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The Mountain Goat
An old camper van was all Ryan Browning’s mother left him when she died last year. Ryan, a thirty-something physicist, has just been fired and could be facing prosecution. It might be a good time to hop in that old van and head out on a long road trip, perhaps to never return. When he goes to the bank to close out his account, Ryan meets the lovely customer service rep, Amanda Seward, who has a few issues of her own. And that’s just the first unexpected encounter on a two-thousand-mile trek through the scenic American West. But the Mountain Goat takes Ryan and Amanda on a deeper road trip through the intersections of art and science, grief and faith, and love. And leads them face-to-face with a deadly threat far greater than they can imagine.
408 pages, Paperback
Published January 6, 2017
About the author
Jim Trainor
13 books3 followersJim Trainor is the author of six books. He is a Ph.D. physicist, formerly Deputy Division Director for Physics for the nation’s largest physics department (Los Alamos National Laboratory), and an ordained Episcopal priest.
Jim wrote his first novel when he was five. It was a mystery story with a surprise ending, well at least as surprising as a five-year-old mind can conjure up. It was written in pencil and was three pages long. His mother kept it among her treasures until her dying day.
It would be many years later before he would write his second novel. Jim grew up in the megalopolis of Los Angeles, went to college there, lived there until he was almost thirty. By then he'd had gotten his doctorate in physics (Univ. of California) – a far cry from novel writing, well maybe – and headed off to his first real job at the Argonne National Laboratory, near Chicago. Over the next two decades he lived in the world of experimental physics, and his profession would take him back to California, then to Los Alamos, New Mexico. For several years he served as deputy division leader for physics at Los Alamos. His love for writing found its way into over sixty scientific articles in physics journals.
Things were going well in Jim's physics career, but then he was called into ordained ministry and studied to become an Episcopal priest. As he served in parishes in New Mexico, Texas and Wisconsin, he was often asked how someone trained in a field so rational, analytical and solid as physics could embrace something so intuitive, fuzzy and ancient as religion. For years, he had already been pondering that question, and the answer can be found in his first book, a nonfiction work: Grasp:Making Sense of Science and Spirituality (2010).
Now he's written five novels (not including that masterpiece when he was five). His latest novel is 68 (2018), in which Ed Turner arrives at his fiftieth high-school reunion to discover that everyone there believes he died fifty years ago. He's also the author of The Mountain Goat (2017), a road trip on the dangerous highway of love. Up North (2014), a thriller with a theme of redemption, is set in the north woods of northern Wisconsin. The Sand People (2013), a novel set in Maui, deals with issues afflicting many lives and points to the ultimate victory of hope over failure. Waverly's Universe (2012), a novel, was an award winner in the 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award.
Another interesting thing happened to Jim during those years at Los Alamos. He met his wife Mary. Today they live on a small wooded lake in central Wisconsin, where Jim enjoys kayaking, fishing and outdoor photography. They have three grown children.
Jim's website is www.JimTrainorAuthor.com
Jim wrote his first novel when he was five. It was a mystery story with a surprise ending, well at least as surprising as a five-year-old mind can conjure up. It was written in pencil and was three pages long. His mother kept it among her treasures until her dying day.
It would be many years later before he would write his second novel. Jim grew up in the megalopolis of Los Angeles, went to college there, lived there until he was almost thirty. By then he'd had gotten his doctorate in physics (Univ. of California) – a far cry from novel writing, well maybe – and headed off to his first real job at the Argonne National Laboratory, near Chicago. Over the next two decades he lived in the world of experimental physics, and his profession would take him back to California, then to Los Alamos, New Mexico. For several years he served as deputy division leader for physics at Los Alamos. His love for writing found its way into over sixty scientific articles in physics journals.
Things were going well in Jim's physics career, but then he was called into ordained ministry and studied to become an Episcopal priest. As he served in parishes in New Mexico, Texas and Wisconsin, he was often asked how someone trained in a field so rational, analytical and solid as physics could embrace something so intuitive, fuzzy and ancient as religion. For years, he had already been pondering that question, and the answer can be found in his first book, a nonfiction work: Grasp:Making Sense of Science and Spirituality (2010).
Now he's written five novels (not including that masterpiece when he was five). His latest novel is 68 (2018), in which Ed Turner arrives at his fiftieth high-school reunion to discover that everyone there believes he died fifty years ago. He's also the author of The Mountain Goat (2017), a road trip on the dangerous highway of love. Up North (2014), a thriller with a theme of redemption, is set in the north woods of northern Wisconsin. The Sand People (2013), a novel set in Maui, deals with issues afflicting many lives and points to the ultimate victory of hope over failure. Waverly's Universe (2012), a novel, was an award winner in the 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award.
Another interesting thing happened to Jim during those years at Los Alamos. He met his wife Mary. Today they live on a small wooded lake in central Wisconsin, where Jim enjoys kayaking, fishing and outdoor photography. They have three grown children.
Jim's website is www.JimTrainorAuthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 30, 2019
In reading The Mountain Goat, one must suspend disbelief just a bit to go along for the ride; once you do, it’s a lovely trip. This is the story of Ryan and Amanda, two strangers who embark on a spontaneous cross-country road trip in a tiny RV during which they explore small towns, art museums and national parks. Each has private reasons for wanting to run away from the real world. While the reader is privy to those reasons from the onset, the characters learn them from one another in small doses throughout the story.
This is an easy and engaging read overall. Ryan and Amanda come across as real people, each at a crossroad in life and struggling to find the right path. The prologue and opening chapter feel a bit disjointed, but the author finds his stride in chapter two. For me, the story and the urge to keep reading began there.
Jim Trainor, the author, is both an accomplished physicist and ordained Episcopalian priest (and interesting combination, to be sure). His background shines through in this work of fiction, exploring the many connections between nature, art, faith and science. He is adept at painting a vivid picture with metaphor and few words. In describing the stern CEO at the laboratory from which Ryan was recently fired, he writes, “Her calm, steady voice – part of her usual façade – was like a hand grenade wrapped in a cashmere sweater.” His descriptions of scenic roadways, natural wonders and hiking trails are especially lovely.
This story has many themes woven throughout. Yet, at its core, The Mountain Goat is a touching (and at times dangerous) exploration of grief, love and personal discovery. It is a thought-provoking read that would lead to great book group discussion.
This is an easy and engaging read overall. Ryan and Amanda come across as real people, each at a crossroad in life and struggling to find the right path. The prologue and opening chapter feel a bit disjointed, but the author finds his stride in chapter two. For me, the story and the urge to keep reading began there.
Jim Trainor, the author, is both an accomplished physicist and ordained Episcopalian priest (and interesting combination, to be sure). His background shines through in this work of fiction, exploring the many connections between nature, art, faith and science. He is adept at painting a vivid picture with metaphor and few words. In describing the stern CEO at the laboratory from which Ryan was recently fired, he writes, “Her calm, steady voice – part of her usual façade – was like a hand grenade wrapped in a cashmere sweater.” His descriptions of scenic roadways, natural wonders and hiking trails are especially lovely.
This story has many themes woven throughout. Yet, at its core, The Mountain Goat is a touching (and at times dangerous) exploration of grief, love and personal discovery. It is a thought-provoking read that would lead to great book group discussion.
June 16, 2021
Again not sure how I choose this to be on my list but great story with local locations and I love that. Glad to be suprised in a good way.
January 21, 2019
After reading ‘68’ I am going back and reading previous books of local author, Jim Trainor. When I first started the book, I thought, oh no, another unemployed physicist. But my dismay was short lived and I grew to really like Wil- and Amanda. I enjoyed this book, which had a little bit of everything; a road trip to Glacier NP, two very real characters struggling with their beliefs and their lives; some spirituality, some love and even some danger to raise the tension.
August 11, 2023
who knew
This is a somewhat improbable story which made it really fun to read. The characters were interesting, human and believable. The mix of mystery, philosophy, theology and science gave it the “ I need to think about this” challenge that I love. Any book that makes me think about how I live and process, just simply works for. A great number of things to contemplate
I liked it!
This is a somewhat improbable story which made it really fun to read. The characters were interesting, human and believable. The mix of mystery, philosophy, theology and science gave it the “ I need to think about this” challenge that I love. Any book that makes me think about how I live and process, just simply works for. A great number of things to contemplate
I liked it!
July 2, 2018
The pace was too slow for me .... found it challenging to stay engaged.
January 16, 2020
I loved reading this book especially because of the Roadtrek and the mom's travels in it. It's an enjoyable read and I was drawn into the road trip. I will probably read more from this author.
March 12, 2017
Probably Jim's best book. Romance, suspense, road trip, what's more to want?
February 12, 2017
Inspiring sense of place
I read a lot of books, but seldom review them. The Mountain Goat deserves my time. Jim Trainor's lyrical prose took me to Bright Angel, the Cathedral in Santa Feeling, Bandelier and Glacier. I too travel in a Roadtrek, trying to write on a laptop. This book both inspired and intimidated me and reminded me of the qualities of good writing: plot, place and people you come to care about. I appreciate that he allowed the spirituality to evolve slowly. I see now that my own stories have plot, but no soul. Thanks, Rev. Trainor, for the lesson and the spirit. Hope to see you on the road.
I read a lot of books, but seldom review them. The Mountain Goat deserves my time. Jim Trainor's lyrical prose took me to Bright Angel, the Cathedral in Santa Feeling, Bandelier and Glacier. I too travel in a Roadtrek, trying to write on a laptop. This book both inspired and intimidated me and reminded me of the qualities of good writing: plot, place and people you come to care about. I appreciate that he allowed the spirituality to evolve slowly. I see now that my own stories have plot, but no soul. Thanks, Rev. Trainor, for the lesson and the spirit. Hope to see you on the road.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews