The Bitter Roots

When fourteen-year-old Pauly Craig 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 Montana town, Pauly is determined to prove himself, navigating the awkward fumbles of boyhood against a backdrop of strikes, gang fights, train hopping, bootlegging, and the casualties of war.
First published in 1941 and never before reissued, The Bitter Roots is a largely autobiographical novel full of evocative details of a time and place, the work of a writer coming to terms with his past. It's a frank, unvarnished portrait of America from its entry into World War One to the start of Prohibition. Norman Macleod shows us a country struggling with racism, class prejudice, conflicts between labor and capital, and sexual stereotypes. 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.

By Norman MacLeod (Author), Joanna Pocock (Introduction), Gabriella Graceffo (Afterword). Softcover, 330 pages, published September 2024.