Buffalo for the Broken Heart: Restoring Life to a Black Hills Ranch

This book is full of thrilling ideas - that the grass and the prairie birds and insects remember and revert to the way they lived together when bison shaped the land; that individual humans can really help heal the land. This story was riveting and that is unusual for me to say about non-fiction. The science was good and the personal drama seemed genuine. This is my favorite book of the year so far.

This little book has it all: A captivating, heartfelt true story...a cast of very memorable characters...a prose style that never for a moment loses one's attention...interesting historical factoids...and a wealth of fascinating insights into many aspects of restoration: ecological, personal, and economic. I quoted from this book in my own, and always think first of Buffalo for the Broken Heart when gift-giving time comes along. Everyone I've ever given it to has raved about it.

O'Brien's quest for meaning in life, as defined by his relationship with the land and the animals that call it home, continues here. In his previous novel, Equinox, he explored the dichotomy in his life between the pull of the wild, and the demands of a stable relationship that required more than he was able to give. In Buffalo for the Broken Heart, we find him feeling lost and ruddlerless, both in his personal and financial life, as he struggles to get past a failed marriage and looming financial disaster.As O'Brien gradually comes to the conclusion that buffalo are the logical answer to his dilemma, it becomes clear that they are stand for a balance and wholeness he has been trying to restore to his land and his inner landscape as well. The story, as it unfolds, is full of the personal details of Great Plains life, and the honest self-exploration that make O'Brien's books a pleasure to read. As so often happens, his inner doubts and fears are reflected in the events and lives around him. The weather is unpredictable, farm costs rise, friends go bankrupt, he is beset by worries over the buffalos he has purchased, the list goes on and on until by the end of the novel, O'Brien comes to tenuous terms with his land and his new means of making a living. The buffalo are not the final answer, but it is clear that they have helped him find another piece of the puzzle he is working so hard to solve.

Never having heard of Dan O'Brien before, I picked this book up because of the author recommendations of the back cover. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and could hardly put it down. It is sad what we've done to America with all the overgrazing of cattle, especially in the Great Plains. This book gave me a glimmer of hope to see how one man tries to make a difference. I believe anyone who reads this book will feel inspired by Dan O'Brien's gifted writing and his honesty. I don't consider myself an environmentalist, but even I began to realize how badly we've mistreated our natural resources and especially the Great Plains. It's a great story!Dan O'Brien is a gifted writer and I'm so glad that I "found" him! I already know of three people who will be thrilled to receive this book on Christmas! :-) I highly recommend it.

Ted Turner is #1 Bison rancher in herd size, but O'brien gives best overview on how to protect prairie ecology from cattle over-grazing..beginnings of a conservationist trend. You recognize how & why plains Indians treated bison with reverence. Not included: map of ranch, or any photos. See online resource- wildideabuffalo.com