Bozeman author Troy Kechely has announced the release of his new novel Stranger’s Dance.  Set on a southwest Montana ranch during the Great Depression, the story follows a small ranch family through the years long struggle to hold onto their land and keep the family intact.  Along the way, they are befriended by a stray dog.  Despite the convention that strays were pests that ought to be shot, they took the dog in and named him Stranger.

Equal parts dog story and well-researched historical fiction, add this one to your summer reading list whether you’re interested in Montana history or you enjoy the uncanny ability of dogs to bring the best out of their humans.  “The story happens in a time and place when dogs were not considered pets.  Definitely not allowed in the house and certainly not riding in a car with you,” said Kechely.  “The story shows how dogs worked their way into people’s lives and hearts.”

Book coach and editor Anika Hanisch explained that Troy began working on the novel years ago, drawing from his own memories growing up on a ranch near the Continental Divide west of Helena.  “He also interviewed dozens of long-standing ranch familes in that region,” Hanisch said.  The result of that research is a vivid story rich in historical details.  “The book is this beautiful and honest tribute to the ranchers who managed to subsist through incredible weather and harsh economic realities.”

Kechely, a nationally known dog behavior expert, is also author of Management of Aggressive Canines for Law Enforcement, an instructional book that empowers police officers to handle aggressive canines while avoiding harm to both human and dog.  Stranger’s Dance is his first novel.  It is available at Country Bookshelf in Bozeman and Browsing Bison Books in Deer Lodge.  It may also be ordered through any other bookstore, Amazon (paperback or Kindle), or at Kechely’s website www.TroyKechely.com.