The Painter by Peter Heller

 

Jim Stegner's work as an artist is coming into its own.  He paints scenes from the West and his works are highly anticipated even with his past.  Jim had shot a man in a bar fight when he was younger and served time for it.  Once he was out, he has spent his life fly fishing and trying to control his temper.  Life has not always been kind.  His daughter, the light of his life, was killed and his marriage collapsed in the aftermath of guilt and recrimination.

But things have started to look up.  He is doing a new series of paintings and found a new model who brings out his best work and is becoming more than a model to him.  Jim thinks he has finally turned a corner.  But when he is driving home and sees a man beating a horse on the side of the road, he explodes.  He beats the man to make him stop and then takes the horse to a friend's ranch.

Just like that, Jim is back where he was.  He has started a vendetta with a family of men who are hunting guides and poachers, known for their violence and determination to have their own way in all things.  As the situation spirals out of control, Jim wonders what will it take before he finds the peaceful life he wants.

This is a stunning book.  Heller has spent his life as an outdoorsman, surfing and kayaking around the world and his intimate connection with nature is evident throughout the novel.  He delves into the mind of Jim Stegner and questions what makes a man and what part violence plays in a man's life.  Is it wrong to use violence to correct a situation where those unable to protect themselves are being victimized?  If a man uses violence what does he need to do for reparations?  Jim Stegner is a character readers will think about long after the book is done.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.