact beautiful artwork without it costing me an arm and leg. Definitely gorgeous!… (mere)

Here’s another addition to the annals of coyote literature joining The Tortilla Curtain and Prodigal Summer on my virtual bookshelf. This book is different in that it is written mostly from the coyotes’ perspective. The story begins when the poorly-written eccentric couple foul their well since it has been poisoned by a copper mine. Thus a band of coyotes head of on an Incredible Journey-type of adventure in search of the mythical Skywater under the reluctant lead of Brand X (all the coyotes are named for brand products the elderly couple find while cleaning up the trash). While there’s some interesting adventure and coyote psychology, the book overall is quite dull and excessively new-agey.… (mere)