• English Creek

  • The Montana Trilogy, Book 1
  • By: Ivan Doig
  • Narrated by: Scott Sowers
  • Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (629 ratings)

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English Creek  By  cover art

English Creek

By: Ivan Doig
Narrated by: Scott Sowers
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Publisher's summary

Part of Ivan Doig’s acclaimed Montana trilogy, English Creek revolves around Jick McCaskill, a 14-year-old growing up in 1930s Montana. This incandescent coming-of-age tale dramatizes the climatic events of one summer that inevitably mark Jick’s awakening from childhood to adulthood. Through his eyes we see those nearest and dearest to him at a turning point - "where all four of our lives made their bend" - and discover along with him his own connection to the land, to history, and to the deep-fathomed mysteries of one's kin and one's self.

©1984 Ivan Doig (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Sheer magic...simply a national treasure." ( USA Today)

What listeners say about English Creek

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Read this as book two and Dancing as book one

I read "Dancing at the Rascal Fair" as a stand alone book, not realizing it was part of a trilogy. "Dancing" is a 5 star read and a gem of a book. It is also the true beginning of the trilogy. After reading "Dancing," I wanted more about the family and what happened to them. I read "Prairie Nocturne" which followed a side character and didn't satisfy the itch. This is what I should have read. Although, I have no clue why Doig chose to make it the first book of the trilogy, it is actually the second book chronologically and makes a lot more sense to read second. Having read "Dancing," I picked up on subtleties and relationships that I wouldn't have caught at all if I had read this first. "English Creek" starts slowly and the plot lazes along, just a 3.5 star read for me, but it was the salve for my itch of wanting more after "Dancing." Glad I found it.

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26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent storytelling

I found "English Creek" even better than "Dancing at the Rascal Fair", which is a favorite with many, not just me. The weird thing is that "English Creek" is the first of the series but chronologically it follows "Dancing at the Rascal Fair". I think it is better to read it after "Dancing at the Rascal Fair"! "Ride With Me, Mariah Montana" is the next one I will pick up. Check out all of the "Two Medicine County" series. I love the way Ivan Doig captures the essential both in physical descriptions of the land, the dialog between people and what is essentially important in life. Some compare him to Wallace Stegner but I think he is MUCH better. There is marvelous humor in Doig's writing.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story

Characters one can care about. Realist, down-to-earth story. All three books in the trilogy are well written. Graphic descriptions of Montana without bogging the story.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

14 year old protagonist--not enough conflict

I loved listening to Doig's "Dancing at the Rascal Fair." This story was not as interesting because the protagonist, Jick, is mainly an observer of other characters' lives and not much happens in his own. There is just one main conflict and to me it wasn't strong enough to sustain through the story. What was interesting was the references to "Rascal Fair" because Jick's grandfather is Angus McCaskill, the protagonist of "Rascal Fair." It was still an entertaining listen, but not nearly as rich as "Rascal Fair."

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Favorite

Here's the worry with a read-out-loud book that you loved in print: will the characters sound like what you heard in your head? In English Creek, the match was not exact, but so well fit the author's description and writing that eventually the performer enhanced my memory of the book -- then exceeded it.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Doig!

My favorite author. I'm listening to these again after 25 years....and picking it more information.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Color Me Disappointed

The writing was fine, the setting was fine, but the story. . . . well, I suppose if I was male and wanted to relive a year or so in the life of a 14 year-old Montana boy, I might have actually enjoyed it. There was no drama, no real issues; just the day-to-day sometimes clumsy activities of a boy-turning-young man. That is not to say bad things about Doig's writing. . . it was great; offering very good visualizations of Jick, his family and surroundings. For me, it was not very interesting. . . and after enjoying Dancing at the Rascal Fair so much, I could not help but be disappointed that this story didn't offer the same degree of interest.

It will surely get high reviews from others, so don't let me dissuade you from reading other reviews and trying the book if you are a mind to do so. Just not my cup of tea.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic remembrance of the east slope

As with Doig's other stories, this is a relatable, humorous coming of age story set in Montana, mostly in late 1930s

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love!!!

A great history lesson through the eyes of a 14 year old boy. A competent, confident boy, coming of age. Wonderful sense of place, can feel the air and see the land.
Only disappointment? What happened to Angus and Adair from the first book!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love the story

Makes you feel as if you are visiting Montana in a past time. Understanding of the past.

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