Water Witches

by Chris Bohjalian

I've read Water Witches several times before, but I never get tired of it. One of the things I love about Chris Bohjalian is that his books are worthy of more than one read. I also love the moral ambiguity of his books; he sets up these opposing groups, but neither group is entirely right or wrong. In this book, the narrator, Scottie, is a lawyer who married into a family of dowsers. His occupation (and identity) as a lobbyist is threatened when he and his daughter see catamounts (mountain lions) on a mountain slated for a new ski path. And of course, neither the ski industry nor the environmentalists have the market cornered on the truth.