Skywater

By Melinda Worth Popham

Book Overview

"Brand X and his fellow coyotes . . . are meticulously observed in the desert environment that Ms. Popham seems to know like her backyard. And so are the people of this fable--old Hallie and Albert . . . and the several varmint-hunters, callous or alcoholic or both. There is a parable of how we might relate to the creatures that share the world with us; and a parable of dreams versus realty; and a parable of home, of known territory with its comparative safety; and a parable of making the best of a world short of everything. The people and the creatures of Ms. Popham's fable are right, they belong, and they mean." --Wallace Stegner

"This spare and affecting novel has the precision and the stinging sweetness of a fable. A wonderful book." --Thomas McGuane

"Refreshing . . . Life-affirming . . . The first book I've read in a long time that left me with teary eyes at the end."--The San Diego Tribune

"Captivating . . . The animals' arduous westward journey down the Colorado River to the Gulf suggests a coyote world view that is subtly sustained by their mysterious ways." --Publishers Weekly

"With dramatic urgency and imaginative tenderness, Melinda Popham has given the world a painful, poetic, and delightfully unpredictable story that pulsates with hope and healing meaning." --Al Young, California Poet Laureate Emeritus

"Rich with poetic resonance." --Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Evoking a rich sense of place and animal behavior, Popham] lets us see through very different eyes." --The Seattle Times

"A daring and visionary tale. Popham] dares to tell us what a coyote thinks and sees and feels and dreams. . . . A hero of the classic kind--a furry, howling, water-seeking version of the Hero with a Thousand Faces." --James D. Houston

"Masterful . . . Astonishing . . . Remarkable . . . Put down the latest technothriller and bask awhile in the descriptive prose of Skywater." --L.A. Life

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1504032934
• ISBN13: 9781504032933
• Release Date: June 2016
• Publisher: Open Road Distribution
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Loved this book for years

As an avid reader, I read this book over ten years ago and it still ranks as one of my favorite. I think of it often. It is a lovely and brilliant book.

A must-read for any animal lover!

I originally read this book in the early 1990's when I borrowed it from the library. I was living in Phoenix at the time, so the Sonoran desert setting was interesting. As an animal lover, this book is memorable. So much so, that when I recently took a trip back to Phoenix, as my boyfriend and I were hiking through the Superstition Mountains, I began to tell him about this book. (15 years after reading it!!) I vividly remember the way the author described how the coyote pawed at the desert floor, seeking water. I remember the coyote looking at the "sliver of moon", reminding him of his mother. Outstanding read, Ms. Popham. When I returned from the trip, I began the quest to find it again! I probably read in excess of 50 books a year...this is one book I will treasure in anticipation to share with my children.

An Epic Fable

On the surface, we have a small bunch of coyotes searching for water. But between the lines, we have a hero's odyssey. The perseverence and struggles of our hero, Brand X, evokes strong emotions. Truly, these little beasts are the most human characters you'll ever find. I mean, what could be more human than the quest to find oneself?

What the other guy said- TEAR-JERKER!

I didn't read this book until years after I bought it because I hadn't expected it to be so good... Boy, was I wrong! I gaurantee you this book will make you cry. I mean, poor Boyardee...! (read the book)

It was the best book I read!!!!!

This book is the bomb! Melinda Worth Popham is the greatest author in the world, she keeps the story rooling at a great rate.