Bucking the Sun

By: Ivan Doig

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Acclaimed for his beloved Montana trilogy, National Book Award finalist Ivan Doig crafts masterful portraits of life in rural Big Sky Country. Set in the 1930s, Bucking the Sun follows the Duff clan during the construction of the Fort Peck Dam. Hugh Duff is angry that the dam will flood his farm, yet his sons hasten to get jobs working on the project.

©1996 Ivan Doig (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“This richly detailed narrative offers comedy, passion, and adventure.” ( Library Journal)

Interesting an epic

Great Taylor, family drama, and a time in America’s past. I read a few of his books, but I really enjoy this one.

A brilliant Montana visit

The Fort Peck Dam is now a place I once spent a few years. Although, I wasn't even born yet when it happened. Just a wonderful story.

Loved it!

I'm a great fan of Ivan Doing & this is a favorite . I've read it & listened to it several times.
I enjoyed every thing about this book.

Another great Doig!

I read this many years ago....now as audio. Still wonderfully wonderful! On to the next Doig!

Masterpiece….

Classic Ivan Doig. If his characters get anymore real I’ll expect to be able to go to a cemetery somewhere in remote Montana and find their headstones… amazing, epic family saga based in actual historical events. This narrator is the best I’ve ever experienced

Almost Good

I'm a big Ivan Doig fan and have listened to several of his books and have enjoyed them all very much. But this one didn't seem to stack up to the others. I appreciated the back-drop of the building of the Fort Peck dam and I was engaged with the characters but the plot wore thin here and there and it went on too long. The ending was anti-climatic. As always the reader was excellent and the writing still held its charm. Not sorry I read it but not glad either.

Absolutely brilliant!

Ivan Doig is a master storyteller! And he always manages to capture the heart and soul of Montana. This is a brilliant story - part historical fiction, part mystery. How he weaves together the lives of the Duff clan while keeping the mystery a secret is just amazing. Plus all of the fascinating arcana of the building of the dam. Just brilliant! My only complaint is that I want MORE of the Duffs! What happened to them all after this?

And a quick rebuttal to the reviewer here who complained about “excessive swearing” - poppycock! There was only minimal swearing, at about the level you’d expect with a bunch of construction workers. I hardly noticed it, because the dialog rang so true to the time and place.

Also, the narrator was perfect!

Ivan Doig paints a town ugly

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The whole tone of the story. I believe Ivan Doig focused on the ill-concieved town and how it brought out the crude and selfishness in human nature. I grew fond of Gros Ventre and the very human inhabitants of that small town and Scotch Heaven, but the Fort Peck project seemed to collect an entirely different population that permeated "Bucking the Sun" with ugliness.
I strongly recommend Mr. Doig's other Montana books, from "House of Sky" through the Jick trilogy to "Whistling Season" and "The Bartender's Tale". I hope he revisits that Montana again. I have read and listened to"English Creek" several times and intend to hear it again.

What do you think your next listen will be?

A book that doesn't pander to the perception that you must have lots of sex, viiolence and other gratitous violence to be successful

What three words best describe Tom Stechschulte’s voice?

In "Bucking The Sun" his voice has a slightly sarcastic ring that fits the book.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Definitely not

Any additional comments?

Don't let this negative review deter you from listening or reading Ivan Doig. I think he is a gem among the flashy rhinestones. I cannot overestimate his writing talent and knowledge of his people and their environment.

A bit of a different tone than other Doig books but still gritty & intriguing.

I have read or listened to 7 books by Ivan Doig as I both trust his personal knowledge of Montana as well adore his writing style. I listened to this after finishing the Montana Trilogy, so I was a little disappointed to hear the tone taken toward Scotch Heaven and a few of the characters from the series. They were painted in a different light in this book … however, it is probably more realistic to have a multifaceted description of a character. This book has wonderful character development although this is the first of his books that I have not grown very fond of at least one character. This narrative had a bit of a soap opera feel, but more gritty. Focusing on the tangled web of family drama with the framework of important moments in Montana history. I do like that this book was a bit different than the others I have experienced thus far. But I did miss the more descriptive elements of landscape. Not my favorite of his but still a great book.

Too profain.

The author takes a good story line and peppers it with foul language. I had to put it down.