Praise for a great new book

By Chris Daly

The best book I have read lately is Backcast, by Lou Ureneck. Don't just take my word for it (in fact, you shouldn't take my word at all. Full disclosure: Lou is the chairman of my department at BU, and he's a good friend of mine). You can see for yourself in a review, written by Chuck Leddy, in The Boston Globe.

An excerpt:

"Backcast" ... is difficult to categorize and impossible to forget. It might be described as a stunning memoir, a marvelous outdoor adventure, or a breathtaking travelogue that explores the wilds of Alaska and the intricacies of the human heart. Whatever it is, it's wonderful....
....It would be unfair to reveal whether Ureneck finds what he's looking for in Alaska, but his readers will find more than enough beauty and humanity within these pages. Lou Ureneck is a master craftsman, and in "Backcast" he has meticulously constructed a story that's lasting and splendid to behold. You need not love fishing or the outdoors to enjoy this redemptive and intensely observed journey of self-discovery."

Backcast is a gem of narrative nonfiction -- brave, honest, and beautiful. The book is a triple-braided story that combines memories of Lou's childhood, nature-writing about his trip down a river in Alaska with his son, and a tough look at his relationship with that son. It's charming, funny, disarming, and occasionally hair-raising.

Lou has landed the big one.