Booklist Review
Once again the vicious cycle of invasion, conquest, exploitation, and decimation is enacted in the West as shale oil deposits are detected around the nearly moribund town of Yellow Earth, North Dakota, and the nearby Three Nations reservation. As in his previous exceptional historical saga, A Moment in the Sun (2011), filmmaker and writer Sayles animates a vibrant and complex cast of diverse individuals caught in an extraction boom driven by greed and hope. Harleigh, the Three Nations council chairman, claims to be securing oil profits for the reservation, but his alliance with a highly dubious front man suggests otherwise. As a swarm of men, trucks, and heavy equipment assault the earth, threaten the aquifer, pollute the air, and precipitate mayhem, local lives are upended, from the sheriff to intrepid teen girls, a savvy stripper, a bouncer, a casino dealer, a Mexican refugee, and wildlife biologist Leia, who is studying a now imperiled prairie dog colony. Sayles' alternating narrators propel a busy, engrossing, and purposeful plot steered by both suspenseful action and intricate emotion. Aligned with T. C. Boyle in his penetrating perception of our place in nature and Tom Wolfe in his rambunctious satire, Sayles is adept at vital detail, guided by a keen historical perspective, centered by an edgy sense of humor, and inspired by empathy.--Donna Seaman Copyright 2019 Booklist
Library Journal Review
The development of the Bakken Shale oil field brings chaos to the town of Yellow Earth and the neighboring Three Nations Indian Reservation. Crowds of outsiders descend, most wanting to make some fast money. Sayles expertly balances the stories and motivations of the large cast of characters. The author is a shrewd observer of human nature, and his characters demonstrate the best and worst of it. Sayles pays close attention to the effects of the boom and subsequent bust on the land and the social structure of the community, though he balances the heavy topics with humor. Gary Tiedemann efficiently handles the many characters and keeps the pace demanded by the story. Verdict Sharp and inventive, this is a recommended addition for most library audio collections.--Cynthia Jensen, Gladys Harrington Lib., Plano, TX
