Cowboys Are My Weakness

Cowboys Are My Weakness – Pam Houston

In her collection of more or less autobiographical short stories, Houston shares stories about searching for adventure out West. From rafting a river at the highest recorded water level in decades, to winter camping in mind (and limb) numbingly cold temperatures, to hunting Dall sheep all across Alaska, these stories cover the entire range of the western mountain existence. Of course, stories of adventure often coincide with stories of love, and the added element of personal relationships increases both the excitement and the danger. More often than not, the stories are the same, and seeking love is as much a part of adventure as thrills are a part of intimacy. Whether caught up in the exhilaration that comes with living life to (and beyond) the limits or the whirlwind of new romance that destroys every aspect of a carefully constructed existence, these stories thoughtfully reflect on finding yourself, losing yourself, and reconstructing yourself through adventure.

“Cowboys Are My Weakness” is an entertaining collection of stories about life at the limits. Pam Houston writes with bluntly accurate and witty honesty, daring to reveal patterns of behavior that perpetuate problems rather than solve them. Her tone helps convey the lessons of her stories because gentle, vague references of losing yourself for love more often obscure the subject matter, whereas direct statements drawing attention to problems help to identify and clarify what exactly is problematic. Her stories of love and adventure are sincere because Houston writes unapologetically and authentically with no pretense about having all the answers. Despite certain niches in subject matter and terminology (particularly as it relates to hunting, rafting, and other outdoor pursuits), the stories are relatable and understandable. Houston has a knack for finding misadventure and taking the reader along for the ride.

There are a couple reasons I really loved this book. It was recommended to me by a friend who has excellent taste in books and can generally be trusted to provide quality reading material. The setting and content of the stories reminded me of my time working at camp in Colorado, biasing my reading of this book with always helpful nostalgia. And the stories themselves are engaging and entertaining retellings of adventures that are on the outer range of activities that I would consider doing (but for now, I’ll settle for living vicariously). Not to mention the painful but healing self-reflection that comes with attentively analyzing these areas of life. Overall, I found the stories in this book to be funny, exciting, relevant, and challenging; a combination of characteristics that make for high quality reading material.