Wilderness of Hope explores one fly angler’s relationship with the public lands and public waterways of the American West and how those public resources complicate and enrich a conception of wildness.
"An admirable perspective, Grover should be commended for his clearheaded and thoughtful essays on public lands and fly fishing."—Jen Corrinne Brown,
New Mexico Historical Review"Grover's stories commonly fold back to his youth in Utah and beyond, where remembering, for example, his grandfather's cabin on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, underscores how, 'Public lands tie the various versions of America together through our joint ownership, because public lands belong in public hands, not with private enterprise.'"—Glen Young,
Split Rock Review"This thoughtful book investigates the relationships between recreationists, landowners, and the government, and how each entity relates to the overall outdoor experience. With Grover’s years of experience as a fisherman used as a jumping-off point, this book is a meditation on how interactions with the wild stay with people as they go about their lives in the modern world."—Erin H. Turner,
Big Sky Journal"Wilderness of Hope reminds me that in this moment of current madness some things still have a chance to turn out alright. That is, if we pay attention and act accordingly."—Robert DeMott, Bulletin of the Anglers’ Club of New York
“
Wilderness of Hope joins a long tradition of books—including
The River Why and
A River Runs through It—which remind us all that, of the many possible paths toward understanding the universe, few are as reliable as fly fishing. Quinn Grover makes a strong case for passion as the key ingredient of a meaningful life, but also for knowing how the planet might make best use of us.”—Brooke Williams, author of
Open Midnight: Where Ancestors and Wilderness Meet “Quinn Grover’s
Wilderness of Hope provides a life compass for those of us who pursue wild and native trout on our public lands and waters. He preserves our capacity for wonder by weaving together the fabric of family and fishing friends, wilderness, and the importance of preserving and protecting our public lands and resources for future generations.”—Craig Mathews, author of
The Yellowstone Fly-Fishing Guide “On his first trip out, Quinn Grover lands a whopper! There’s a casting and reeling rhythm to his writing, long luxurious passages on nature’s elusive tributaries, then—zing!—thrilling bites of witty insight spilling into pools of reflection. He seems to have spawned a new genre, the
Ichthysroman. In Grover’s own words, he’s a ‘middle-class man’ in love with places ‘worth knowing.’ I say he’s the high-class author of a book worth keeping. I’m hooked!”—Matthew James Babcock, author of
Heterodoxologies “With meditations born from experience, Grover conveys the mystery and pull of the trout rivers that run through the American West. These essays make one want to pick up a fly rod, wade into the nearest swift water, and revel Thoreau- or Dillard-like in the wild atmospheres found there.”—Braden Hepner, author of
Pale HarvestQuinn Grover teaches English at Brigham Young University–Idaho. His work has been published in national fly-fishing magazines such as the
Flyfish Journal, the
Drake, and
American Angler as well as literary outlets such as
Newfound,
Cirque, and
Juxtaprose.