FINE JUST THE WAY IT IS

Proulx’s astonishing collection of dark stories features hardscrabble lives lived in a sparse, barren West where one mistake can put you on the long, winding trail to disaster, even death. Will Patton’s deep, sonorous tones create perfect voices for old cowboys like Ray Forkenbrock, who is living out his last days in a nursing home in "Family Man"; for the newlyweds in the devastating "Them Old Cowboy Songs"; and for Dakotah Lister in the memorable story "Tits Up in a Ditch." Patton's delivery is never rushed, and as Proulx fills her stories with quirky, well-developed characters, his voice lends dignity and passion to women and men alike. These breathtaking stories will shock and intrigue. S.C.A. 2009 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]