This anthology of fiction and poetry by authors with North Dakota connections is essential to anyone with an interest in North Dakota. It's also a wonderful excursion for anyone; the stories and poems express the diversity of life in one of our more interesting--and least understood--states. There is history, geography, love, grief, anger, passion, and faith in these pages--a mix of strong voices exploring issues of home, land, kin, and "the other," as well as a host of other themes.

Authors include Roland Flint, Louise Erdrich, Jon Hassler, Louis L'Amour, Thomas McGrath, Kathleen Norris, Antony Oldknow, Mark Vinz, Larry Watson, and Larry Woiwode, as well as many other other fine, less famous writers.

The beautiful introduction by Martha Meek (who edited this collection with her husband, poet/editor Jay Meek) is alone worth the price of the book. It's a moving introduction to a collection that truly captures the North Dakota environment.