Super Short Summary

Desert Solitaire is Edward Abbey’s 1968 memoir of his six months serving as a park ranger in Utah’s Arches National Park in the late 1950s. Throughout the book, Abbey describes his vivid encounters with nature in various forms, from animals and storms to rock formations and mountains, emphasizing his reverence for the natural world and disdain for humanity's intrusion. Abbey resides in a small trailer, befriends gopher snakes, and avoids human company, seeking deeper communion with the wild. His adventures include a cattle rescue, a manhunt for a lost tourist, a horse search, and explorations of remote areas. Abbey interacts with stoic companions and has one notable conversation with a visitor. The book deals with themes of loneliness, death, and nature's harsh realities.