No Country for Nostalgia

Even in the modesty of its title, Picnic Ruins is a deceptively ambitious novel. At once wry and gentle, depiction various lives stories that become snarled up nonstop eleven-day western thriller set borderlands southern Utah northern Arizona. Mormon country, sure. But as Petersen demonstrates, this region shot through with multiple fiercely competing claims to lands, their management, use, meaning, history. Based primarily Kanab, Picnic's action ranges Bryce Canyon National Park, Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation, Short Creek Community, corners newly designated (and even more recently rolled back) national monument. The contested boundaries monument—which, while never explicitly named, clearly fictionalized amalgamation Bears Ears Grand Staircase-Escalante—constitute stakes novel, life-or-death terms for some characters. Thematically, takes on questions ownership, patrimony, repatriation (of both lands artifacts) problems authenticity an American West under ever-increasing pressures industrial tourism, energy resource extraction, debates about how best whom) preserve what remains past. In doing so, novel manages hold parties accountable avoiding polemics oversimplified finger-pointing. More than anything, though, it's compelling ride, balancing sequences desert-road car chase overland on-foot pursuit nuanced, often witty, dialogue development characters manage be colorful uncannily believable.Sheriff Patrick Dalton veteran army tours Afghanistan Iraq who we find now divorced trying decide whether respond text he receives middle sacrament meeting. It's homicide, one becomes readily attributable homegrown scapegrace delinquents Ashdown brothers. Observant canny ways evoke Philip Marlowe-esque detective, also exhibits social worker's care temperance his interactions local community. For example, conversations deputy likelihood Ashdowns’ implication crime, two discuss brothers’ hard-knock past latchkey kids looking after each other. neither nor Ashdowns are novel's only protagonists, extends pretty ecumenical narrative voice across variety central players. Sophia Shepard, idealistic doctoral student anthropology from Princeton, working area volunteer, researching her dissertation. Her keen interest commitment ethics preservation collide somewhat gonzo artifact project being carried out by new friend Paul Thrift, chivalrous earnest park ranger quotes Thoreau reads Buddhist spiritual texts.The accelerates involvement wonderfully terrifying charmingly cynical assassin named Nicolas Szczesny, whom get know simply “Scissors.” Initially hired shadowy figure Frangos fixer clean botched robbery murder Bruce Cluff (former dentist, pothunter, good old boy), Scissors comes into focus over course rare type monster style No Country Old Men's Anton Chigurh. However, nice touches here include assassin's proclivity loud shirts, sleight-of-hand conjury, constantly wolfing down junk food, driving silver Sebring spare tire it. (Think McCarthy via playful hand Coen brothers.) Along way, German tourist sort guileless innocent Reinhardt Kupfer eavesdrops conversation diner special map finds himself dragged action. A dermatologist back home, has come sincere—but fetishizing—lifelong desire experience authentic Native West. When finally decides abandon gimmicky “Ranches, Relics, Ruins” adventure tour initially signed for, begins Campbellian hero's journey “see something quiet real true” (69), tying fate other protagonists. case these characters, ensues, rises level T. C. Boyle thriller, populated cast fully formed Barbara Kingsolver And fans classic fiction will likely hear echoes Zane Grey's Riders Purple Sage Owen Wister's Virginian.Fortunately, Petersen's telling story, places involved treated same attention subtlety His depictions sky, frequent, lyrical, attuned unique desert phenomena like petrichor virga. passage, “As [Dalton] drove, spotted cluster thunderheads south. They were deeply shadowed at base almost specular top, light shearing them flat stacked planes. thin flicker lightning pulsed twice core cloud, gathering dusk evening star came single pulse” (198). Elsewhere, “The sky above was swirl purple, gray, abalone” (206). And, reflecting heightening tension later “A helix turkey vultures rotated lifted distance shattered bits creosote” (243). If such passages aren't reliant metallic color palettes Cormac McCarthy's skies, aspects do make deliberate nods obsession ongoing cycles violence frontier lands.By far most horrific scene involves shoot-out converges brutal, active looting desecration ancestral burial ground backhoe. excavation theft, episode seems collapse time reveal layers intergenerational trauma lying just surface much Picnic. moments, displacement erasure people silencing present brought fore. Indeed, few exceptions, actual constitute generally absent presence throughout book. As character points out, they “seem hidden” (59). short, not Tony Hillerman readers might characterize choice failure or omission. Though I wouldn't speculate motivations regard, effect aspect reader allowing appropriate measure responsibility reside settler culture. That is, although impact people, remain white people's problems, either deal continue repeating. Reflecting aftermath shoot-out, Sheriff Dalton—who maintains kind public agnosticism politics pothunting repatriation—remarks “This thing black hole. . We're all gonna end sucked it” (254).Kimball Tillohash, Paul's fellow NPS workers Kiabab Paiute, however, offers another perspective. “Look, you want save place. little sick saviors, but okay. it different reasons. We've been use tools tear walls. It works while, then stops. always breaks down” (286–87). Also implicated cycle aggrieved petulance brittleness manifests quick glimpse cartoonish “Freedom Jamboree” held anti-government community characterized Bundy family–style standoff antics. “You remember folks took tortoise Nevada? guy blew off own dynamite boulder so would block road out? This celebration” (260). initial crime presented fictional reworking suicides famously followed 2009 federal raid men trafficking artifacts region. Although portrayed generously sympathetically throughout, harmless here.But readers, may provide rewarding refreshing pleasures, range conventional churchgoing types Jack Mormons fundamentalists, among others. One especially touching occurs when Sophia, Paul, taken hiding Euphrenia Hamblin polygamist family spend night home. daughters tend Sophia's injuries, oil braid hair, conversations, however haltingly, eventually turn commonalities Hamblins’ family's experiences. comments similarities between deserts Iran (her mother's homeland) Colorado Plateau, comparing Euphrenia's hospitality Persian explains mother fled Khomeini-era repressions, still muses, “Muslims families ours. I'd talk somebody else who's living way” (266–67). Action aside, moments intimacy movingly, allow dissolution otherness alienation plague our current political relations.It large part, pushing beyond able succeed larger project. Writer scholar Theodore Van Alst suggests way understanding works. appraisal delight reading Stephen Graham Jones, declares “finally, finally, read stories, unless am told otherwise, Indian. all, very they're incidentally Indian.”1 similar ways, Picnic, gifted us which variety, though many Mormonism, merely essentialized characterization leaves room appreciate uniqueness see ourselves story them. Furthermore, allows consider critical difficult we've inherited no longer order here. indicated distortions memory nostalgia play invites reckon honestly relationship histories dispossession.