![]() 36 Years After Oregon's Timber Wars, New Novel Addresses the FalloutMicah Thorp's Aegolius Creek is a riveting story about the clash between environmentalists, landowners, and competing interests over the fate of an endangered vole.
The next four years saw a repeat of occurrences like these, until finally, changing tactics, environmentalists were able to protect the trees through means of an endangered animal, The Northern Spotted Owl. The owl resides in the old growth trees, making it necessary to preserve the trees in order to preserve the bird. Enter Don Karlsson, author Micah Thorp's fictional character in his forthcoming novel, Aegolius Creek. Don happily tends the timber on his land—timber he has planted, replenished and will harvest for income. But when an endangered vole is discovered on Don's land and environmentalists step in, he puts up a fight. His children step in: his daughter, a fierce attorney determined to represent Don's interests—even if they go against her own; and a son who organizes local environmentalists to make sure his father does not win. Loyalties are tested, and the conflict ripples throughout the community as a courtroom battle spills over into protests and riots. Micah Thorp, an author, physician, and lifelong Oregonian, says, "I wrote Aegolius Creek to describe the impact of the cultural and economic changes that occurred during the Timber Wars of the 1980s and 90s on local communities and families. Those changes have been multigenerational, longstanding, and offer insight into how we might manage similar social changes in the future." Oregonians will recognize other local concerns in Aegolius Creek, such as the the wildfires that have ravaged the region, and the intrusion of outside interests looking for profit. The novel is also a moving portrait of a family reeling from loss but bound by longstanding loyalties and, of course, love. Earlier books by the author have received a Next Generation Indie Book Award and a Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award. Aegolius Creek was recently awarded a 2025 Independent Book Publisher Award for West-Pacific Best Regional Fiction. The novel is available now for preorder before its September 16, 2025 release. For more information, visit: https://typeeighteenbooks.com. Contact Mary Vensel White, Publisher Type Eighteen Books ***@typeeighteenbooks.com Photo: https://www.prlog.org/ End
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