Nothing removes a person from the humdrum of everyday life faster than a good book.    With the wealth of reading material available to us today, sometimes a person can’t decide which books may merit closer attention. I’ve found a book that I think will entertain anyone who delves between its covers, whether the reader is a rancher weathered by years on the range or an urban grandmother who has never seen a cow pie in her life.
   The book I’m referring to, “Yesterday’s Yarns: Real Tales from the Real West,” written by Montana rancher and cowboy Ken Overcast, provides good entertainment for readers from all backgrounds. The short stories and vignettes contained in the book consist of both factual and fictional tales of life in the west as observed from a true cowboy’s point of view.
   Overcast’s stories explore family history, repeat tales concerning colorful Montana villains and good guys that helped shape the west, and bring everyday events, such as a pesky neighbor child, an unruly cow, or normal family situations, to vivid life. In his fictional stories, Overcast has the ability
to take an ordinary situation, see the humor contained in the predicament, embellish the facts and the characters,             

By Lois Kerr

and turn out a rollicking good yarn. His
factual stories depict life in the old west as well as life in the modern west. He shares with the reader small gems of little-known Montana history, written in a way that makes a person either want to laugh out loud or weep in despair.
   Some of the stories in the book blend fact with fiction. “It’s all true except for the part I made up,” Overcast remarks at one point in the book.
Those of us who live in the west can identify with nearly every story or situation in the book, like coming out on the losing end in an argument with a cow, or sleepwalking through a night calving check. The beauty of Overcast’s work, however, lies in the fact that those not familiar with our way of life can still read and enjoy the book. They may not understand riding a fence line, or recognize a prairie oyster when they see one, but they can still empathize with the situations in the book, appreciate the humor and the eccentrics they meet, and learn a bit about the American West in the process.
   I highly recommend this book for rural and urban folks alike. People can purchase this paperback book, which sells for $16.95, from the local bookstore, or they may order the book directly by phoning 1-888-753-7611.