Home Waters

A Chronicle of Family and a River

By: John N. Maclean

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

In the spirit of his father's beloved classic, A River Runs through It, comes John N. Maclean’s true chronicle of his family and their bond with Montana's Blackfoot River - a profound and beautiful story about the power of place to bind generations, past and present

“Maclean’s Hemingway-esque prose is as clear as a mountain stream, flowing with a poetic cadence.” (Booklist)

“The trout completed its curve in an undulating, revelatory sequence. A greenish speckled back and a flash of scarlet on silver along its side marked it as a rainbow. One slow beat, set the hook... in those first seconds I felt a connection to a fish of great size and power."

So begins John N. Maclean's remarkable memoir of his family's century-long love affair with Montana's majestic Blackfoot River, which his father, Norman Maclean, made legendary. Now himself past the age that his father published his best-selling novella, Maclean returns annually to the simple family cabin that his grandfather built by hand, still in search of the fish of a lifetime. When he hooks it at last, decades of longing promise to be fulfilled, inspiring John, reporter and author, to finally write the story he was born to tell.

A book that will resonate with everyone who feels deeply rooted to a place, Home Waters is chronicle of a family who claimed a river, from one generation to the next, of how this family came of age in the 20th century and later as they scattered across the country, faced tragedy and success, yet were always drawn back to the waters that bound them together. Here are the true stories behind the beloved characters fictionalized in A River Runs Through It, including the Reverend Maclean, the patriarch who introduced the family to fishing; Norman, who balanced a life divided between literature and the tug of the rugged West; and tragic yet luminous Paul (played by Brad Pitt in Robert Redford’s film adaptation), whose mysterious death has haunted the family and led John to investigate his uncle’s murder and reveal new details in this book.

A universal story about the power of place to shape families, and a celebration of the art of fishing, Maclean’s memoir beautifully portrays the inextricable ways our personal histories are linked to the places we come from - our home waters.

©2021 John N. Maclean (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Mispronunciations

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but because of my knowledge of the Missoula, Montana area, I noticed that Mr. Dean mispronounced the name of Paul Logan Dornblaser as dorn-blaw-zer rather than dorn-blay-zer. He also mispronounced a town name as Oh-vawn-doh rather than the correct version of Oh-van-doh. It was fun, however, to hear the name Laird Robinson, who was a personal friend of me and my family, as well as the name Richard Manning, who was a newspaper colleague of my late wife.

A generational story of the Maclean family.

Being a fan of reading books about water, fishing, mountains, the west, family history and those who risk their lives fighting forest fires, every thing is here. it flows smoothly like a calm stream. This is the third John Maclean book I have read/listened to and I have enjoyed them all.

Lots of history

such a great book. I love the history and locations. I really learned a lot from listening to this adventures book

A land of mountains and trout…

Beautifully written and an amazing tribute to and continuation of the world we were introduced to in his father’s book, A River Runs Through It. I really enjoyed this one.

A truly beautiful story.

John Maclean weaves a thread of his families storied past, Montana and the Blackfoot River into the present for our generation. His father’s book, A River Runs Through It was a classic even in its day and it would be an immense undertaking to follow upon such a great legacy but in his own grandfather’s words, John has achieved something of greatness all on his own, echoing the beautiful and thoughtful writing style of a classic.

must read

anyone who has read and enjoyed "a river runs through it"will enjoy this history of the book..

Just buy it.

No greater expansion to A River Runs Through It will ever exist. However, I'm pleased to say Home Waters exists solely and entirely on its own. It's a documentary of family, and one this new father can take many a lesson from.

The Real Paul Maclean and Much More

Having seen the movie and read the book many times, I was always fascinated by the character of Paul Maclean. I was searching the internet a while back to find out more information about his life when I came across an article that mentioned this book was coming out. I set a reminder and purchased the audiobook on its June 1 release date.

First off, how utterly fascinating to meet up with old characters from the original book and in a nonfiction environment! ‘Home Waters’ refers back to the original book and movie on a regular basis. To be reacquainted with the critical elements and characters of the classic novella through the perspective of Norman Maclean’s son John is a revelation. The book is meticulously researched and a completely unvarnished account of the facts as known. The author includes some really fascinating background topics as well as poetic passages relating to family and nature.

With regard to the real Paul Maclean, the book does not disappoint. “Mystery always clung to Paul” and “some answers” are “forever beyond reach” but John Maclean delves deeply into the real life of his uncle, to the extent that is known. Turns out Paul was much more of a lost soul than was represented in the original book or movie. What a shame that such a talented, loved person seemed to spend a good deal of his time “looking for trouble”, which, in all likelihood, tragically caught up with him. One wonders how much the author’s life would have been enriched if Uncle Paul had been in it. Like all tragedies involving someone taken too soon, family members, friends, and future generations are robbed of what could have been.

The book is so much more than a revisitation of ‘A River Runs Through It’. The history of the family’s Seeley Lake cabin, the harrowing trips through the Dearborn River backcountry, the full analysis of shadow casting, the fate of the Big Blackfoot River after the movie release, Norman Maclean’s writing struggles later in life… so many fascinating topics and passages; all meticulously and painstakingly researched with complete authenticity.

Interesting, Paul’s legendary prowess as a fly fisherman is frequently referenced but not covered in detail. In fact, there is some debate as to if “shadow casting” even works to catch fish.

Going back and forth through time visiting the real characters and events that shaped ‘A River Runs Through It’ from the perspective of Norman Maclean’s son and Paul Maclean’s closest living relative is a truly unique treat for admirers of the original story.

Looking for a book on connection?

The performance of this book is perfect for the content. It is an un-rushed tribute to the connection of family and place. The epilogue is quite beautifully written as are many of the passages within the text. It has me searching for more Maclean books and for a reread of A River Runs Through It.

Deeper knowledge of a beloved story and complex characters

It was a joy to discover a book about a family I have grown to love.
Norman, Paul, the Reverend and Mrs Maclean, Jesse and the Big Blacktoot have lived in my mind since watching the film and reading the book A River Runs Through It. It was an unexpected surprise to get to know them deeper. Highly recommended for fans of ARRTI.