"I just finished the book and it was so well written it seemed you were here with me telling the story. It filled in a lot of blank pages in your life that I was not aware of. I laughed, I cried and got to know and love you even more." ~Bud Chanley
"Great stories and just as good memoir. The memoir in Shari Wannemacher's (Renelle West's) works for context and it also adds profundity and depth to the humorous stories it book ends, ultimately providing a full and satisfying as well as thought provoking portrayal of journeys we share that may or may not last a lifetime."
~T Hess, Memoirist, M.A.
“I have written for the WhiteTail Times magazine and local paper stories about deer hunting, etc. for 35 years and I swear, I have never read anything any better than your articles and book...” ~Tex Sadler, Buckskinner/Black Powder Hunter
" For more than a few years, I've known and admired Renelle through her music. And after reading "Life with a Buckskinner," I can now say I admire Renelle for her excellent writing talent.
I so enjoyed reading about her entertaining early life adventure, and I especially enjoyed getting to know what she was all about during those exciting and turbulent days!
I'm honored to have such a lovely and talented friend. I hope one day she'll write her own "Life Story." I'll be first in line to buy it."
"Great stories and just as good memoir. The memoir in Shari Wannemacher's (Renelle West's) works for context and it also adds profundity and depth to the humorous stories it book ends, ultimately providing a full and satisfying as well as thought provoking portrayal of journeys we share that may or may not last a lifetime."
~T Hess, Memoirist, M.A.
I’ve always loved Renelle’s (Shari’s) writing, so I was particularly excited when I heard that her book was coming out. However, I was perplexed and intrigued by the title, not knowing this part of her story. I devoured this book in a few days, loving every minute of it! Renelle exposed me to a counterculture I had no idea existed, and introduced me to a myriad of fascinating characters. As I wondered how she/they could willingly participate in such a difficult lifestyle, her brilliant use of humor kicked in, making it all so human and real, and had me laughing out loud! I was educated and entertained at the same time, not always an easy feat! The only trouble I had was when the book came to an end—I was thoroughly disappointed to finally put it down. Renelle definitely left me wanting more, and I eagerly await her next literary undertaking. ~Julie Hall
"A Perfect Little Gem of a Book
I loved Renelle West's Life with a Buckskinner. It is a little gem of a book. It is marvelously put together. I think the author knew how important the first and last chapters would be to surround and establish a deeply meaningful context for the humorous middle chapters on buckskinning, but to me the most ingenious aspect of the book's construction is the particular order of these central chapters. They build to and wet the reader's thirst for the more serious overview of what buckskinning is all about presented in the chapter about women in buckskinning. It was a stroke of genius to put the Wampuum chapter with its in depth research right before the perfect overview contained in this chapter on women which hits all the right notes and answers all the questions that had built up in this reader's mind about the true nature of buckskinning.
Of course the real subject of this book is the role Whitey played in Renelle West's life, but until I could see the significance of buckskinning as his gift to her, I couldn't experience his importance. The author could have done the same thing with their shared interest in music -- I mean she could have introduced Whitey and buckskinning in the first chapter, then given over the center of the book to her experiences with him on the music road, returning in the last chapter to say goodby to him and their buckskinning life. The last chapter gently and effectively pulls things together, but to me the strength of the book is the precise placement of the chapter that "sold" me: “Women in Buckskinning.” This chapter is the jewel in the crown. How wonderful to have one's first book so well edited and presented. Renelle West is not only an inspired writer, but a craftsperson as well. Bravo!" ~Dr. Georgia Collins
“West's writing is superb and I am so impressed with her research and documentation. I found myself laughing with tears in my eyes. I envisioned her disgust at times and her great sense of humor at other times. One thing is clear, she loved, admired, and respected Whitey." ~Dr. Judy Little
“I believe everyone should read this book. I enjoyed every chapter. I giggled at the wonderful and humorous stories. The ending made me cry. I guess we had all better say the things we want to say before it is too late!” ~Dr. Margo Hall
“I loved West's book! I laughed through the stories and cried at the end!” ~Pat Hairrell
“West’s writing is so powerful that even though I know the end of the story, I keep reading to find out what happens next.”
~Dr. Georgia Collins
~Dr. Georgia Collins
"Renelle did a nice job pulling her life stories together in this entertaining memoir. It is informative, entertaining, and funny. I love the double life references." ~Diane Nyquist
"Life with a Buckskinner is unique, scintillating, and very well written! A real page-turner. I like everything about West’s book—her captivating, charming writing style, the people she brings to life, the organization, and the professionalism of the type, format, and cover." ~Marilyn Tullys
"I read your book as soon as I got it. I really enjoyed your stories. They were very well written and humorous as expected. I could especially relate to the stories about being a musician and also the flying. I'll be ordering a copy to give to a friend who is, or used to be, a buckskinner. I'll also put a review on Amazon." ~Dale Boyer
"I just finished Renelle's book, Life with a Buckskinner. I knew she was multi-talented but I had no idea about this part of her life. I didn't even know there was a community of "Buckskinners" in the world until she told me about it one day as we were talking about her next projects. She skillfully brought this mysterious world to life in her book. I learned a lot and had some laughs. I think we all wish we could step out of our busy lives for a bit and they really did that with this life style. I also loved hearing more details about life on the road as a musician with her husband and their band.
If anyone has an extra 99 cents, you can download the book for a short escape from your every-day life!
Great work Renelle!! I will be watching for your next book!"
~Darcy Miller
