“Outstanding memoir . . . as well as closely observed, poignant, and wistful.”—C. J. Box

A Sometimes Paradise is a poignant journey into the rugged beauty and challenges of Wyoming ranch life that shaped Mark Miller as a boy and then as a young man. Through countless failures and occasional successes, Mark learned to adapt to this unique rural environment, forging an unbreakable connection with the land. An eloquent memoir of resilience and self-discovery, A Sometimes Paradise is a testament to the enduring spirit of the American West and the people who call it home.

Best Book Award Winner, Narrative Nonfiction

Readers’ Favorite Gold Award, Genealogy

Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite, Western Nonfiction

IPPY Bronze Award, Regional Nonfiction

Wyoming Historical Society Publications,
First Place, Memoir

Selected as Wyoming’s adult “Great Reads from
Great Places” (National Book Festival)

Our thanks to Dalton Darnell and 310 Ranch Life for the video of the I Lazy D Ranch.

Paradise Natl Book Festival Sept 2025.png

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AVAILABLE NOW!

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“This is an original Wyoming work and one
of its most compelling.”

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Meet Mark E. Miller, PhD

Mark was raised on his family’s ranch in Carbon County, Wyoming, working there for 33 years until after he finished a PhD in anthropology. Following graduate work . . .

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Latest Newsletters

From the Baltic Sea to the Wyoming Plains

Before Wyoming had fences or towns, a young Danish immigrant named Ike Miller stood on a windswept ridge in Carbon County and made a decision that would define generations. My great-grandfather Ike was a deliberate man, conscious of the weight of history and driven to create a lasting legacy. Born in 1844 on Møn, an 84–square-mile island off Denmark’s southeastern coast, he grew up knowing his future was uncertain.

Nov 142 min read

The Dam That Didn’t Stand a Chance

The HO pasture was our winter range in the early 1980s, a broad sweep of Wyoming land where cattle roamed far and wide. Getting to the eastern reaches to check the herd meant crossing Dirtyman Draw, and that was never easy. The two-track road dropped down into a cut that sometimes ran twenty feet deep and then crossed the drainage channel where Dirtyman spilled into Seminoe Reservoir. When the reservoir was full, the shoreline turned into a soggy mess, too wet to cross.

Aug 302 min read

A Messy Suspension

My dad typically hired young boys to help on the ranch, and our relatives were no exception. My stepson, Shawn, and his cousin worked for him one summer, but they mostly played. They also got into things they shouldn’t have, as young boys do.

Jun 293 min read

This Isn’t the Fourth of July

My dad typically hired young boys to help on the ranch, and our relatives were no exception. My stepson, Shawn, and his cousin worked for him one summer, but they mostly played. They also got into things they shouldn’t have, as young boys do.

May 273 min read

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In the Press

Columnist Candy Moulton writes, “I recently read of ‘A Sometimes Paradise’ by Mark Miller. This is a gritty, poignant account of ranching in Carbon County that reflects the impact Miller’s family had on the land — and how the land itself shaped his life.” Read more of her review here!

Candy Moutlon

Cowboy State Daily – Laramie Boomerang

“This is an original Wyoming work and one of its most compelling.”