Ivan Doig was an American author, born in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, to a family of homesteaders and ranch hands. After the death of his mother, he was raised by his father and grandmother. Doig's childhood was spent in various ranches, and later, he moved to Dupuyer, Pondera County, Montana, where he herded sheep near the Rocky Mountain Front. After his high school graduation, Doig attended Northwestern University, where he received a bachelor's and master's degree in journalism. He subsequently earned a Ph.D. in American history at the University of Washington, with a dissertation on John J. McGilvra (1827-1903). Doig lived in Seattle, Washington, with his wife, Carol Doig, a university professor of English.
Doig's writing career began as a free-lancer and writer for newspapers and magazines. He later worked for the United States Forest Service before becoming a novelist. Much of his fiction is set in the Montana country of his youth. His major theme is family life in the past, mixing personal memory and regional history. Doig's works include both fictional and non-fictional writings, which can be divided into four groups: Early Works, Autobiographical Books, Regional Works, and Historical Novels. His notable works include "This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind," "Winter Brothers: A Season at the Edge of America," "The Sea Runners," "English Creek," and "Dancing at the Rascal Fair." The first three Montana novels form the so-called McCaskill trilogy, covering the first centennial of Montana's statehood from 1889 to 1989.
In summary, Ivan Doig was an American author best known for his books set in Montana, which celebrated the wilderness and landscape of the area and the lives of the people who lived there. His works were influenced by his personal experiences and regional history, and he has been hailed as the new dean of western literature. Doig's major themes include family life in the past and the western landscape, and his notable works include "This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind" and the McCaskill trilogy.