Native

by William Haywood Henderson

Book Overview

Four years before Annie Proulx's story "Brokeback Mountain" appeared in the New Yorker, William Haywood Henderson published Native, the tale of three gay men ensnared in the politics and prejudices of an isolated ranching town in Wyoming's Wind River Valley. Blue Parker, a careful twenty-three-year-old ranch foreman, in love with the West and his home in the mountains, finds himself drawn to his new ranch hand, Sam. For the first time...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803228457
• ISBN13: 9780803228450
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Bison Books
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Terribly Literary, but haunting nonetheless

Henderson joins the ranks of Jim Grimsley, et al, who write in the self-conscious literary style of the immediate present tense; rather than showing the reader what happened, such writers show the reader what IS happening. In a sense this literary device makes reading Native like entering a dream, and at times what is happening is unclear, as dreams are vague and disquieting. But still, I grew to like Blue as he discovers himself and his relationship with Sam, though I was disturbed when Blue just leaves Sam to live or die without explanation--like dreams. --Ronald L. Donaghe, author of Common Sons

A beautifully woven tapestry of love and self discovery.

Henderson's writing is reminiscent of Faulkner. His story of Blue takes you completely into a journey where landscape, emotion, physicality and spirituality are woven together with an artistry that is both delicate and powerful in the same dimension. This is not a novel to think your way through. Rather it is a shamanic journey you must abandon yourself to.

It's more than you think

To say that Native is a coming-of-age novel does not do it justice. Yes, our main character discovers something about himself. Yes, he grows up. But that's not all. Henderson's expert use of landscape and scenery not only reflects the characters' internal struggles, it also puts you smack dab in the middle of the beautiful Wyoming ranch. The story contains enough action to balance the introspection, but not so much as to overshadow the true battles for self-acceptance. The well-rounded characters are both realistic and larger-than-life. The language flows smoothly throughout most of the book, and in fact is as much a part of the experience as the story itself. You cannot ignore the exquisitely crafted prose, and that annoyed me on occasion because it distracted me from the story. Henderson's second novel will be released in the fall of 1997. If it lives up to the promise shown in Native, Henderson is well on his way to literary acclaim.