Last Bus to Wisdom: A Novel (Two Medicine Country)

Ivan Doig is on my forever list of favorite authors and he never disappoints. If you are a reader who loves characters and the way words sound in your brain so much you have to try saying them aloud, you will find yourself laughing aloud and slapping the arm of your chair much as I did throughout this wonderful book. Doig writes characters to fall in love with, villains to hate, and fills them in with endlessly imaginative shenanigans. As with his other books, I finished this one with a slight feel of heartbreak because I wanted it never to end. A delightful read, beginning to end. You will absolutely love this book, I promise.

The first half of the book was a bit tedious and repetitive with the whole coming of age thing, but toward the end of the book, fleshes out the characters in interesting ways. Slow to get going, but it is worth it to stay with it

As the Amazon description says, 11-year-old Donal must stay for the summer with relatives he’s never met because the grandma that’s raising him must undergo surgery. There are four main parts to the book. [1] The bus trip from Montana to his relatives’ place in Wisconsin. [2] His stay with his relatives. [3] His bus trip back toward the west from his relatives’ place. [4] His time at a ranch near the town of Wisdom.On the bus trip to Wisconsin, Donal meets a variety of characters – some good, some not so good. Basically, this part of the book is just a number of (mostly) unrelated, but interesting, characters interacting with Donal.Donal’s life in Wisconsin is certainly less than ideal. His great aunt is simply not a considerate or empathetic woman. Fortunately, his great uncle (and his greenhouse) is his refuge.The trip back west is more interesting and adventurous. The story’s tone becomes more heartwarming. The characters are less conventional. And the story kicks up a notch, though it takes some unlikely coincidences to drive the story forward.The final part is just more. More interesting. More heartwarming. More characters. And more unlikely coincidences to drive the story to its conclusion.Bottom line: A feel-good story, with the low points simply making the high-points feel higher. And yes, the book is filled with interesting characters.

For decades, I avoided Ivan Doig's writing because I knew it would be too good. Intense, that is, dead-on true to life except for the occasional bit of deliberate exaggeration designed to underscore a point. Now that the author has left the planet, though, I've run out of excuses and run into Last Bus to Wisdom, reading his last novel first. And I was right; the lead protagonist, eleven year old Donal Cameron, will live with me forever.When Donal begins his journey east from Montana to Wisconsin on the dog bus, or Greyhound--what we in our part of the Treasure State called the big grey dog at that time--the reader has no idea of the ever expanding universe that is about to open for the boy. Neither does Donal; the emotional highs and lows that are part and parcel of being eleven in uncertain circumstances are more than enough to keep his mind spinning and desperately focused by turns. In 1951, however, I was growing up on a ranch in western Montana, just four years younger than Donal. I've ridden the big grey dog more than once, our family knew hoboes and sometimes hired them during the haying season, and I can say with absolute certainty that Doig nailed both the characters and the times. The voices are authentic. There is not a single false note, not one comma out of place. If you read this book, you will live it. Guaranteed.That said, the vision of the book expands exponentially as the pages proceed. From the limited awareness of a youngster concerned only about his own summer and his grandmother's health, Donal finds himself suddenly aware of larger and larger issues. Thieves on the bus. Good Samaritans on the bus. A small time Sheriff with Little Man Syndrome. The plight of a German draftee from World War I who fled illegally to America rather than serve Hitler in World War II. A vengeful rancher and rodeo stock contractor as well as a gracious World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider who was on his own from Donal's age or close to it. Hoboes both good and bad. And always, the struggle to survive with some sort of honor as well as a quick-thinking willingness to break a few rules in the name of survival.There's more, a lot more, but a review has to stop somewhere. In closing, I will simply say that Last Bus to Wisdom captures the essence of the struggle to survive in early 1950's Montana as well as anything I've read, complete with utterly believable villains, heroes, and a fair bit of true to life humor.

The characters in this book have stayed with me. I really became immersed in their lives. I am so sad that the author has passed away - I was hoping for a continuation of this saga. Beautifully written. I will be reading more of his work.

This is the charming story of a young boy's adventures one summer. It has twists and turns and makes you want to keep reading.

What a ride. I love the way the author writes. I can’t wait to read another one of his books. I think my husband, who is not much of a reader, will love this one. I would share with him some quotes as I was reading, and he would always laugh out loud.

Always good to track down a thirty years old book

I loved this book. The writing style took me a few pages to get into but it quickly became hard to put down. It was a book I'll certainly read again.

I am a prairie-born person who will never love his love and respect for the landscape and people of those prairies, as well as a voracious reader.I have read all of Ivan Doig's novels (and this, his latest and last). "Last Bus to Wisdom is in the top 3 books that I have ever read. It is gentle, lyrical and funny, with characters who resonate in your heart and a theme of rescue and redemption that reaches your soul. It is a beautiful, beautiful read.

A very humorous book and a good read. I found out where Wisdom, Montana is located, just west of Dillon.

I loved everything from beginning to end. The transported atmosphere, the emotions I was there with them in the book.