cover image The Map of Enough: One Woman’s Search for Place

The Map of Enough: One Woman’s Search for Place

Molly Caro May. Counterpoint, $25 (288p) ISBN 978-1-61902-236-2

May’s chronicle of dropping out with her fiancé from the canyons of New York City for the remote grassy basin near Bozeman, Mont., delineates a year of soul-searching and yurt construction by the couple. The pair resolve to construct by their own hands a Mongolian-style dwelling on the 107 acres situated at the base of the Gallatin Range that belong to May’s parents. May tends toward a nomadic temperament, while her partner, Chris, a carpenter, is grounded and taciturn. Their work evolves organically as they tackle the construction just in time for their first winter: from sawing and treating the wood slats (khar mod) that make up the walls to hauling the wood-burning stove and sewing the huge sheet of white canvas that will serve as cover. There are visits by citified family and friends, occasional spottings of elk herds and a mountain lion, and securing of a rescue dog, Bru. Throughout, May ruminates seemingly endlessly over the elemental question: “How do we choose to live?” (Jan.)