Introduction by Joanna Pocock

Afterword by Gabriella Graceffo

When fourteen-year-old Pauly takes a swim in the Clark Fork River one summer day, he doesn’t expect to see a boy drown. Surrounded by everyday violence in his hometown of Missoula, Montana, Pauly is determined to prove himself, navigating the awkward fumbles of boyhood against a backdrop of strikes, gang fights, soldiers headed for war, and Prohibition.

First published in 1941 and never before reissued, The Bitter Rootsis a largely autobiographical novel full of evocative details of a time and place, including a glimpse of the young Norman Maclean, author of the classic, A River Runs Through It, and his brother Paul. It’s a frank, unvarnished portrait of an America struggling with racism, class prejudice, conflicts between labor and capital, and sexual stereotypes. Macleod includes newspaper headlines, snatches of song, movie advertisements, and patriotic slogans to recreate American life between 1917 and 1920. A vivid coming-of-age story, The Bitter Roots reminds us that finding and holding on to your identity is one of the greatest battles there is. 

Boiler House Press, 2024, 320pages.