Jack Olson

Once in the Middle of Nowhere: the Center of the Universe: a Collection of Turtle Mountain Tales Jack Olson

This collection of short stories consists of tales of the North Dakota Turtle Mountains, Jack's boyhood home. The reader is pulled into that rather magical and historical place - an oasis of deciduous forest in the vastness of the Great Plains that straddles the US border with Canada. Jack uses his vocabulary and his artist's eye like he would a brush; to paint rich descriptions of the landscape that both entice and envelop the reader. His retelling of personal stories of his youth captures the essence of the people and lifestyle of the rural, pre-World War II Midwest. Today, gravel and macadamized roads have replaced some of the old wagon trails. SUV's, pickup trucks, and snowmobiles cover ground once traversed by cutters and dray horses. But in many other ways, life is lived seasonally today in the Turtle Mountains as it always has been. These tales intrigue and compel the reader to 'step into' Jack's past. This delightful diversion is certain to enchant and amuse.