In Four Miles West of Nowhere, John Phillips delivers a Pythonesque travelog of his retirement journey from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to remote Darby, Montana, (population 745, no Starbucks, no traffic light). There, along the Continental Divide, Mother Nature sets out gasp-inducing scenery and also her best birds, bears, and brook trout. To this fauna-rich utopia Phillips adds broken snow plows, a reclusive ex-smuggler, threatening winters, electricity famines, and heartfelt ruminations about fly fishing, guns, survival, Darby's dress code (pre-owned grubby), forest fires, irritating neighbors, helpful neighbors, a voluptuous barber, Republicans (he found one good one), septic tanks, alcohol, and pre-existing conditions. He occasionally claims to dislike his fellow persons, but then delights everyone with eyes and a sense of humor by presenting writing that entertains, informs, and confronts. His wicked wit addresses both human frailties and environmental missteps, but through it all Phillips is wildly funny. He could make you laugh at your own bankruptcy. He made me laugh out loud at his falls into the icy Bitterroot while learning to fly fish. And also at his descriptions of hospitalizations, truck wrecks, tire chains, and acquiring his first Carhartt bib overalls. Phillips has crafted a swift, seamless diary of life at J & J Cat Ranch, the mountaintop home he shares with wife Julie-a willing co-conspirator in all this. The diary's eighty-seven episodes recounting John and Julie's first year as "feeders" (Darbarians who do not hunt) never make you feel voyeuristic. Not once. Hell, to invade their privacy you'd have to stop laughing. -William Jeanes, former editor-in-chief and publisher of Car and Driver and author of The Road to Pickletown
✔ Author(s): John Phillips
✔ Title: Four Miles West of Nowhere
✔ Rating : 3.9 out of 5 base on (125 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1941052541
✔ ISBN-13: 9781941052549
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Four Miles West of Nowhere by John Phillips
Thea Bell
I must confess, this book made me shed tears like never before. The themes of love, loss, and resilience struck a chord with my soul. It was an emotional journey I'm grateful to have taken.
Beata Shepard
This book has reignited my passion for reading. It reminded me of the sheer joy that can be found in losing oneself in the pages of a good story. I can't wait to explore more books now.
Kara Snyder
I'm already planning to reread this book. It's one of those stories that you can revisit again and again, discovering new layers of meaning each time.
