Former undersheriff pens new novel

What do you get when you cross a drifter, a biker, a college graduate and an undersheriff from Sanders County?

You get Rube Wrightsman — local author, lawman and former hermit from Hot Springs.

Wrightsman's journey began in a small Midwestern town, bouncing between dead-end jobs before earning a business degree from Ohio State. At 24, with a diploma in hand and a hunger for adventure, he hit the road on a BSA motorcycle alongside his biker buddy Bruno. 

Their trip west spanned over 10,000 miles and included a brief, unsuccessful attempt at becoming a songwriter in Nashville. During his brief career as a song writer, Wrightsman, in conjunction with country music artist Jimmy Riddle, who was noted for his appearances on the TV show Hee Haw, recorded a song, called “It’s a good thing cows can’t fly.” The album the song was on was never released. Eventually, Wrightsman’s travels led him to northwest Montana.

What followed was 25 years of off-the-grid living in a hand-built, earth-sheltered cabin near Paradise — without electricity or plumbing. During this hermit chapter, Wrightsman worked a series of gritty, low-paying jobs, many of which others wouldn’t touch. In between, he put pen to paper, writing a local newspaper column titled Hey Rube for the Clark Fork Valley Press and contributing to a handful of magazines.

At age 50, Wrightsman took a sharp turn in his life’s trajectory, joining the Plains Police Department as a reserve officer. Not long after, he was asked to serve as the sole reserve deputy for the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office. In 2003, he was named undersheriff under Sheriffs Gene Arnold and later Tom Rummel, a role he held until retiring in 2012.

With 22 years of law enforcement behind him, Wrightsman returned to writing — this time, with a novel in mind. The spark for his debut book first flickered in Costa Rica. 

“I wanted to write a novel that was different from anything I’d ever read,” Wrightsman explained. “My goal was to write the best novel I’m capable of.”

The result is "Let the Rivers Clap Their Hands," a gritty, character-driven tale about Shelly Stamper, a tough, headstrong truck-driving cowgirl from Peapatch, West Virginia. Shelly partners with fellow trucker Deke McConahay as the two head west, only to find the road as wild and unpredictable in 1973 as it was in 1873. Her relentless thirst for adventure eventually leads her into a harrowing confrontation that she must face alone. The story winds its way across the country, culminating in Montana.

The novel took six years to complete, with the final touches wrapped up in June 2024. Every location featured in the story is real — meticulously researched and personally visited by Wrightsman himself. “I did not know the ending of the novel until I got there,” Wrightsman commented.

These days, he splits his time between writing, running a small horse ranch with his wife Mary Ann — a retired schoolteacher from Hot Springs — and promoting his new book. He also shares his passion for storytelling by teaching writing workshops.

"I'm having fun promoting the book," Wrightsman said with a smile.

His promotional tour has taken him to Missoula for several appearances, with an upcoming book signing scheduled for the Plains Library on May 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. His books are available on Amazon.com and can also be ordered directly at saddletramprube.com.