Book: Stories from Afield

The mark of a great short-story collection is that each stands on its own, while at the same time contributing a necessary element to the overall volume. In Stories from Afield: Adventures with Wild Things in Wild Places (University of Nebraska Press, $19), Bruce L. Smith’s stories do just that. Flip to the first chapter and you’re whisked away to the Wyoming high country, precariously perched upon a snow-drifted ridgeline, your helicopter down for the count. It won’t matter that the next chapter has Smith’s seven-year-old self trapping turtles in Michigan, a tale seemingly unrelated but clearly indicative of a life lived outdoors amongst the creepers and crawlers. Stories from Afield speaks to those of us who always envisioned a life in the backcountry, conversing with bighorn sheep and grizzly bears, and is a must-read for any fan of wildlife and wild places.