"Work Song" by Ivan Doig

Review by Kelly Neill, Searcy, AR

Ivan Doig is perhaps my favorite author, so I eagerly anticipated reading another of his works. This one did not disappoint. The traveling teacher, Morrie, returns from an earlier novel, but this setting in Butte, Montana during a booming time of growth and city tension provided a new background for Morrie's literary and educational talents. I loved the way Morrie tries to stay out of trouble in the library, yet still finds himself in the middle of the town's labor dispute. As with most of Doig's novels, the plots are interesting, the historical portrayals of the area and time are rich, and the characters fascinating, but my favorite aspect of his work is his writing style. Dense, detailed, and worthy of a slow reading, I'm always a bit sad when I come to the end because I enjoyed the trip so much.