About the Book
Making peace with the world, sooneror later most of us have to. But how?
For Ian Mac Bride, his way begins almost accidentally when, in 1909, he watches
a fly-casting tournament in New York's Central Park, and begins to dream of
becoming a great fly caster.
But soon Ian experiences personal tragedy, and then is appalled by the
unexpected slaughter of World War I.
He retreats into the world of fly fishing and fly casting, and meets
unforgettable anglers like: Doc, a Civil War veteran, who tells how, after he
enlisted in return for drinking money, he was unexpectedly changed by the
horror of war; Izzy, a mysterious immigrant, who, in his way, teaches Ian
perhaps the most important lesson of long-distance fly casting; and George M.
L. La Branche who, though torn by self-doubt, writes the book that
revolutionizes fly fishing.
And so, these anglers help change Ian's hopes and values. Though his father
questions his courage, Ian decides to become a teacher instead of a lawyer, and
moves near the beautiful Beaverkill River, the birthplace of fly fishing in
America.
But tragedy still follows him.
Torn by grief, he curses the world and loses faith in it - until, almost by
accident, he finds a way to come to terms.
How? The answer will surprise you.
I'm a native New Yorker.After a good deal of disappointment, I gave up writing. Then my mother passed
away, and I found that fishing helped ease my grief. Almost accidentally, I
wrote and sold a fishing article. Afterwards, my articles and memoirs appeared
in many publications, including The
Flyfisher, Flyfishing & Tying
Journal and Yale Anglers' Journal.
To me, much of my writing is about how the challenges of fishing and the beauty
of the outdoors helped me come to terms with loss and with a world I can't
always understand. In a sense, my writing is autobiographical, as it reflects
my own gratifying, but at times, difficult journey of emotional and spiritual
recovery.
On the long road of my journey, I slowly learned that, even when I don't have answers,
I must strive to find forgiveness and self-worth and to connect to the good in
the world. (This is how I define spirituality.) I therefore love books where
the main characters struggle against inner and outer conflicts and then try to
do what’s right.
My most recent book is, The Way of the River:
My Journey of Fishing, Forgiveness and Spiritual Recovery.