Editor’s note: Penny Hathaway is reading “Daughter of the Morning Star” by Craig Johnson. At number 17, it’s the newest installment in the Longmire series.

Cover courtesy of Penguin Random House

“When I go to sleep at night, I tuck Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear into the drawer of my night stand, very reluctantly. I want to devour every word immediately, but I also want to savor every word and never have it end. Walt and The Bear have become my friends and a source of solace not just because of the times we are living in, but because sometimes in dealing with everyday life, we need refuge and comfort.

“Walt is educated, yet somewhat naïve due to his refusal to engage with technology. He is a Vietnam vet and currently a sheriff in the fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming. He is unorthodox, old-fashioned and straight-forward. He stays on a case long after others might give in and he always gets his man. He is interesting and often funny. I wonder if you can tell I fell in love with him early on? His friend since childhood and partner in crime (not a pun, here) is Henry Standing Bear, whose mysterious ways draw you in and whose one-liners keep you there.

“The descriptive passages regaling the beauty of Wyoming allow me to create pictures in my head that make me feel like I’m there. There is often humor, sometimes sadness, but always adventure, and I am always eager to go on that journey with Walt and Henry and the other ragtag members of Absaroka County. I hope someone else discovers their charm, but now it’s time to go. Walt is waiting!” — PENNY HATHAWAY, Pittsfield


Mainers, please email to tell us about the book on your bedside table right now. In a paragraph or two, describe the book and be sure to tell us what drew you to it. As the pandemic lingers, we want to hear what you are reading in these unsettled times and why. Send your selection to pgrodinsky@pressherald.com, and we may use it as a future Bedside Table.


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