Twenty Miles of Fence

You can take an architect out of Boulder, but can you make him a cattle rancher in Wyoming? Twenty Miles of Fence answers that question in gritty, unflinching detail. A searing, adventurous memoir about the cold, hard realities of pursuing the cowboy way. -Mark Stevens, author of the Allison Coil Mystery series If you ever doubt that Wyoming is not for the weak, Twenty Miles of Fence will dispel you of that notion, with writing so vivid you'll shiver at the January blizzards, smell the fresh-cut summer hay, and hear the river rushing on a cool evening. The reader is treated to an unfiltered look at what real cattle ranching is like, without the romance and legend. Bob West's transformation from greenhorn to a man in tune with the land and animals shows grit and determination much like the landscape itself. This is a true story of homecoming, an unflinching look at the seemingly insurmountable challenges and the ultimate triumph. -Shannon Baker, award-winning author of the Kate Fox Mystery series Twenty Miles of Fence won me over. It is a charming story that is candid and open about the author's fears, passions, loves, disappointments, and the growing-up lessons that came along the way. It will delight a wide range of readers, including those from the West and far beyond. -Richard L. Knight, professor emeritus of wildlife conservation at Colorado State University Colorado architect Bob West was already half qualified for cowboy life when he bought a Wyoming ranch. He loved vast wild spaces, enjoyed hours on horseback, and had a deep respect for the land, its people, and creatures. The other half-backbreaking labor, a surprising reliance on machinery, gleefully fickle weather, and finances that rarely penciled out-he learned the hard way. Learn he did, and it's a testament to West's spirit that he held on. The take on ranch life in Twenty Miles of Fence, written with Janet Fogg, is both unsparing and yet so lyrical as to make readers yearn to give it a try themselves. -Gwen Florio, author of the award-winning Lola Wicks Mystery series