Idaho’s first out LGBTQ+ lawmaker’s journey through gender, power, and disobedience in one of the most beautiful and politically hostile states in the nation

Cole LeFavour was 11-years-old when their unconventional and loving parents uprooted their family and purchased a ranch in the rugged landscape of Idaho, known for its pristine lakes, emerald green hillsides, and towering pines. Set against the backdrop of brewing rural rebellion, Cole and their sister came of age in the remote and seemingly infinite wild of the backcountry.

By the time they left for college, Cole was beginning to grapple with their own queer and nonbinary identity and the grim trajectory they faced returning home to a rural and conservative red state. In the Arms of Mountains traces the contours of Cole’s unique life—from formative years connected to the land to working as a fire lookout and lone backcountry ranger to joining anti-apartheid protests in Berkely and later becoming Idaho’s first openly queer lawmaker. Haunting yet hopeful and full of fight, Cole recounts surprising relationships encountered in the marble halls of power and navigating the gravitational pull of a romantic relationship amidst the strain and stress of organizing masses of people fighting for the most basic of rights.

As extremism is on the rise, In the Arms of Mountains is a cautionary yet inspiring story of the power of political resistance in places you least expect it.