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True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America
True West explores myths of the West and how, if left unexamined, they distort the realities of the present and exacerbate polarizations. These misperceptions about land, politics, liberty, and self-determination threaten the wellbeing of western communities overrun by newcomers seeking a dream--and the country unless America recognizes the dangers of building a national identity on illusion. Betsy Gaines Quammen interrogates it all by listening, carefully, to people from varying political and cultural perspectives as she seeks to reconcile the deep anger and broad misunderstandings that linger amid myths that define and impede the West and America.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 25, 2023
Book 34 of 2023: True West by Betsy Gaines Quammen, 2023, Torrey House Press, 356 p.)
I read and really enjoyed True West, but it wasn't what I originally expected. What I expected was a modern take on Bernard DeVoto's critique of the myth of the cowboy. DeVoto wrote in a 1946 Harper's magazine column:
"...the West has chosen to base its myth on the business that was of all Western businesses, most unregardful of public rights and decencies, most exploitive, and most destructive. The Cattle Kingdom did more damage to the West than anything else in all its economy of liquidation. As a mythology, it will do even worse damage hereafter.”
The author likens her book as moving through a museum to examine the myths of:
- ceaseless expansion,
- American individualism,
- unending abundance, and
- unbridled liberty.
A great deal of the book deals with extremism in the West...the Aryan Nations, white Christian nationalism, etc. I grew up in the West and watched the rise of some of this extremism: the Rajneeshees in Antelope, Oregon, the Aryan Nations in Hayden Lake, Idaho, and skinheads in western Washington. The political extremism tactics described are reminiscent of the Rajneeshees takeover of Antelope.
Perhaps the most important part of the book was Gaines Quammen's last chapter on reconciliation. She writes that "healthy communities and trusting relationships" are vital for understanding. She further writes that most of us want the same thing: to raise our kids and to be successful in life.
This same thought occurred to me when I was in Pakistan in the 90s when I saw a woman playing with her baby in a fountain in Lahore. Watching them both enjoying each other made me realize that people are the same everywhere. I apply this to my international travels, yet...I do not apply this to my life and relationships here in the States. I've cut out people in my life because of their Trumpian politics. Perhaps dialog (no matter how difficult) and reconciliation is required.
True West is HIGHLY recommended, as is Gaines Quammen's earlier book American Zion about the Bundys.
To elaborate on some topics covered in the True West I would also recommend the Bundyvilke podcasts by Leah Sottile on the Bundys and extremism in the West and the Wild Wild Country Netflix documentary on the Rajneeshees.
I read and really enjoyed True West, but it wasn't what I originally expected. What I expected was a modern take on Bernard DeVoto's critique of the myth of the cowboy. DeVoto wrote in a 1946 Harper's magazine column:
"...the West has chosen to base its myth on the business that was of all Western businesses, most unregardful of public rights and decencies, most exploitive, and most destructive. The Cattle Kingdom did more damage to the West than anything else in all its economy of liquidation. As a mythology, it will do even worse damage hereafter.”
The author likens her book as moving through a museum to examine the myths of:
- ceaseless expansion,
- American individualism,
- unending abundance, and
- unbridled liberty.
A great deal of the book deals with extremism in the West...the Aryan Nations, white Christian nationalism, etc. I grew up in the West and watched the rise of some of this extremism: the Rajneeshees in Antelope, Oregon, the Aryan Nations in Hayden Lake, Idaho, and skinheads in western Washington. The political extremism tactics described are reminiscent of the Rajneeshees takeover of Antelope.
Perhaps the most important part of the book was Gaines Quammen's last chapter on reconciliation. She writes that "healthy communities and trusting relationships" are vital for understanding. She further writes that most of us want the same thing: to raise our kids and to be successful in life.
This same thought occurred to me when I was in Pakistan in the 90s when I saw a woman playing with her baby in a fountain in Lahore. Watching them both enjoying each other made me realize that people are the same everywhere. I apply this to my international travels, yet...I do not apply this to my life and relationships here in the States. I've cut out people in my life because of their Trumpian politics. Perhaps dialog (no matter how difficult) and reconciliation is required.
True West is HIGHLY recommended, as is Gaines Quammen's earlier book American Zion about the Bundys.
To elaborate on some topics covered in the True West I would also recommend the Bundyvilke podcasts by Leah Sottile on the Bundys and extremism in the West and the Wild Wild Country Netflix documentary on the Rajneeshees.
November 5, 2023
Keen, copious, trenchant, and humane. I've read it repeatedly and my biases, if any, are declared.
January 21, 2024
I thought it was pretty good. 😆
November 15, 2023
Tore through and dog-eared. So much of what I read here pinpointed issues and sentiments mirroring exactly what I’ve come across in my own reporting; it’s a relief to know there are other good writers, journalists and authors working to rise about polarization to meet together with everyone. Also very well-written and engaging; I devoured this
November 5, 2023
This book is a must read for anyone who cares about our country, the way the west works and anyone who just wants a great read!
October 25, 2023
This was a very interesting read and a great look at how the West has both drastically changed over time, yet also stayed the same. The myth of the West has stayed the same, the difference is who is most enamored with the myth at any given time. This book is kind of a downer, but it ends on a hopeful note. Throughout the book, Quammen encourages us to actually talk with the people we think are so different than us and that, to me, is the most important message. The majority of us all want the same things and if we took the time to get to know each other, we’d realize we’re not so different after all.
November 14, 2023
True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America
I will not repeat what writers Tim Cahill, Hampton Sides, Chris Le Tray, Kathleen Mclaughlin, and many other writers have said about Betsy Gaines Quammen's new book True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America.
I live in a small town in Idaho, am active in my community, and identify with every chapter in True West. It will be a scary book for some readers unfamiliar with all the issues we face in the West.
Betsy Gaines Quammen's first book, American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, and Public Lands in the West, focused on the Bundy family's story and the beliefs and entitlements the family and its supporters hold that threaten public lands in the West.
In True West, Betsy Gaines Quammen tells the stories of other militia groups, individuals, the myths, and the beliefs about what draws people to the West. She identifies the many problems small and large towns are experiencing, including the polarization caused by more people moving to the West. Betsy Gaines Quammen tells this complicated story by visiting the rural West, engaging, listening, interviewing people, and examining "what happens when broad and bogus beliefs are affixed to the American West."
Chapters in the book are disturbing, especially to me, who lives in the West, which is changing at lightspeed.
But most of all, after reading all the issues and problems the West is experiencing, the book renewed my hope for the West, where we can solve the many problems Betsy Gaines Quammen writes about. Towards the end of the book, she writes," I realized we are all simply wanting the same thing- to be able to raise our families as we choose in a loving, safe environment and to be able to thrive and celebrate life. Yet in today's world, we're going out of our way to find our differences." Later, Betsy Gaines Quammen provides solutions: "I'm not saying everyone should be listened to -there are real bad guys out there who do not deserve the time of day, but I do believe that we will not move beyond our entrenched positions unless we spend time with those who do not see eye to eye with us."
True West is a sobering, scary, and hopeful story. I hope True West reaches a broad audience, including people who agree with Betsy Gaines Quammen, those who disagree, and anyone who wants to learn about the West because we need to "move beyond our entrenched positions."
David Gallipoli McCall, Idaho
I will not repeat what writers Tim Cahill, Hampton Sides, Chris Le Tray, Kathleen Mclaughlin, and many other writers have said about Betsy Gaines Quammen's new book True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America.
I live in a small town in Idaho, am active in my community, and identify with every chapter in True West. It will be a scary book for some readers unfamiliar with all the issues we face in the West.
Betsy Gaines Quammen's first book, American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, and Public Lands in the West, focused on the Bundy family's story and the beliefs and entitlements the family and its supporters hold that threaten public lands in the West.
In True West, Betsy Gaines Quammen tells the stories of other militia groups, individuals, the myths, and the beliefs about what draws people to the West. She identifies the many problems small and large towns are experiencing, including the polarization caused by more people moving to the West. Betsy Gaines Quammen tells this complicated story by visiting the rural West, engaging, listening, interviewing people, and examining "what happens when broad and bogus beliefs are affixed to the American West."
Chapters in the book are disturbing, especially to me, who lives in the West, which is changing at lightspeed.
But most of all, after reading all the issues and problems the West is experiencing, the book renewed my hope for the West, where we can solve the many problems Betsy Gaines Quammen writes about. Towards the end of the book, she writes," I realized we are all simply wanting the same thing- to be able to raise our families as we choose in a loving, safe environment and to be able to thrive and celebrate life. Yet in today's world, we're going out of our way to find our differences." Later, Betsy Gaines Quammen provides solutions: "I'm not saying everyone should be listened to -there are real bad guys out there who do not deserve the time of day, but I do believe that we will not move beyond our entrenched positions unless we spend time with those who do not see eye to eye with us."
True West is a sobering, scary, and hopeful story. I hope True West reaches a broad audience, including people who agree with Betsy Gaines Quammen, those who disagree, and anyone who wants to learn about the West because we need to "move beyond our entrenched positions."
David Gallipoli McCall, Idaho
August 15, 2024
Not a book of answers, rather a set of ongoing questions:
TRUE WEST is a long weekend's conversation about the West and its evolving mythos, especially as such myth pertains to politics and pop culture and patriots. It's as if Betsy Quammen, one of the region's most interesting people, conjures up kitchen tables set for great discussions. There's not enough structure to the discourse, and the most flavorful bits come in as sides, but it's all food for thought, innit? And that's what we all should dine on.
TRUE WEST is a long weekend's conversation about the West and its evolving mythos, especially as such myth pertains to politics and pop culture and patriots. It's as if Betsy Quammen, one of the region's most interesting people, conjures up kitchen tables set for great discussions. There's not enough structure to the discourse, and the most flavorful bits come in as sides, but it's all food for thought, innit? And that's what we all should dine on.
did-not-finish
March 24, 2024DNF @ 32%
(I haven't been cataloging my DNFs, but going to start this year!)
I was so intrigued by this book but the first third of it felt like a chaotic rundown of every alt right figure in a very specific region of the West. I wanted more why, more background and less spiraling on how the fringe extreme is growing. Not for me.
(I haven't been cataloging my DNFs, but going to start this year!)
I was so intrigued by this book but the first third of it felt like a chaotic rundown of every alt right figure in a very specific region of the West. I wanted more why, more background and less spiraling on how the fringe extreme is growing. Not for me.
November 29, 2023
Common American West myths and historical tropes are blown apart in a very compassionate way by Betsy Gaines Quammen. She understands that the issues at hand here in the West are convoluted and complicated and there's no quick fix. I love how she sits down with local residents and listens in a way that allows them space to explain and own their ideas. She seeks to understand and connect even when she disagrees. This book is respectful and fair in tone as well as informative and timely.
I highlighted the hell out of it. And I highly recommend it.
Another win for Torrey House Press.
I highlighted the hell out of it. And I highly recommend it.
Another win for Torrey House Press.
December 22, 2023
Such a great book! If you are trying to figure out how we all got to this place in time in the American West, maybe politically, or religiously, environmentally ... then this is the book for you. The author addresses a lot of the polarizing issues we find ourselves in, and the possible conversations we can, and all should have to find our collective selves.
March 25, 2025
I generally really loved this book and highly recommend it! I grew up in a family from the rural West (Southern and eastern Oregon), so the history and mythmaking really resonates with me.
The only part that gave me pause was Quammen's prescription at the end about the importance of listening and finding common ground across difference. I believe this to be true in principle but we need guardrails around this work to resist the increasingly bipartisan urge to throw entire communities under the bus (trans kids, immigrants, "DEI hires") instead of refocusing the conversations away from hate and toward shared values that could move us collectively toward a country where we all have freedoms AND insist on some baseline human respect in order to be in relationship with each other.
The place I land is "We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist," (Robert Jones Jr), and I hope others who are inspired by this book can join me there as well.
The only part that gave me pause was Quammen's prescription at the end about the importance of listening and finding common ground across difference. I believe this to be true in principle but we need guardrails around this work to resist the increasingly bipartisan urge to throw entire communities under the bus (trans kids, immigrants, "DEI hires") instead of refocusing the conversations away from hate and toward shared values that could move us collectively toward a country where we all have freedoms AND insist on some baseline human respect in order to be in relationship with each other.
The place I land is "We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist," (Robert Jones Jr), and I hope others who are inspired by this book can join me there as well.
August 15, 2024
I really appreciated Gaines-Quamann’s first book, American Zion. In that book she stuck to facts from interviews. In this book her comments are much more personal about her affiliations and not clear enough on the good and valid information imparted. To me it is not important which friends she has made or what boards she is on. These comments make her writing on the very valid points and conclusions she has drawn from her interviews less apparent. Overall a good book, but better editing and fewer personal comments would encourage a higher rating from me.
September 20, 2025
Superb book about the unique politics and problems found in today’s west. It should be read by everyone who lives outside the west and wants to better understand what goes on here and why. But for those of us living in the reddest part of a red state, Quammen’s hopeful belief that with more “conversations” between people at different points on the political spectrum, we can heal our divisions just isn’t realistic.
Quammen talks to people about land, environmental issues and ranching; the reintroduction of wolves to western lands; the influx of people from elsewhere and what I would call the “resortification” of the west; political protest; the fear and anger over COVID and other vaccinations; the western love affair with guns and its history of violence and the rise of entities like Ammon Budy and his People’s Rights organization plus other violent far right organizations.
All very interesting. None of it very hopeful.
Why do I think that more “conversations” between people at different points on the political spectrum can’t heal divisions? Because in MAGA communities like the one I live in, no conservative will even talk to liberals like my husband and myself about any issue. Any issue. They will walk out of the conversation. Obscene threats are not unusual.
I don’t know where we go from here. But while this book is engrossing, I don’t feel it leads us in any direction that will “mend” the far side of America.
Quammen talks to people about land, environmental issues and ranching; the reintroduction of wolves to western lands; the influx of people from elsewhere and what I would call the “resortification” of the west; political protest; the fear and anger over COVID and other vaccinations; the western love affair with guns and its history of violence and the rise of entities like Ammon Budy and his People’s Rights organization plus other violent far right organizations.
All very interesting. None of it very hopeful.
Why do I think that more “conversations” between people at different points on the political spectrum can’t heal divisions? Because in MAGA communities like the one I live in, no conservative will even talk to liberals like my husband and myself about any issue. Any issue. They will walk out of the conversation. Obscene threats are not unusual.
I don’t know where we go from here. But while this book is engrossing, I don’t feel it leads us in any direction that will “mend” the far side of America.
December 9, 2023
I like just about everything, change that, everything that Betsy's does! She is a True person and friend, so how appropriate that she titles her book "True West." Betsy is the opposite of a shallow person and gets to the bottom of everything she touches. Her intensity is engaging and stimulating all at the same time. She poses and answers a question with the same level of ferocity. When she speaks, she is one with the listener and shows no interest in being in charge although she always charges forth with her radiant smile and quick wit. I purchased True West in the presale stage, months ago before it was available and waited with bated breath to read it once it arrived. When it did, I was able to read several fascinating chapters but needed to put it aside as I was in the throes of a huge business project. The project ends on Dec 18th in NYC and I am taking it with me as it will be the first thing I pick up as I fly back to MT. I am so excited that I will have the time and bandwidth to learn what so kindly Betsy knows is relevant and valuable for us all at this time.
April 14, 2024
This is an odd book: interesting to read, but without any real point to it. Betsy Gaines Quammen identifies the myths of the west: liberty (of a masculine sort) wilderness, endless land, cowboys, individualism, and so on. This is the west of Frederick Jackson Turner, who in 1893 theorized that the frontier called those rugged individualists who wanted challenge and the freedom to pursue those challenges. Today that frontier is gone; it has been populated, built on, and regulated. Yet the myths linger and this the west seemingly attracts people who cherish their real or imagined freedoms, including a growing number of white supremists. Her interviews often conclude with the thought that even people who have distinctly different views (on vaccines, for example, or the use of public lands, or the acceptance of immigrants) can still find common interests and learn to live together. Perhaps that is possible, although even a nice white supremist is still a white supremist.
October 24, 2023
Read an advance copy of this book several months ago and am excited for it to reach a wider audience. A much-needed, thoughtful consideration of the intricacies of identity and politics in the western US, based on fieldwork and conversations with individuals from across the Rocky Mountain West.
Full disclosure, the author is a friend and I very briefly appear in this book, so I may not be the most objective reviewer, but after years of watching debates about the future of the West spiral out of control, the generous space given to different perspectives is refreshing. Recommended for anyone interested in the environment and public lands in the west, and the broader state of political debate in the United States.
Full disclosure, the author is a friend and I very briefly appear in this book, so I may not be the most objective reviewer, but after years of watching debates about the future of the West spiral out of control, the generous space given to different perspectives is refreshing. Recommended for anyone interested in the environment and public lands in the west, and the broader state of political debate in the United States.
May 15, 2024
I finished this book right before heading on hiking trip. Part of the book takes place in Escalante, Utah which I visited on my trip. This book talks about the mix of people you meet in the West. People who want to conserve the natural beauty. People who want to extract the natural resources thinking that they are ever-plentiful. People who want low taxes and little government (and then discover that low taxes can’t plow roads properly). People who just want to do what they want even if it negatively affects others. I’ve lived in Denver since 2001. Ive met a great variety of people living out here. I just wish so-called conservatives would want to conserve more than the white/straight/cis status quo.
June 2, 2024
This is a fairly solid look at how some western states have become the somewhat difficult places they are now —both politically and in lifestyle— and how that plays into broader myths about the West. Though the idea of "sitting down face to face will help solve our problems" is agreeable in theory, it is a privilege that not everyone can afford, and I do wish the book engaged a bit more with that. However, Quammen approaches her subject matter clearly, and she has a far greater stomach for researching the vile than I would.
(TW: animal death and particularly rough scene of animal cruelty. It is part of reporting on an area's history, yes, but I know some people will want to know about it going in.)
(TW: animal death and particularly rough scene of animal cruelty. It is part of reporting on an area's history, yes, but I know some people will want to know about it going in.)
June 15, 2024
White supremacism, Bible literalism, strong catholic interference in politics, alt-right, no gov, no taxes, anti-vaccines, exclusive rights to the promised land, ... and so many people receiving social media biaised impacts. The author suggests that the only possible solution is dialog with the dissident as a measure to make them think:
"When people know in advance that they'll have to explain themselves, they think more systematically and self-critically".
"Partisan politics pressures us to steer clear from those who see the world differently. Their platforms are aimed at division".
All in all, pretty scary.
"When people know in advance that they'll have to explain themselves, they think more systematically and self-critically".
"Partisan politics pressures us to steer clear from those who see the world differently. Their platforms are aimed at division".
All in all, pretty scary.
December 29, 2024
Compelling tour of the people, places, personalities and perspectives that inhabit today’s American West. Thanks to the brilliant Betsy Gaines Quammen for making this journey and inviting us to come along. I admire her persistence and optimism.
Thanks too to the incomparable Torrey House Press for another one.
In addition to the in-person interviews, thoroughly researched. Don’t miss the Endnotes (11 pages), Selected Bibliography (18 pages), Index (14 pages).
Thanks too to the incomparable Torrey House Press for another one.
In addition to the in-person interviews, thoroughly researched. Don’t miss the Endnotes (11 pages), Selected Bibliography (18 pages), Index (14 pages).
December 10, 2023
Fantastic insights into the ongoing myths surrounding our American identity as Westerners. Highly recommend. Betsy's scholarship and writing are essential to understanding where we've been and the challenges ahead as we define the American experience and how we deal with polarization. Thought provoking and well-written.
March 20, 2024
Such a deft, deeply researched, big hearted offering! I am amazed at how much this book balances-- history, journalism, cultural analysis, and most of all love and hope, not for the myths of the West (and definitely not for those myth's most dangerous acolytes), but for a region of the country that has never actually been defined by the story that Whiteness, patriarchy and empire imposed on it.
March 31, 2024
This is a really *important* book. We need to understand the politics / culture of the West, and extremism, and how and why certain things are bubbling over. This is honest, fair, well-researched, and full of insight. Highly recommend!
July 31, 2025
A contemporary lens on what's being experienced in the West. The author seems to have an open mind as she interviews her colorful subjects, lending itself to honest conversations and perspectives not otherwise understood. Pertinent to those living in the West.
August 30, 2024
Excellent book and well researched
September 6, 2024
Lots of interesting ideas about the myths of the West to ponder. I was disappointed in the ending. She didn't draw things together. Still, that may be premature. Loved the cover.
March 21, 2025
My favorite author I adore her
Read
April 14, 2025Gave this book away. Did not enjoy it. Just too negative for me.
June 8, 2025
It’s about conversations that you listen to.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews