Every year during the Christmas season, I review Craig Johnson’s Spirit of Steamboat. It’s my favorite of his books, and it’s a Christmas routine for me. I go back and reread it, and cry over it all over again. It’s a World War II veteran, a concentration camp survivor, a Vietnam veteran, and a courageous young woman giving up their Christmas Eve, and possibly their lives, to try to save a young accident victim. It’s Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and it’s a tearjerker.
Sheriff Walt Longmire is in his office rereading A Christmas Carol when he’s interrupted by a young woman looking for the sheriff of Absaroka County. Although Walt’s the sheriff, she’s looking for his former boss, Lucian Connolly, who is now retired to the Durant Home for Assisted Living. Neither Lucian nor Walt recognize her, but she has a reminder for them, “Steamboat”.
That one word takes Walt back to another Christmas Eve, in 1988, when he was a newly elected sheriff, waiting for a Flight for Life chopper bringing in the only survivor of a fiery car accident. But, it was also the night of the worst storm of the century, and the only chance the little girl had was if she could get to Children’s Hospital in Denver. Roads are closed, the helicopter EMT and pilot refuse to go farther. Walt only has one crazy idea. He knows a crazy pilot who was one of Doolittle’s Raiders, and flew a Mitchell B-25 in the war. Only Lucian Connolly might be nuts enough to try to get to Denver in a rickety old plane.
When Walt reads A Christmas Carol, or when he remembers that night, one phrase from Dickens sticks out. “…no space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.” The people on that plane on Christmas Eve, 1988 did not miss life’s opportunity. However, I won’t spoil the story of a small group of warriors, or the warrior that was a horse named Steamboat, or the mysticism that arises in a Walt Longmire story when there’s the sound of drums. If you haven’t ever read Spirit of Steamboat, you might just want to pick up this small book for Christmas.
NOTES: It seems appropriate that the quotes at the beginning of this book are from Chuck Yeager.
Craig Johnson’s website is www.craigallenjohnson.com
Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson. Viking, 2013. ISBN 9780670015788 (hardcover), 146p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I bought my copy of the book years ago.
I’m almost finished with the delightful Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan, and Spirit of Steamboat is next! Thank you for this “reminder” review, Lesa. I bought a copy because of you and just found it in my big pile of holiday books.
Melanie! Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy Spirit of Steamboat. And, Christmas at Little Beach Bakery is a favorite of so many!
I love this book and reread it every few years.
I love it, too, Caryn.
Yeah, I remember this one too. Beautiful. I have his new one on the way from the library.
PS – We’re home. It was a real jolt, going from a beautiful 66 and sunny in Scottsdale to 26 here when we landed at 11 last night. But it wasn’t windy, so really wasn’t too bad at all.
It’s a shock to the system, isn’t it, Jeff?
It is a beautiful book.
All right; you’ve convinced me. I’ve ordered the book but it won’t arrive until January. Can’t wait!
That’s okay, Lindy. You can read this one anytime.
I read The Spirit of Steamboat last December at your prompting. Definitely brings tears.
Thank you, MM, for taking a chance on it.