Buy This Country I Call My Own by Julian Roup:
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Seeking peace in Idaho after a brutal war, ex SEAL, Commander Ross McCallister, is asked by his former Special Ops Agency to do one last job, to derail a Democrat politician who is running for the Governorship of Idaho on an anti-nuclear waste ticket.
McCallister finds that sometimes it's dangerous to do the right thing. This is a story of betrayal, heroism and redemption - an environmental adventure and a love story.
This Country I Call My Own features an American officer who has served with distinction in the Middle East and then worked for various agencies in the region. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he leaves the military and settles in the mountain country of the Idaho Panhandle, just below the Canadian border, to live off-grid in search of Eden and a nature cure. He builds a horse packing and hunting operation to sustain himself, but finds the ongoing interactions with members of the public troubling to his peace of mind.
He wins the love of two very unconventional women who share his love of horses and are prepared to join his fight to rid the state of toxic nuclear waste and the poisoning of the land and the water table. The seemingly pristine Panhandle turns out to be an environmental disaster area and McCallister fights for his sanity, his community and his ranch.
The book explores the desire of many people to opt out of our society to live a more secluded, off-grid life in nature. And it considers the power of nature and horses to cure mental illness. It looks at the dynamics of loving relationships when there are no barriers or rules. And it unpacks what it means to be a good man.
About the author
Julian Roup is the author of three non-fiction books: a children’s book, A Day In the Life of an MP; A Fisherman in the Saddle, a memoir of growing up in South Africa; and Boerejood, which explores the miracle of peaceful change to democratic rule in South Africa in 1994.
Boerejood received critical praise from many, including the Financial Times in the UK, which described it as: “Brilliant, engaged, intelligent, personal….and funny”. The FT ran a 2,000-word feature on the book as its Weekend Magazine cover story in May 2006.
Julian Roup has a background which combines marketing, journalism and public relations.
Born in South Africa in 1950, he lived in Cape Town for the first 30 years of his life. He has a journalism degree from Rhodes University in South Africa, and worked at the Cape Times and the Cape Argus before emigrating to England in 1980, where he started off writing for the Mid Sussex Times.
He founded his own PR consultancy, Bendigo Communications, in 1993. Clients have included: Virgin Atlantic, Bonhams, Bradford & Bingley, and the Development Agency for the Western Cape in South Africa. He has also created PR campaigns for clients including the British Army, Black Horse Agencies, Christie's, the Government of Malta, the London Underground, British Rail InterCity, NSPCC, and the RSPCA.
He worked as Director of Press and Marketing for Bonhams, the international fine art auction company, for 12 years.
Praise for Julian Roup
Evocative of Annie Dillard's chapter about The Tree with the Lights in it, in her book ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek’. Beautifully done, Julian.
Leslie Moïse
It is a rare thing to find a book which speaks intimately of a place both you and the author know and love, but even if you aren;t acquainted with Ashdown Forest the appeal is just as strong. Julian brings this magical place to life on the page with a rare depth of feeling. Essential reading and highly recommended - a modern day equivalent to Nan Shepherd's The Living Mountain for the other end of the country!
Paul McKinnel
Beautifully written. You speak the words that we feel in our hearts. Thank You to horses everyday, everywhere. X
Diane Rainbow
This is an amazing piece of writing - absolutely captivated by it and think the author perfectly explains that exquisite relationship that women are able to have with horses. Mine definitely used to give me that illusion of power and strength and almost winged flight all the time. I’ve been to parts of South Africa too and loved the descriptions of the riding country. Thank you for sharing this.
Helen Elizabeth Stone
While reading this lovely woods hymn, I was thinking how I felt exploring the great East Texas forest and had only one word - free. A horse allows freedom.
Kay Motley
I thought you’d like this because a) he writes beautifully; and b) the South African connection.
Miranda Kavanagh
Buy First Catch Your Calamari: Travels with an Appetite (A Writer's Food Diary) by Julian Roup:
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Amazon (US): click here
Amazon (Canada): click here
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Waterstones: click here