By Harald Wyndham

Bookstore owner Will Peterson’s first novel, nine years in the making, has a provocative title: Crawl On Your Belly Like a Man.

This intentional mixing of snake and human imagery in the title—of self-effacement and Western machismo—sets the stage for an intriguing narrative from “Feral” Errol Husky, who returns to southeastern Idaho in mid-life accompanied by Kyrie, a falcon that is more companion than pet.