Montana PBS has joined the nationwide PBS sponsored ‘The Great American Read’ in the search for ‘The Great Montana Read’ from a carefully selected group of novels by Montana authors.

Director of the UM Broadcast Media Center, Ray Ekness, described the effort sponsored by Montana PBS.

“We thought it would be fun at Montana PBS and Montana Public Radio to find The Great Montana Novel,” said Ekness. “We put together a panel of seven Montana literary experts, led by Sarah Aronsen who hosts Montana PBS’ ‘The Write Question’. She got a group together and they came up with a list of 30 to 40 books and narrowed it down to 20, and we’re asking folks to read and then vote on their favorite.”

Ekness lists the books chosen by the experts, in no particular order.

  • “The Big Sky,” A.B. Guthrie

 

  • “Winter Wheat,” Mildred Walker

 

  • “Winter in the Blood,” James Welch

 

  • “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” Emily Danforth

 

  • “Perma Red,” Debra Magpie Earling

 

  • “A River Runs Through It,” Norman MacLean

 

  • “Fools Crow,” James Welch

 

  • “This House of Sky,” Ivan Doig

 

  • “Legends of the Fall,” Jim Harrison

 

  • “The Surrounded,” D’Arcy McNickle

 

  • “The Ploughman,” Kim Zupan

 

  • “The Last Good Kiss,” James Crumley

 

  • “English Creek,” Ivan Doig

 

  • “Canada,” Richard Ford

 

  • “Fourth of July Creek,” Smith Henderson

 

  • “Hattie Big Sky,” Kirby Larson

 

  • “Letters from Yellowstone,” Diane Smith

 

  • “Blind Your Ponies,” Stanley Gordon West

 

  • “Last Bus to Wisdom,” Ivan Doig

 

  • “A Yellow Raft in Blue Water,” Michael Dorris

 

Ekness said those who wish to cast their vote for ‘The Great Montana Read’ can visit the Montana PBS Website.

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