Driftless Stories by John Motoviloff Prairie Oak Press, 2001, softcover 110 pages ISBN 1-879483-80-7 $13.95 Reviewed by Douglas Tiedt

In order to describe "Driftless Stories", it is easier to describe what it it not.  This is not a how-to book, nor will the reader come away from it having acquired an depth knowledge on some subject or other.  It is not a conventional book telling a story whose plot centers on Southwest Wisconsin.  If there is indeed a plot at all, it is found in Motoviloff's injunction to enjoy one's surroundings, one's friends, and the outdoor life.  "Driftless Stories" is a collection of short, nearly poetic, tales that will warm the heart of any who relish the chance to escape to the stillness of the woods and enjoy the contemplative burblings of a stream or brook.  It is truly amazing to see how quickly Motoviloff can set a mood and recall a memory using so few words.  After reading a story or two from this book, a smile will escape, the spirit will be calmed, and the feeling of a knowing nod received from an old friend, the nature of which cannot be put into words, will suffuse the soul.

Motoviloff takes us along in his everyday adventures in Southwest Wisconsin.  These range from digging for worms and putting beeswax on boots to the trout that got away and the one that didn't.  He tells of duck hunting next to a small town auction and the hunting cabin shared with friends and family.  He describes choosing a puppy and subsequent bouts of birdhunting with her.  Tales of the hunting cabin in which his baby nephew was bathed and beers shared with good friends contribute to the warmth of these stories.

This book is much more than a collection tales about sport; grass, highways, and quaint old towns are described with equal passion and detail.  These little details and nuances contribute to memories of places we've never been, and the feel of all the times we've enjoyed spent hunting, fishing or just reveling in nature's bounty.  If anyone reading this book has not inhaled these smells and marveled in these visions during an outdoor trip, he or she has missed part of the reason for being there.  Those that have spent time in this area will be able to close their eyes and see every nuance as Motoviloff describes it, as if sitting around the old stove in the country store.  Others will hear similarities to the hills, valleys and rivers where they grew up and be eager to tell their story when the turn comes around to them.  Stories are meant for sharing and that is the purpose of this book.

At 110 pages of short stories, a tiny bit of poetry, and three recipes mentioned in the tales thrown in for good measure, this is not a book meant to be devoured in a single sitting.  Rather, one needs to withdraw to a quiet refuge to relax and escape inside a story or two.  Reading a few pages of this book just before bedtime is the perfect recipe to calm ourselves from our hectic lives today.  The reader will find him or herself becoming engrossed in the story and half expecting to see that wood duck or brown trout when they look up from the pages of the book.  One hopes that Motoviloff will tap them on the shoulder
as an invite to partake in his next outting.  I, for one, would pack up in a heartbeat.  Until then, I will enjoy "Driftless Stories" as I experience each outdoor quest and Motoviloff's ability to make the reader a participant in the moment.
 
 
 

Driftless Stories is available  from Amazon.com.  Click on the image to order:
 
 

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