Home Waters: A Chronicle of Family and a River
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- Create Date：2021-08-25 06:51:20
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：John N. Maclean
- ISBN：0062944592
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Summary
In the spirit of his father's beloved classic A River Runs Through It comes a gorgeous chronicle of a family and the land they call home: Home Waters is John N。 Maclean’s meditation on fly fishing and life along Montana's Blackfoot River， where four generations of Macleans have fished， bonded， and drawn timeless lessons from its storied waters。
“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 bestselling 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 these pages。
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。
“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 bestselling 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 these pages。
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。
Reviews
Sean
，
I don't know why this book isn't receiving attention。 Other than the Washington Post's rave review， the media hasn't seemed to notice it。 This is the son of Norman Maclean， writing about the back story of A River Runs Through It， the Maclean family history， and the history of Montana。 It's a bit scattershot， but the author's voice is strong and the subject matter always captivating。 Plus， it has a beautiful map of Montana as endpapers and woodcuttings preceding each chapter。 I don't know why this book isn't receiving attention。 Other than the Washington Post's rave review， the media hasn't seemed to notice it。 This is the son of Norman Maclean， writing about the back story of A River Runs Through It， the Maclean family history， and the history of Montana。 It's a bit scattershot， but the author's voice is strong and the subject matter always captivating。 Plus， it has a beautiful map of Montana as endpapers and woodcuttings preceding each chapter。 。。。more
James M
，
enjoyed， a very good combination of an appreciation for nature， fishing， solitude and family
Bob
，
Norman Maclean's son provides the backstory to his father's gem about Montana and flyfishing and the wilderness， as well as his own time as a child and an adult on the Blackfoot River and Seeley Lake。 Perfect timing for the read， as I'm headed to the Blackfoot with my son Christopher for a week of flyfishing in seven days！ A good chapter on Meriwether Lewis' journey homeward up the side of the Blackfoot， as well as one on Norman's （and John's own） research and writing about deadly wildfires。 Norman Maclean's son provides the backstory to his father's gem about Montana and flyfishing and the wilderness， as well as his own time as a child and an adult on the Blackfoot River and Seeley Lake。 Perfect timing for the read， as I'm headed to the Blackfoot with my son Christopher for a week of flyfishing in seven days！ A good chapter on Meriwether Lewis' journey homeward up the side of the Blackfoot， as well as one on Norman's （and John's own） research and writing about deadly wildfires。 。。。more
Mark
，
Maclean writes very much like his father and his descriptions of his own childhood， as well as that of his father's simple but now famous Missoula family， adds new depth to Norm Maclean's near perfect book that kept many of us wanting more。 John Maclean's description of his father's and grandfather's love of fly fishing mirrors my own observations of own father- a United Methodist Minister- and a fine Fly-Fisherman in his own right。 I have recently taken to selling or giving away my books as I r Maclean writes very much like his father and his descriptions of his own childhood， as well as that of his father's simple but now famous Missoula family， adds new depth to Norm Maclean's near perfect book that kept many of us wanting more。 John Maclean's description of his father's and grandfather's love of fly fishing mirrors my own observations of own father- a United Methodist Minister- and a fine Fly-Fisherman in his own right。 I have recently taken to selling or giving away my books as I read them （damn you Marie Kondo）。 That said， Maclean's book will remain on my shelf right next to his father's for posterity as I know I will want to dip into select passages time and again for years to come。 。。。more
Adelbert
，
Excellent！
Eddie
，
Beautiful！
Mike Holden
，
I vacillated between three stars and four on this one -- the parts that are good （generally， the parts that deal with family relationships， etc。） are very good but there are parts that drag the book down （I was especially disappointed in the treatment of the murder of the author's Uncle Paul， which boiled down to a page or so of information）。 In the final analysis， it is an excellent companion to "A River Runs Through It"， even though the characters aren't as colorful and the writing lacks the p I vacillated between three stars and four on this one -- the parts that are good （generally， the parts that deal with family relationships， etc。） are very good but there are parts that drag the book down （I was especially disappointed in the treatment of the murder of the author's Uncle Paul， which boiled down to a page or so of information）。 In the final analysis， it is an excellent companion to "A River Runs Through It"， even though the characters aren't as colorful and the writing lacks the poetry of his father's earlier book。 。。。more
John Larrabee
，
A nice family story about fishing in Montana， written by John Maclean， son of Norman Maclean， the author of "A River Runs through It。" A nice family story about fishing in Montana， written by John Maclean， son of Norman Maclean， the author of "A River Runs through It。" 。。。more
Carla McKelvey
，
This is an essential companion piece to a River Runs Through It。 This is written by Norman Maclean's son。 He shares his family's history and their relationship to the river and fly fishing and writing。 It is well written and sentimental but not in a sappy way。 It is full of warmth and love。 He does skip the parts that perhaps could be considered sensitive such as the details of why Paul might have been killed or the final days， months of his mother who he implies died of lung cancer。 It is a sho This is an essential companion piece to a River Runs Through It。 This is written by Norman Maclean's son。 He shares his family's history and their relationship to the river and fly fishing and writing。 It is well written and sentimental but not in a sappy way。 It is full of warmth and love。 He does skip the parts that perhaps could be considered sensitive such as the details of why Paul might have been killed or the final days， months of his mother who he implies died of lung cancer。 It is a short book that reads fairly quickly。 。。。more
Chas DeBolt
，
This book is highly recommend for fans of the author's Father's work。 Norman Maclean's Young Men and Fire is one of my all time favorites。 I have not actually read A River Runs Through It。 But I will now， after having read about the family and the the Blackfoot River from the son's perspective in Home Waters。 I spent 18 summers in Montana at my Grandparent's home in the Clark Fork Valley - out in the mountains daily with aunts， uncle's， and cousins。 For me the sense of place， respect for and adm This book is highly recommend for fans of the author's Father's work。 Norman Maclean's Young Men and Fire is one of my all time favorites。 I have not actually read A River Runs Through It。 But I will now， after having read about the family and the the Blackfoot River from the son's perspective in Home Waters。 I spent 18 summers in Montana at my Grandparent's home in the Clark Fork Valley - out in the mountains daily with aunts， uncle's， and cousins。 For me the sense of place， respect for and admiration of nature， and love of fishing a river with family are among my most precious memories。 。。。more
Trisha Carlson
，
For this who love A River Runs Through It and want the backstory， this is excellent。 There are also some beautiful prose sections about the Seeley Lake area， mountain evenings， and fly fishing。 I was hoping for more of a cohesive story to this one to offer to my Montana students who like to see their lives represented in literature。
Trisha
，
For this who love A River Runs Through It and want the backstory， this is excellent。 There are also some beautiful prose sections about the Seeley Lake area， mountain evenings， and fly fishing。 I was hoping for more of a cohesive story to this one to offer to my Montana students who like to see their lives represented in literature。
Tina
，
This book was just amazing。 It brought back so many memories of when my husband and I use to fish all the time and it was just such an endearing heartwarming story about family， fishing and the relationships that are sometimes difficult to explain but enrich your life so much。 Thank you for such a wonderful story。
Thomas Kelley
，
If you Norman Maclean and his fine piece of writing of a "River Runs Through It" you may know that he has a son whom is accomplished author himself。 This books covers the family of the Maclean's with a particular focus on the authors father and uncle made famous from the movie。 While there are bits and pieces in this book that deal with Montana fishing that is not the main focus on this book but that being said it was a great read。 What I found particularly interesting was how both father and so If you Norman Maclean and his fine piece of writing of a "River Runs Through It" you may know that he has a son whom is accomplished author himself。 This books covers the family of the Maclean's with a particular focus on the authors father and uncle made famous from the movie。 While there are bits and pieces in this book that deal with Montana fishing that is not the main focus on this book but that being said it was a great read。 What I found particularly interesting was how both father and son write about two tragic events that were real life events of smokejumpers in both Montana and Colorado who some sadly lost their life。 。。。more
Michael Romero
，
A tough act to follow but great storytelling and beautiful writingI love stories like this as a reminder of a childhood spent fishing and roaming through the forest。 First rate writing and great stories。 Highly recommend whether you are interested in fishing or not。
Jonathan Aman
，
Having read and loved both of his father's books， I was intrigued when I read about the author's latest。 Well， John is the clear son of Norman， even when speaking of writing。 I was captivated by the storytelling with several moments on par with A River。 If your surname is Maclean， please write a book involving fly fishing。 Having read and loved both of his father's books， I was intrigued when I read about the author's latest。 Well， John is the clear son of Norman， even when speaking of writing。 I was captivated by the storytelling with several moments on par with A River。 If your surname is Maclean， please write a book involving fly fishing。 。。。more
Anne MacDonald
，
I enjoyed most of this book but could have done without the whole Lewis and Clark rabbit trail。
Susan K
，
This is a book I did not want to end。 It feels like my last tie to a favorite author Norman Maclean and I just want to savor it。
Kathleen
，
Never fished。 （Vegetarian， here。） Probably one of a handful of readers of this book who hasn't yet read A River Runs Through It。 Still this was worth reading。 It is well-written， thoughtful， and poetic。 Never fished。 （Vegetarian， here。） Probably one of a handful of readers of this book who hasn't yet read A River Runs Through It。 Still this was worth reading。 It is well-written， thoughtful， and poetic。 。。。more
Ron Dorn
，
Wonderful book by the son of Norman Maclean， the author of "A River Runs Through It" and "Young Men and Fire"。 A loving memoir of family and this part of the West where we live。 Wonderful book by the son of Norman Maclean， the author of "A River Runs Through It" and "Young Men and Fire"。 A loving memoir of family and this part of the West where we live。 。。。more
Sherry Brown
，
Home Waters is touching story about four generations。 It will touch you deeply！ John N。 Maclean has a way of writing that will draw you in and you not be able to to stop reading！ Very very good！！！
David
，
Waters and fires， places， fish and familyJohn Maclean has woven several lifetimes of memories of the waters and the lives they touched。 His stories of his family， the Big Blackfoot River and Seely lake are told with the same reverence and love his father crafted in A River Runs Through It and Young Men and Fire。 This is a book I will return to many times for the love of his family that he shared， poetry of water in the canyon， and wind in the larches。
Jennifer Hopkins
，
Beautifully written。 A lovely tribute to his family， fly fishing， Montana， A River Runs through It， and history of those。 My husband and my father will love this book as they love fishing so this book will resonate more with them。 Not my usual read and not really my cup of tea， but I do recommend it for those with a passion for fishing。I won this ARC on Goodreads Giveaways。 Thank you Harper Collins for the opportunity to read Mr。 Maclean’s work。
Bridgette
，
"Home Waters" is a wonderful story about fly fishing， family and life。 This novel brought back wonderful memories of my own childhood: long car rides， fishing and spending time with family。 The writing style is easy to read。 Highly recommend！ "Home Waters" is a wonderful story about fly fishing， family and life。 This novel brought back wonderful memories of my own childhood: long car rides， fishing and spending time with family。 The writing style is easy to read。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Michelle
，
This book “Home Waters” is a beautiful story of four generations of the Maclean family and their love of the Blackfoot River。 Years ago I was fortunate to pick up Norman Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It”。 That book still stays in my mind today。 This book by his son （John M Maclean） “Home Waters” is the true stories of the characters fictionalized in “A River Runs Through It”。 The stories are full of life， love， fishing， and loss。 They pulled at my heart as I know the truth of the saying-there This book “Home Waters” is a beautiful story of four generations of the Maclean family and their love of the Blackfoot River。 Years ago I was fortunate to pick up Norman Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It”。 That book still stays in my mind today。 This book by his son （John M Maclean） “Home Waters” is the true stories of the characters fictionalized in “A River Runs Through It”。 The stories are full of life， love， fishing， and loss。 They pulled at my heart as I know the truth of the saying-there is no place like home。 Home in this book is the magnificent Blackfoot River the Maclean Family has loved and revered for a century。 A review rating of 5 stars was easy to score。 I received an Advanced Reader’s Edition of “Home Waters” through a gracious giveaway on Goodreads by Willam Morrow。 。。。more
Mina
，
This book will resonate primarily with A River Runs Through It and Norman Maclean fans。 I have spents many weeks in Montana in all seasons except the dead of winter and love it。 I could watch A River Runs Through It over and over。 If you want to know the real story behind the Paul （the Brad Pitt character） you need to read Home Waters， his uncle's lovely memoir。 This book will resonate primarily with A River Runs Through It and Norman Maclean fans。 I have spents many weeks in Montana in all seasons except the dead of winter and love it。 I could watch A River Runs Through It over and over。 If you want to know the real story behind the Paul （the Brad Pitt character） you need to read Home Waters， his uncle's lovely memoir。 。。。more
David
，
4。5A great book for lovers of fly-fishing， family， literature and the west。 There is a beautiful and poetic thread that ties all of the tales， that some might mistakenly view as disjointed， together into a heartfelt， refreshing and satisfying journey。
Dennis Robbins
，
Beautiful memoirs of family， home， and fly fishing。
Jody
，
An interesting book that is part biography， part autobiography， part nature and part fishing。 Was an enjoyable read
Suzanne
，