High Rider

"Gallaher’s novel is easily compared to Joe R. Lansdale’s wonderful Paradise Sky (2015), though Ware is a far gentler character than Nat Love, and Gallaher avoids turning him into a myth. He draws much of his material from a 1960 biography, John Ware’s Cow Country, by Grant MacEwan, and his fictional departures are never flamboyant or satirical, but, rather, restrained." —Booklist, starred review

"This story is historical writing at its best, with details of everyday life in the West, the heartfelt troubles John faced throughout his travels, and interactions that provide depth and life to every character. If you want to comprehend the pain that former slaves endured after the Civil War, become enlightened with this book." —Historical Novels Review

Bill Gallaher chats with Donna McElligott of CBC's Alberta At Noon about his book and which aspects of John Ware's character were historical versus fictitional.