Things to read, watch, and do while you (patiently) wait for Yellowstone to return.
Where are my Yellowstone people? I know you’re out there, because over the past few months I’ve placed quite a few holds on the show and its prequels 1883 and 1923. But here’s the thing, Yellowstone is over (for now) and apparently we have to wait until late next year for it to return (thanks to a writers’ strike, an actors’ strike, and a messy divorce!). But fear not, we can get through this together. I’ve collected some things for us to read, watch, and do while we wait.
In putting together this list, I thought, “what makes Yellowstone so great?” Well, cowboys, yes. Also moody tension, family secrets, and characters who are crusty on the outside and soft in the middle (I’m talking to you, Rip). And finally, I can’t say enough about the role Montana plays in my love of the show. Montana is not just the backdrop, it’s the treasured land and home that creates strife between Indigenous landowners, cattle ranchers, and big money.
If you liked Yellowstone you might enjoy:
READ
Books by William W. Johnstone. Johnstone writes historically accurate Westerns about family, loyalty, and adventure.
A Calder at Heart by Janet Dailey. Set in 1919 this book takes you to the American frontier with an epic saga of love, hope, and endurance.
Cattle Kingdom: the Hidden History of the Cowboy West by Christopher Knowlton. A book about the history of cattle ranching that will help you understand the value of John Dutton’s ranch.
A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter. An enchanting and original story of the unrivaled desire for healing and the power of familial bonds across five generations of Métis women and the land and bison that surround them.
Letters from Yellowstone by Diane Smith. If you’re a fan of the romance and drama of the show, this epistolary novel might be for you.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. This four-book series chronicles a cattle drive in the nineteenth century from Texas to Montana, and follows the lives of Gus and Call, the cowboys heading the drive, Gus’s woman, Lorena, and Blue Duck, a sinister Native American renegade.
Montana Sky by Nora Roberts. One more for the romance fans, this book follows three half-sisters who live together at their late father’s Montana ranch and try to claim their inheritance. For fans of Beth and Rip’s love story.
Never Name the Dead: A Mud Sawpole Mystery by D.M. Rowell (Koyh Mi O Boy Dah). This atmospheric and descriptive novel follows Mud Sawpole as she returns home to Oklahoma to discover her Kiowa tribe in disarray. Fracking is damaging their ancestral lands, families are being forced to sell off their artifacts, and frackers have threatened to kill her grandfather over his water rights.
The Son by Philipp Meyer. Comanche Indian captive Eli McCullough must carve a place for himself in a world in which he does not fully belong–a journey of adventure, tragedy, hardship, grit, and luck that reverberates in the lives of his progeny.
Winter in the Blood, by James Welch. Set on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana during the late 1960s and told through the perspective of an unnamed Indigenous man who is searching for something that will bind him to the lands of his ancestors, but is haunted by personal tragedy.
WATCH
Dark Winds. Based on the “Leaphorn & Chee” series by Tony Hillerman this show follows the FBI investigation of a bank robbery in Gallup, N.M., and the Navajo Tribal inquiry into the local murder of two Native residents.
Deadwood. A gritty Western series where the lawless town’s colorful characters navigate the muddy waters of ambition, greed, and frontier justice.
Justified. A US Deputy Marshal who’s a modern day cowboy with a Stetson and a quick trigger finger.
Longmire. A crime drama series that follows Walt Longmire, a Wyoming sheriff with a penchant for solving mysteries while grappling with the challenges of modern law enforcement against the picturesque backdrop of the American West
Mayor of Kingstown. A crime drama that explores the complex and volatile world of a small Michigan town where power, politics, and the criminal justice system intersect in a high-stakes struggle for control.
Sons of Anarchy. A show about a motorcycle club, where brotherhood, loyalty, and a whole lot of leather-clad chaos rule the road.
Succession. A gripping and darkly comedic drama that follows a dysfunctional family as they navigate power struggles, betrayal, and corporate intrigue in their pursuit of control over a global media empire.
DO
We’ve certainly learned a lot about the Dutton family tree over the course of the show and its prequels. Maybe that will inspire you to work on your own genealogy project. Winter is a great time to do family research; cold days and dark nights are perfect for spending time at the computer or chatting on the phone with relatives. And don’t forget the excellent genealogy resources available at Beebe Library. On our website’s genealogy page you’ll find links to American Ancestors, Ancestry Library (for use in the library only), FamilySearch, and HeritageQuest.
Also, librarians love doing research, so if you need help with a genealogy project please make an appointment at the Reference Desk or call 781-246-6334.