Bittersweet [School & Library Binding]

Nevada Barr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

Award-winning author Nevada Barr reveals another side to her remarkable storytelling prowess with this heart-wrenching yet tender tale of two women whose boundless devotion to each other is continually challenged in nineteenth century America.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A solid, unabashed piece of writing that glows with authenticity." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Barr has drawn on women's diaries from the Old West to bring detail to this unusual romance. The result is an intriguing story, sensitive and authentic-sounding, and far different from what is usually considered a Western novel." -- The Miami Herald

"The novel...is tender and gentle in its exploration of commitment between two women, especially in days when females were expected to live out their narrow lives doing exhausting work and obeying their husbands." -- St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Navada Barr is the award-winning author of seven Anna Pigeon mysteries: Track of the Cat, A Superior Death, Ill Wind, Firestorm, Endangered Species, Blind Descent, and Liberty Falling. She lives in Mississippi and was most recently a ranger on the Natchez Trace Parkway

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• School & Library Binding: 362 pages
• Publisher: San Val (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613212274
• ISBN-13: 978-0613212274
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,454,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nevada was born in the small western town of Yerington, Nevada and raised on a mountain airport in the Sierras. Both her parents were pilots and mechanics and her sister, Molly, continued the tradition by becoming a pilot for USAir.
Pushed out of the nest, Nevada fell into the theatre, receiving her BA in speech and drama and her MFA in Acting before making the pilgrimage to New York City, then Minneapolis, MN. For eighteen years she worked on stage, in commercials, industrial training films and did voice-overs for radio. During this time she became interested in the environmental movement and began working in the National Parks during the summers -- Isle Royale in Michigan, Guadalupe Mountains in Texas, Mesa Verde in Colorado, and then on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.
Woven throughout these seemingly disparate careers was the written word. Nevada wrote and presented campfire stories, taught storytelling and was a travel writer and restaurant critic. Her first novel, Bitterweet was published in 1983. The Anna Pigeon series, featuring a female park ranger as the protagonist, started when she married her love of writing with her love of the wilderness, the summer she worked in west Texas. The first book, Track of the Cat, was brought to light in 1993 and won both the Agatha and Anthony awards for best first mystery. The series was well received and A Superior Death, loosely based on Nevada's experiences as a boat patrol ranger on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, was published in 1994. In 1995 Ill Wind came out. It was set in Mesa Verde, Colorado where Nevada worked as a law enforcement ranger for two seasons.
The rest is, shall we say, HISTORY! Nevada's books and accomplishments have become numerous and the presses continue to roll, so in the interest of NOT having to update this page, books, awards, status on the New York Times Best Seller List -- and more -- will be enumerated with the relevant books else where on this website.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

135 of 137 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for everyone, December 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bittersweet (Paperback)

I had read several of Nevada Barr's mysteries and found them thoroughly delightful. They vary from the traditional mystery by using a park ranger in place of the usual private eye. When I picked up Bittersweet, I expected another mystery. Instead, this is a wonderful emotion filled novel. As with her mysteries, Barr takes the traditional western and gives it a twist. Her heroines face the classic struggles on the range, but the antagonists are not always nature but are often human nature. That is, two women living in 19th century Nevada have to deal with everything men do plus the problems created by the stereotypes. This book was a very fine, enchanting read which still gives me enjoyment long after I have finished it.

74 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book worth reading., October 1, 1999

By 

Michael Cuccaro "MIkeCuccaro" (Nevada, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bittersweet (Paperback)

I tried for the last two years to purchase a copy of this book, but it was out of print. While reading Nevada Barr's mysteries I was impressed by her talent, and I liked the person behind the writing. The credits listed Bittersweet as her first novel, so I started looking for it. The search was worth the effort. The novel exposes the problems of being a woman in 1800's America as much as it tells the story of a very loving woman and her impact on another woman. What a talented writer! What a valuable subject. I definitely recommend that you read this book.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!, November 1, 1999

By 

Jackie Ganguly - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bittersweet (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading this book. I picked it up on a whim, knowing nothing about it, but when I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I was really moved by the devotion and genuine love between the two main characters, and I still find myself going back and rereading certain passages. I could relate to this book on so many levels, and I recommend it to others.