In the Hands of the Fisherman

On a quiet night in early 1996, Bob Sorenson finds himself alone as he skis the Luce Line Trail—a former rail road grade turned multi-use trail in the prairie of western Minnesota. His friends are somewhere ahead in the deepening dark, but his thoughts lay somewhere else. As Bob travels the trail, trying to catch up with his buddies, the solitude sends his mind wandering into the past, to warm summers with his family—and one particularly cold day fishing with his father. Tales of angleworms, sunfish, and an all but forgotten uncle warm the cold night, but as the temperature continues to drop, Bob’s memories won’t protect him from the Minnesota winter. Bob isn’t the only one whose midwinter travels could have a bad outcome. A missed turn off the trail leads him to a discovery that propels Bob out of the past and into the present as his friends join him in unravelling the mystery. Based on actual events, In the Hands of the Fisherman is equal parts introspection and adventure.


Tim Swanson has worked as a Land Surveyor, Mortgage Loan Officer, and Construction Manager. For the last twenty seven years he has owned and operated an excavation and demolition business. He has been writing poetry since he was fourteen, and has kept a daily journal since June of 1979. He has been a serious cross country skiing competitor and an occasional fisherman. Tim lives with his wife in St. Paul, Minnesota. In The Hands Of The Fisherman is his first completed book.