Author Jim Harrison, 1937-2016

Michigan native, author, and poet Jim Harrison passed on this weekend. Harrison's body of work included, "...21 volumes of fiction, including 'Legends of the Fall', a collection of three novellas whose title piece, about a Montana family ravaged by World War I, became a 1994 film starring Brad Pitt; 14 books of poetry; two books of essays; a memoir; and a children’s book." (New York Times) He was known for tales of outdoors and rural life in the U.P. and his rugged, masculine characters were often compared to those of Hemingway. Below we offer a selection of his works, many available on audio Book CD, in honor of his career. His 2016 release, The ancient minstrel : novellas, can be found on the New Book Shelf.

An epic Western saga about a woman and the three sons of a Montana rancher who love her, told against the backdrop of World War I.

Legends of the fall by Jim Harrison

Even with retirement in view, Detective Sunderson decides to investigate a cult that has settled near his home nonetheless. Although their so-called 'Great Leader' initially appears to be harmless, Sunderson and his teenage sidekick unearth some startling information. As he digs deeper, Sunderson's search for the Great Leader's true intentions takes him from Michigan to Arizona to Nebraska.

Detective Sunderson has fled troubles on the home front and bought himself a hunting cabin in a remote area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. No sooner has he settled in than he realizes his new neighbors are creating even more havoc than the Great Leader did. A family of outlaws, armed to the teeth, the Ameses have local law enforcement too intimidated to take them on. 

Jim Harrison is one of Americas most beloved and critically acclaimed authors, and this collection of novellas is Harrison at his most memorable--a brilliant rendering of two men striving to find their way in the world, written with freshness, abundant wit, and profound humanity.

True north : a novel by Jim Harrison