Barr, Nevada. The Rope. Minotaur:
St. Martin’s. Jan. 2012. c.368p.
ISBN 9780312614577. $25.99. F
The adventures of park ranger Anna Pigeon have filled the
pages of 16 books, and now her legion of loyal fans can find out
how her story began. After her husband’s death in 1995, Anna
leaves New York City to take a seasonal position at Glen Canyon
National Recreation Area. On a hike to explore the dry canyon
lands around Lake Powell, Anna literally falls into a mystery.
Fighting thirst and drug-induced delirium, she extricates
herself from the dry well and begins to unravel the who and why
of her tortuous ordeal. Barr’s luxuriant depictions of desert
landscapes with its colors and hues and details about Lake
Powell’s tourist population are interwoven into the narrative as
an indispensable element of her popular series. Anna emerges
from this canyon escapade as a strong, determined woman who
plans to return to park service employment as a law enforcement
ranger, stating that “more women should carry guns.”
VERDICT Another awesome winner for Barr. [See Prepub
Alert, 8/1/11.]—Patricia Ann
Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Coll., Mount Carmel
From the Library Journal
December 1 reviews:
The adventures of park ranger Anna Pigeon have filled
the pages of 16 books, and now her legion of loyal fans
can find out how her story began. After her husband’s
death in 1995, Anna leaves New York City to take a
seasonal position at Glen Canyon National Recreation
Area. On a hike to explore the dry canyon lands around
Lake Powell, Anna literally falls into a mystery.
Fighting thirst and drug-induced delirium, she
extricates herself from the dry well and begins to
unravel the who and why of her tortuous ordeal. Barr’s
luxuriant depictions of desert landscapes with its
colors and hues and details about Lake Powell’s tourist
population are interwoven into the narrative as an
indispensable element of her popular series. Anna
emerges from this canyon escapade as a strong,
determined woman who plans to return to park service
employment as a law enforcement ranger, stating that
“more women should carry guns.” VERDICT
Another awesome winner for Barr. [See Prepub Alert,
8/1/11.]—Patricia Ann
Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Coll., Mount Carmel
