Opening in 1936 when ranchers are barely scratching a living, Frankie Zwick’s debut follows two Wyoming families - the Sheenans who farm sheep next to the Mooney’s cattle ranch – until 2056, with two young people left trying to survive ferocious drought and dust storms, one there almost by accident, the other doggedly clinging to the land his ancestors loved dearly.
Zwick’s narrative shifts back and forth between the Sheenans and the Mooneys whose stories become increasingly entangled in rivalry and love over 120 years which sees the Sheenan ranch given over to oil and gas mining. Written with a razor-sharp wit, her novel is packed with vivid characters and graphic descriptions of farming in a hostile landscape which becomes more so. For those who prefer to know, there are several shocking scenes of animal distress, and casual cruelty, not something I find easy, but Zwick’s writing is so good and her story so immersive I stuck with it. At its heart is the friendship between Meg Sheenan and Brooke Mooney, two very different women whose loyalty seems bred in the bone. Meg is the partying rodeo girl who takes over the ranch from her father, running it single handed, the target of predatory oil workers but capable of giving as good as she gets; Brooke is the second fiddle who always helps her out of a crisis, tolerating Meg's bad behaviour. Zwick’s tone becomes more sober in the final section which sees the land devastated by the climate crisis and the exploitation which helped bring it about. Such an impressive debut: entertaining and heart rending, it kept me riveted.

I really enjoyed One Trick Pony! It’s fast-paced and keeps the story moving, although at times it felt like it moved too fast and I found it a little difficult to keep up with everything happening. That said, it’s also the kind of book that you just can’t seem to put down. There’s always something pulling you into the next chapter, and I found myself wanting to keep reading to see what would happen. Definitely an enjoyable, addictive read!