True West

“People think they ‘know’ the West but they’re usually wrong, that’s because there’s no region of our country more steeped in fallacy, fake news, and fable. Betsy Gaines Quammen, a wry and wise observer, takes us on a ride across the modern West—and along the way, disentangles reality from centuries of myth and mystique.”

—HAMPTON SIDES, New York Times bestselling author of Blood and Thunder

"In telling the stories that comprise True West, Betsy Gaines Quammen reminds us that in order to keep this fractured country together we must meet our fellow Americans where they are, on their own terms."

—BETO O’ROURKE, author of We’ve Got to Try

“Quammen has spent years investigating a region that 'has become ever hotter, drier, angrier, and more politically polarized,' from the origins of the Oath Keepers—whose members stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021—to the billionaire recreationists holed up at Montana’s Yellowstone Club. But Quammen treats all her subjects with empathy, and she doesn’t look down on anyone.”

—ELIZABETH HIGHTOWER ALLEN, published in Outside Magazine

“News out of the American West can often leave one wondering, ‘What the hell are they thinking?’ Betsy Gaines Quammen explains in this even-handed, impeccably sourced book. A political and intellectual page-turner.”

—TIM CAHILL, author of Jaguars Ripped My Flesh

“Betsy Gaines Quammen has an uncanny ability to boldly cross any divide, literal or metaphorical, with grace and an intention to learn and understand, building rapport and inviting conversation, which we as humans so desperately need.”

—JEN HILLEBRANDT, Townie Books

“There are few people as savvy as Betsy Gaines Quammen when it comes to comprehending the nuance and contradictions prevalent in this so-called American West. True West shows how the relationship people have with the land shapes their view of the world in deeply personal and broadly universal ways. Quammen shows us that this common humanity is where we must focus to find the solutions for a beautiful future in a region so many of us love.”

—CHRIS LA TRAY, author of One-Sentence Journal

“Our national myths tell us the west is grand and rough, and it is, but it’s also complex and deeply conflicted. This book is an expertly guided tour through the revealing parts of our twisted western reality. At once beautiful, engaging and disturbing, Quammen's book is a revealing mirror to the place us westerners call home.”

—RYAN BUSSE, author of Gunfight

"True West shines a necessary light on persistent, often wrong and damaging myths that define the American West in our collective imagination. Betsy’s work tells the stories of real people who live and work here, and how their lives are more complex and interesting than the same old tropes. At its heart, the book is a great story about Americans whose identities have been flattened into stereotypes. This book corrects the myths and gives readers a reason to care about the West beyond the tired old caricatures of cowboys.”

—KATHLEEN MCLAUGHLIN, author of Blood Money

“True West hit many of my soft places. The fluency and gracefulness of Quammen's writing kept me turning pages. It’s often important for a writer to be likable, and with subject matter like this, I think it’s crucial—and she is an immensely likable writer.”

—DON SNOW, founder and editor of Northern Lights Magazine

“A provocative examination of the misconceptions of the West...Quammen's thoughtful book serves as a valuable and necessary corrective, highly recommended for readers who are interested in how our ideas of the West have changed over the centuries and decades, and how some of those ideas might just do more harm than good.”

—WILLIAM MUHLENFELD, Bozeman, MT author of The Amen Heresy