Customer Reviews

The Taos Truth Game

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I first became aware of Ganz in graduate school when another student from Montana, where Ganz taught writing, brought a story from his collection "Animal Care" into class. I was hooked by the dialogue-driven narrative and spare descriptions that I had admired in Henry Roth's best work, but it was all Ganz.

Years later, Ganz is back, as is the Montana thread; and Henry Roth, whose style has been so evident in Ganz's work, even makes a cameo in the story. Here Ganz is successful on two fronts -- weaving an engaging narrative while resurrecting a bestselling writer in Myron Brinig who, though large in his day, was all but forgotten by the 1970s. This literary Lazarus trick is fascinating, notably Ganz's depiction of Brinig's bisexual lifestyle at a time when it was so dangerous in America. At a time in American that predates Brokeback Mountain by a couple of decades, Ganz's Brinig lives the life that seemed so elusive to others in America with relative ease.

While the depictions of Mabel Dodge Luhan may be less engaging to anyone other than those with a historical interest in her life, she is at least effective as the ringleader of a Moveable Feast of the American West. When Brinig strikes it big in Hollywood, you can't wait for him to get fed up with it and take up life again within her realm. But the real glue of the the novel is the love story between Brinig and Cady Wells. At its best, it's a page turner. In slower moments, it's at the very least, a tribute to a long forgotten writer that deserves another look.

I loved this book. I am one of those people who falls in love with a time and place in history and ends up with three bookshelves of material and Santa Fe and Taos in the 20s and 30s was one of those places. Earl Ganz's book brings to life all the famous people of the period who lived and loved during this time with great clarity and understanding. What a great idea to write a novel instead of a biography. Cady Wells is one of those shadow figures often appearing in books but never really discussed. He is brought to life. I wish I knew Mr. Ganz so I could take him out to lunch - that's how much I liked the book. Buy it.

This novel might not have the catchiest title, and it won't appeal to the hordes of DaVinci coders. This is well-written story about characters who happen to be real people. They are brought to life, as well as the Taos locale and 1930's time period where these people lived, loved, wrote, and painted. It doesn't try hard to be anything but what it is, a good story.