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High Plains Tango cover art

High Plains Tango

By: Robert James Waller
Narrated by: Robertson Dean
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Summary

With over 10 million copies sold, bestselling author Robert James Waller returns with the haunting, evocative story of a small town, a beautiful and mysterious woman, and the man forever changed by both.

The wild places are where no one is looking anymore. Out there on the high plains, among the Sioux reservations and the silent buttes, among the small towns dying and the people with them, you can hear the wind. And on the back of the wind is the sound of an old accordion—tangos—mingling with the lonely thump of a single drum in the nighttime and a far-off warrior’s cry. On the back of the wind is the smell of worn saddle leather and sawdust, of sandalwood, and smoke from ancient ceremonial fires. To this, to a town called Salamander, comes Carlisle McMillan, a traveler and master carpenter seeking a place of quiet amid the grinding roar of progress. Near Wolf Butte, a strange and apparently haunted monolith, he finds his quiet, or so he believes, and begins rebuilding a decrepit house as a tribute to the gruff old man who taught him a carpenter’s skills, rebuilding his life at the same time.

He finds two very different, independent women: Gally Deveraux, who works at a diner in Salamander and longs for something more than she is, and Susanna Benteen, beautiful and enigmatic, who was drawn to Salamander for mysterious reasons of her own, a woman the town has labeled a witch. The women and his carpenter’s trade and an old Indian known as Flute Player bring Carlisle a sense of contentment for a while. But his quiet is shattered as bulldozer treads begin to turn and the Yerkes County War commences. Run or stand your ground, that is Carlisle’s dilemma, Gally on one side, Susanna on the other.

Robert James Waller’s fully imagined characters become people we know and care for deeply.

High Plains Tango is the hauntingly lyrical story of a small town in the middle of nowhere, a town that forever changed—and was forever changed by—one man.

©2005 Robert James Waller (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“The Bridges of Madison County fans will relish this latest follow-up.” —Chicago Tribune

“Blends Waller’s trademark romanticism with earthy humor and a powerful environmental message.” —Dayton Daily News

“A solid story with interesting characters . . . Waller gives the narrator the most wonderful wit.” —Omaha World-Herald

What listeners say about High Plains Tango

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully done

The pace of this wonderful book is never hurried, always completely assured and allows the reader to revel in the beautiful prose. Parts of the story brought tears, other sections raised a smile and elswhere indignation.
There are eccentrics, down to earth everymen, goodies and baddies who refuse to be so easily pigeon holed as the good guys are flawed and bad guys have mitigating weakness.
There are hints of mysticism but don't let that put you off because it's also a hard bitten story unafraid to let the hero down.
Oh and I should add it's read perfectly.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Classic story of the erosion of small town America

This is a classic tale of the erosion, break up and hypocrisy of small town America which is a regular feature of Waller's writing. An outsider moves into a close knit town and overcomes the suspicions of residents through his hard work and commitment to quality craftsmanship. However there is a cloud on the horizon in the shape of a new road which brings out the worst of business leaders and politicians and things will never be the same.
Waller's writing pines for a romanticized vision of small town America. of community and tolerance which may never have existed but the book is compelling and changes direction abruptly. It contains characters invented to demonstrate the diversity of people and morals in a small town. His descriptions are rich and the story is pacey enough to hold the reader's attention and keep us guessing about the ending.

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