Burning Fence: A Western Memoir of Fatherhood

A powerful nonfiction debut from an award-winning novelist In Burning Fence, acclaimed novelist Craig Lesley turns his keen eye toward two difficult fathers and an alcohol-damaged Indian foster child, Craigs own son Wade. Abandoned by his shell-shocked father Rudell, Craig grew up with his stepfather, Vern, a tough, controlling railroader. When events turned nasty, Craig, his mother and baby sister fled on the night train and arrived at an Indian reservation where his mother found work. Decades later, convinced he will be a better father than Rudell or Vern, Craig takes in the troubled Wade. But desperation over Wades violent acts motivates Craig to seek out Rudell in remote Monument, Oregon. Craig hopes his father, a reclusive coyote trapper and poacher, will help raise his disturbed grandson. There Craig meets his colorful half-brother, Ormand, a would be East Coast hit man, now born again. Skillfully capturing the rural humor, rugged characters, and hardscrabble life of Eastern Oregon, Burning Fence presents a searing reflection on fatherhood and offers remarkable insight into the landscape of the Western heart.Lesley, Craig is the author of 'Burning Fence: A Western Memoir of Fatherhood' with ISBN 9780312318468 and ISBN 0312318464.