Montana In The Rearview Mirror

The narrative begins with that appears to be a murder scene in open country of mid-1950s northern Montana. The story is then recounted in memories of an old man, Walt Dell, 60 some-odd years later. The memories are stimulated by a social science study project. Three high school students in Springfield, IL interview Walt, about his memories of high school and real-time reaction to the Hungarian Revolution.

Over few months of twice weekly interviews, the students begin to have some regard for Walt, and he begins to give them a picture of the 1950s. His memories include pre-teen activities, high school sports, dating, dancing, holidays, attitudes about the Revolution and racism, gardening and growing up in a small rural town in northern Montana. After each interview, Walt rethinks what he said to the students and slowly draws out old, painful memories of his high school years. Ultimately, the students complete the project and cease coming to Walt's house. Two years after their graduation, however, they return to their social science teacher's classroom and tell her of their activities. The students are excitedly planning to see Walt and are disappointed when they couldn't talk with him. Later, the teacher and Walt's confidant reminisce, and the confidant tells her Walt's story if what happened that day on the northern prairie that left a man dead and how Walt was running from that event all his life.

Montana in The Rearview Mirror does have a touch of the 'murder mystery' but is mainly a retrospective coming of age story as remembered by an 81-year-old man talking with high school seniors in 2020. He tries to keep his memories on ;good stuff' but cannot discipline the bad \bud stuff' to keep it out of his mind. Those memories lead him back to the bottle and the return of his angst that he will be caught and punished for ancient sin.