Executive Times
		2007 Book Reviews
		Returning to Earth by Jim Harrison
Rating:			***
		(Recommended)
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	Farewell Jim Harrison’s latest novel, Returning to Earth, provides an upbeat meditation on living a good life, becoming one with nature, and dying with dignity when that life naturally comes to an end. Harrison’s prose is poetic, and his images are always clear and compelling. The ravens on the book cover give a preview of the spiritual issues inside. Here’s an excerpt of the dying Donald’s narrative from part one, pp. 33-35: The main content of my life has been getting married and raising children, but then when the children left a few years ago I felt high and dry. I missed fishing with Ciare. If Herald was along he’d stay back at the campsite reading a science book or wander around identifying plants and flowers from one of his guidebooks. Herald was a bit spooked by the woods but we always took along our old malamute Jeff, which relaxed Herald. Jeff hunted ground squirrels all of his long life but never so far as we knew caught a single one. Cynthia liked us to go on these fishing trips because it gave her a chance to be alone. We’d go as far as the Nipigon area of Canada because Clare liked to fish for large brook trout. Her uncle David gave her some nice fly rods that I’m sure cost an arm and a leg. Clare always teased me because I’m a bait fisherman, either minnows or worms. She’s hoping to get in the movie-wardrobe business in Toronto rather than Hollywood because Toronto is closer to brook trout. She once caught a five-pounder when we were camped between Wawa and Chapleau. Her-aid was nervous because we heard wolves at night. Even Jeff the dog got into the tent with Herald when the wolves started howling. Herald was always in his own tent because he’d be up half the night reading by a lantern. He was a good camp cook though Clare rode him hard for following all recipes as if they were science. So when the kids left for the university I got a bit lonely though I had Cynthia and some pretty good friends. Cynthia and K found me some books to read in the evening and I can’t say they brought happiness. I’m a slow reader because I have dyslexia and maybe I dwelled too long on each page. A couple of years ago K sent me Rites of Conquest, which is about the history and culture of Michigan’s Native Americans. I wish my dad had been alive to talk this book over. K took me down to Mackinaw City, where the author, Charles Cleland, was on an archaeology dig but I was too shy to ask many questions. Though he was a professor the man was as regular as a keg of nails. Despite meeting the author I was lower than a duck’s butt for a couple of months. Cynthia and K cautioned me by telling woeful stories about the history of Jews, blacks, and Arabs. On Third Street near the IGA I saw a very white man and his white wife getting into their real expensive car which was also white and I wondered how much he knew of what his people had done to us back in history. I had insisted on walking way down to the IGA in the morning because I was going fishing with K and we needed something to take along on the Deadstream for lunch. Well I got dizzy from my disease though this was early on last year and I sat down on the curb. Within minutes a cop car wheeled up and I decided to just look at my feet. A cop yelled out his car window, “Are you drunk, boy?” But then he said, “Jesus Christ, Donny, is that you? Are you okay?” It turned out to be Ray Nurmi, who played defensive end in high school. Ray gave me a ride home in the squad car and I didn’t ask him if he called Indians “boy.” I asked him if he knew where Floyd was living and Ray said he’d heard Floyd was living up near Baraga and did I still have it in for him? I didn’t say anything. Floyd’s the man I wanted to murder for years. The other three parts of Returning to Earth are narrated by different characters. The empathy on these pages, and the struggle with living life will bring both reading pleasure and thoughtful reflection. Steve Hopkins, March 23, 2007
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	2007 Hopkins and Company, LLC The recommendation rating for this book appeared in the April 2007 issue of Executive Times URL for this review: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/Books/Returning to Earth.htm For Reprint Permission, Contact: Hopkins & Company, LLC • 723 North Kenilworth Avenue • Oak Park, IL 60302 Phone: 708-466-4650 • Fax: 708-386-8687 E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com www.hopkinsandcompany.com