Montana Books

I love Jessy and had read the books out of sequence as I found them to buy.
This was not my favorite in the series but each person has their own choice in that respect.
It was a good book to read and I enjoyed it, especially learning more about Jessy's life and her interactions with Ty on the ranch teaching him the "ropes" of working on a ranch with animals.

This 1983 title was one installment in Dailey's multivolume saga of the Calder family. Sixteen-year-old Ty Calder's head is turned by a beautiful young girl, who tries to lure him into plundering the land for the coal that lies beneath it. Can the local girl who secretly loves Ty.

---------- Reviewed by Janet Sue Terry, author of the contemporary romance, "Set Me Free" series. Book 1 - Possibilities and Book 2 - Resolutions. Newest release is Just Our Best Short Stories 2005. www.janetsueterry.com.

I love Janet Dailey's books and have read just about all she has written. But on this book I was disappointed to see all the women,Maggie, Jessy and Sally letting the men in their live get away with murder. They take the men's disloyality and don't show any backbone especially Jessy who time and again allow Ty to come back to her after going back to his spoiled wife Tara. I don't care if Tara is beautiful or not he really should have looked deeper at her character. Other than this I enjoyed this book but not as much as soon of Janet Dailey other book. I would look to buy more of her books in the future.

I really enjoyed Calder Born, Calder Bred as a single book and as a generational series. Ty pretty much turned outlike to his father, Cal.

For a series, Janet Dailey did a fantastic job. I have enjoyed all of her books in this series, as a series and as individual books.

The research and knowledge she puts in her books about ranching is fantastic. I come from a farming community, as a young girl, and their were lots of ranches around us. She hit the nail on the head with the way the family career in ranching is done, or at least to the way it was done back then.

Out of all the calder series, I love this one the best. Jessy is the woman all of us would love to be....feminine, tough, ladylike, loyal, beautiful in the way the land needed, not just "prissy". Ty needs someone to stand with him, not to be a "trophy". The loss of Maggie is so difficult; Chase just isn't the same without her; I love seeing Cat grow up and the changes in all the characters. I have even learned to like Culley. The love he has for Maggie and Cat is wonderful and touching. I have been through 2 copies already and will choose this one when i want a real look at the calder's. What a wonderful way to escape.....

Just want to recommend this book to other mothers of sons. It's a very unique book in that it's not about the details of raising boys, rather it's about how our culture and learned behaviors lead us, as moms, to distance ourselves from our sons. When we come to understand this unconscious behavior we can counteract it and have the lasting connection we want.

The author is indifferent regarding the development of masculine characteristics. The positive reviews seem to be from readers who sought the book because it reinforces their own predisposition to raising children androgenously. That does not make this a good book.

When I was pregnant with my second child, my first boy, I worried a lot about raising him successfully when I had almost no family experience with boys (coming from a family with no brothers, and an often absent father). I knew I wanted to help him avoid all the pitfalls of modern manhood (made vivid by a reading of the book, "The McGill Report on Male Intimacy"). All of the books I had read seemed to come from an "Iron John" perspective or be a sort of vague, New Agey feel-good book, but none of them offered concrete steps and clear facts until I read "The Courage To Raise Good Men." Here at last was a book that told me what my heart should have known all along: just love him like he's a child becoming an adult, and don't try to push him at all (he'll grow up even if you don't push!). This book is not written from a feminist perspective but it would suit any feminist's needs in trying to figure out how to raise a boy into a well-balanced human who happens to be male.

I came to the dialog of gender issues from a feminist perspective. I believed, after becoming the mother of two boys, that I pretty much understood gender issues as they related to boys...that is until my two and half year old wanted to buy purple boots. All of a sudden I found myself concerned (afraid!) of what other mothers and his peers would say (or think) about those purple boots. Without shaming him outloud, I subtly directed him toward the dark blue pair. I was totally amazed at my own fear of bending gender rules for a boy! I would have bought combat boots or any other kind of "boy" attire for a daughter but I could not bring myself to allow him to wear something others might find too "feminine". That was three years ago. After having read this book, I am now noticing all the other ways I have subtly or not-so-subtly directed him along a culturally acceptable gender path. And I consider myself to be a feminist. This book was my first exposure to the idea that I won't harm my boys by allowing them the freedom to express themselves, however that might look. This book was my first exposure to the idea that mothers don't harm their sons by loving them passionately and joyfully. I am so grateful for having read this book and I am going to buy it for at least 3 other mothers I know who are raising boys. This should be required reading for ALL parents of boys!!!

When I found out I was having a boy, I was distressed, given that I come from a family of all girls and had no experience with boys. I also don't find most men very appealing on a human level. I doubted my ability to have and maintain a close relationship with a boy-man and this was a matter of some sadness to me.

This book exposed my expectations for what they were - socially induced, i.e. mothers shouldn't be too close to their male children, or they will emasculate them, etc. It is a brilliant book with many compelling examples and its arguments are wholly consistent with common sense and instinct. My husband read some of it and thought its hypothesis was obvious, but it is strikingly different in its prescriptions than any other book on raising boys that I have read. (For instance, the "Wonder of Boys," which says mothers have to leave their sons alone, let them be driven by testosterone into competitiveness, roughness, and machoism, and basically seems to take the attitude that mothers are responsible for most problems their boys have growing up.

This is a positive, hopeful book, displaying warmth and compassion, and seems much more pyschologically sound. It should be required reading of all mothers, along with "Real Boys" of Pollock, which is its more recent successor.

Dances With Wolves tells the story of a white man's first encounter with Native Americans. In a stomach-knotting scene, Red Willow's Quest relates the opposite side of the coin when a Native American woman first encounters those paragons of virtue and culture--the white men who settled the West.

Red Willow is a terrific heroine, a study in paradox. She is larger than life with feet of clay, fearless in the face of nagging fears, and conservative even while she flauts convention. She surpases her human limitations when she dwells in the high worlds of Spirit. At once larger than life, Red Willow is genuinely human. She is what is best in all of us.

This enjoyable and highly readable book has a dream-like quality to it--at times brilliant and at times just short of the mark. It was as if the author had seen these lands only in dreams and some of the visceral and tactile quality I was looking for was missing. As a student of dreams, however, I feel that in spite of any historical inaccuracies, her representation of meeting her vision had a real "been there" feel to it. And it is that connection to the Inner World that sets this book apart. I look forward to the next chapter in Vision Woman's story.

Author of Shipmates

A wonderful story that keeps the reader guessing what will be the outcome. Carefully researched and realistically told. I enjoyed Red Willow's Quest from beginning to end. The story includes active, adventure and romance. The characters are vividly drawn and plot uplifting despite the many hardships Red Willow must go through on her quest to become a medicine woman. I would recommend this book to teens and up. The book is a primer in learning to follow your dreams and listen to your heart.

The world of the Plains Indians has always been a powerful draw for me. When the movie Dances with Wolves came out, I went to see it three times. So, when I found out Heidi Skarie's book, Red Willow's Quest, was set in the early 1800's in the Rocky Mountains I was eager to visit that world again. Red Willow's Quest is the story of a young Shoshoni woman beginning her spiritual journey to become a medicine woman. The descriptive narration reads much like the passages of her diary giving the reader an intimate look inside Red willow's mind, heart, and soul. Red willow struggles to step free of the confining boundaries society had, and still does, set for a woman. Everything, including the rugged landscape becomes an obstacle, attempting to stop her from achieving her goal. Red Willow's greatest obstacle, however, was her awakening feelings of love for a Koottenai warrior. That love interfered with the path she thought her life should take. Thank you, Heidi, for a chance to go back to that time and learn about a heroine whose spiritual culture graced every facet of life.

This book has come to my attention as a Tribal Education Department administrator. The efforts to portray accurate information particularly to our youth is never ending. This book has some glaring flaws that overshadow the value of the story. The State of Montana has passed legislation to ban the use of the word "squaw" in all place names at the request of the Montana Indian tribes. This is a derogatory term and is inaccurately portrayed. The spiritual content of the story does not accurately portray any tribe I am aware of. I do not recommend this book for children.

What is a lyrical adventure? One that captures the feelings, the tension, the imagery, the pace, the challenge, the passion, the splendor, the quest for survival in days gone by, and makes the reader feel that they are right there in the moment with the characters. The saga of a lovely indian maiden maturing into the role of medicine woman of her tribe is fascinating. My great grandmother was of the Cherokee tribe. She served her people similarly with her knowledge of plants, herbs, and natures healing secrets. Someday I will write her story. But for now I savor Ms. Skarie's representation of life in the early 1800's. She mentions in her foreword someone experiencing a past life as a Native American woman. Maybe Shirley MacClaine is on to something! Past lives? Dreams? Reincarnation? Is it possible that we have all lived before? If so that would mean we are all on a great spiritual or mystical adventure. But, back to this book. Accompanied by her dog, Wind-Chaser and a warrior, Red Willow triumphs over opposition, adversity and danger. Life then was alternately harsh, cruel and beautiful. The book attempts to accurately portray the past, using the language and biting terms of that era. Some passages are painfully honest, but that was 1800. Compare it to today's society, and see how far we have come in our efforts as a nation, as people, as individuals who respect and do not intentionally harm each other. Poignant and well-written.

I have always loved stories about the West and this book opened up a whole new world. The attitudes, traditions, and the roles of women in the Dakota tribes are fascinating. Reading stories like this helps me understand my own culture a little more and what there is to be learned. Very entertaining as well as educational.

As a child obsessed with the Sioux tribes, I begged my grandmother to buy me this book. I was not sorry.
In addition to being one of the best stories I've ever read, this was a fantastic look at the old ways of the Dakota.
This is a great book, and not just for people who are already interested in the subject, although that certainly can't hurt.
Oh, just read the book already.

A really spell binding book. I found it hard to put down. This is a very good way to understand how living in tiwahe and tiospaye is. A good way for one to understand the importance of relationship and kinship in Lakota culture.

I really enjoyed this book. I looked forward to reading it every chance I got. It was so interesting and easy to read that it seemed to take just hours to complete it. Right away the book starts with a courageous Lakota woman who manages to give birth to the main character, Waterlily, by herself. From there, you learn of an interesting group of people who have a love and respect for their kin in a way that I have never heard of.

This is one of the best books I've read in some time--I just couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it to anyone at all interested in the Native American way of life.

This is a good book. I liked the people in it and the stories were interesting. There was a lot of stuff here I never knew before.

This book seems more intent on making a case that women were overlooked as pilots rather than on telling their story. None of the women come to life; rather than presenting fresh information, this book recycles anecdotes and headlines into a narrative. The listing of the names and backgrounds of the women who participated in the WASPs and in the astronaut training program resembles nothing as much as a litany of saints, with no fleshing out of them as real people. And the author applies today's standards retroactively and asks "why" rather than explains the reasons for the prevailing attitude of the times, and in one MAJOR instance the author presents discredited information as truth.

Jackie Cochran was not an orphan, and she grew up with her biological family; she invented the story of being an orphan for Life Magazine. And she didn't pick the name "Cochran" at random; Cochran was the name of her first husband. This error is made all the more egregious by the way the author makes the mystery of Jackie's origin a lynchpin of her story, stating that the letter informing her who her parents were remained sealed until her husband's death, whereupon it was burned! The author obviously did no original research, but simply repeated the standard story.

There is a real story about women aviators in the 20th century, but this isn't where to look to find it. What must have really happened is faintly visible between the lines, despite the author's attempts to simplify the story and give it a soft golden glow. These women deserve better.

Hainsworth and Toomey have done an excellent job in creating an overview of women as pilots and the special challenges they met in WWII through the Mercury Astronaut testing program. Their research is sound, the writing is easy to digest. They do credit to two groups of women who have been often kept from the history books.

The stories of women innovators always excite, but the story told by Haynsworth and Toomey is inspirational. More than a feel-good book, however, this book ranks as the best historical text I've read since "The Rape of Europa." Amelia Earhart's Daughters should make its way into all high-school reading lists. The stories of these unknown angels are vital components of the story of women in the 20th Century.

I picked up this book on a friend's recommendation and with few expectations. I had had no interest in aviation, am a tremulous airplane passenger, and when my fourth grade class assembled to watch the histoic moon landing, I had more interest in one small boy next to me than I did in one small step for man. Not anymore. Haynsworth's and Toomey's gripping narrative style and rigorous scholarship provide what few history books do, page-turning excitement. This book conveys the miraculous wonder that spectators must have experienced at early barn-storming events: breathless amazement at mankind flying high and fast beyond the clouds and straight into the impossible. From contraptions of wood and wire, barely recognizable as planes, to 6.2 million pound machines hurtling through the air at speeds of 6,000 miles an hour, Amelia Earhart's Daughters presents the great scope of the history of women in aviation. Walk, run, hell, fly to your nearest bookstore and pick up this book, you'll be glad you did and grateful to these pioneer women aviators and the authors for letting you share the ride.

If you have seen all the first year's television episodes nothing is new here. However, when the daily routine is too much it is nice to be able to sit and visit at our leisure with friends in Ballyk. Humor and drama without blood or recreational sex. I liked it enough, even after having seen all the tv episodes, to want the 2nd volume.

Ok. I absolutely adore the programme and I love and respect all the actors and actresses and the writers etc. but the book was a letdown. That's all I have to say. There was not at all enough detail, not even when explaining the whole of the sexual tension thing which was going on.

I advise evryone to just stick to the tv programme. It was a lot more descriptive. But, hey if you are a true fan like me you would enjoy the book anyway. I would not advise the book to anyopne who hasn't watched the seiries.

That says it all. And I loved the PBS series. Very funny, very good at capturing life in a small village in Ireland.

a warm and wonderful book for all ballykissangle fans. I love to read this book when the show is not the air. I recommend the second volume; a sense of place as well. I only wish they would write another volume!

Based on the series with the same name, Ballykissangel is a wonderfully delightful book. The characters are comical but real, interesting and so very likeable. I look forward to each coming installment although, unfortunately, I do know how the story ends. I would encourage anyone who does not know the whole storyline to purchase each subsequent edition of the book- the ending is absolutely shocking! I cried for hours! It would be good if more stories like Ballykissangel were written - stories with real characters that you learn to love.

I love cookbooks that live...Big Sky does just that...it lives in all families. The recipes take you to a family dinner or a friendly get together. Big Sky brings wonderful recipes together with family and friends. What else is there.

Beautifully done. Pictures magnificent. Recipes unique. I gave this book as a gift to a friend who grew up in Montana... she was thrilled!!!!

The authors experienced a frantic Manhattan lifestyle tempered by visits to Montana until they bought a ranch and become involved in the food traditions of the area. When passionate cook Ellen Wright discovered the area's blend of fresh game and ingredients, she joined them and BIG SKY COOKING WITH REFLECTIONS features a fine blend of full-page color photos, recipes, and dishes steeped in Montana ingredients. Sesame-Soy Venison Chops, Elk Pepper Steaks, and Bison Osso Busco aren't dishes you'll find many other places, either.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Interesting book to read as well as some really good recipes

This book is filled with excellent recipes that are different from your every day common recipes. An excellent addition to my wife's cook book collection.
One recipe in the book "McCleod's Hot Mustard" is worth the price of the book.
Carl Robinson

I just got this book from my girlfreind and I wasn't that excited when i got it. A christian novel is a very strange thing for me.
Besides that, I live in Miles City, I work at "The Fort", and by other peoples dubbing I am a cowboy, not that I really think so. The book was a great read. I flew through this book in about 12 hours and I thought it was a great book. He brought in the discriptions of the area and the thoughts of this community great. I also liked his use of spiritualilty without making it a fire and brimstone chrisian novel. I almost didn't know that John Moore was that kind of author until later. I think I would have passes on reading this if he woulden't have drawn me in with the opening of the story, talking about the straind relationship of a young man living with a hard headed father on a ranch, which i have experienced and I can say he is very accurate to the experience.

GREAT BOOK

Good book! Some who start this story find it slow in the beginning. In a way I suppose it is. But the author starts it off in this way, I feel, because he is laying a foundation ... not just for the rest of the story, but also for the main character, Ezra Riley. Strong foundations can't be laid quickly, they need to be built layer by layer to be effective. In the foundation of The Breaking of Ezra Rily we see what it really means to be a Cowboy. As said before, it's not the Hollywood romanticized version, it's gritty and real. Throughout this beginning, the author shows who Ezra's parents and extended family are and we see how they influence who Ezra becomes.

About a third of the way in, Ezra's makes a choice, and it's here that the pace of the book picks up. Ezra finds that his father doesn't understand that his way of life is too hard on his poetic nature, so one day, without a word, he leaves. He wanders the open road becoming a "hippy", dabbles in eastern religion, hallucinogens, and the culture of the early 70's. (He even studies martial arts in a monastery in the mountains.)

Ezra eventually realizes, that the land he grew up in is such a part of him, that he must return and what eventually brings him home is his Father, the man who drove him away.

Throughout the novel there is a struggle between loving the land and the cowboy way, but not wanting to be owned by it. A powerful metaphor in my eyes.

This is a Christian novel, but it is the only recent Christian novel I've read that reveals the Christianity I've practiced and come to know. The author was not content with just telling the tale of how his character found faith, he makes it richer by revealing what walking in faith is all about AFTER coming to Christ.

The struggle between us and God, us and our fellow man, as well as the powers of darkness that try to influence us- all of it's in this book.

Ezra deals with a paganist nutcase, a witch, a millionaire who offers him everything he's ever dreamed of-for a cost of course, the generational curses upon his family, a friend who has the charisma but none of the character to be a "preacher man", thereby allowing Ezra to experience most of the pitfalls of Christian ministry.

If you get this book and start reading it, "don't quit the critter". Keep reading. It's worth it!

The Breaking of Ezra Riley has been my favorite novel for a number of years now. It has something that most "Christian" fiction lacks, even though I do enjoy a lot of Christian fiction. It is real, honest, and raw. I found myself relating with the main character and his struggles throughout the book. I think the message of this book speaks to men especially, most men who have grown up in the last century. You can't read this book and not sympathize with the main character and all he goes through to come face to face with his father and the truth about himself. If you have never known the love of a Father I highly recommend that you read this book.

I have had the pleasure of corresponding with John L. Moore and purchasing other books from him. He is a very genuine man. Some of the out of print books available in limited numbers by the author. I highly recommend this fabulous book. While not a fast reader, I was able to complete the saga of Exra Riley in a matter of a few days. One does not wish to put the book down and I often would tell myself ,"just one more chapter." This novel hit me in the right time and place and has me aching for wild spaces. It has been an encouragement as well, especially for all of us who feel that we don't measure up in some way.

This was given to me as a gift, and I really didn't know what I'd think of it. I've never been one for Cowboy books, I've never once read Louis L'amour. So to be quite honest, I really didn't care if this was a read that I'd put down half way through. Well, after the first chapter I found myself looking at my wife saying, "Ya know, this isn't half bad." That was kind of an understatement, it was awesome!

So you REALLY want to read about Montana? You want to read about horses, possibly learn about what ranch life is all about? Are you ready for this? Is this the adventure you're looking for? You'll find out. Ezra Riley is the man who comes back home to stay after his daddy's funeral. His daddy is Johnny Riley, and everybody knows ole' Johnny. One tough sonuvagun that Johnny. Ezra has his Uncle Sam and Solomon still alive in these parts of Montana, and they still speak their mind when the time comes. Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song called "The Great Adventure" and it starts out with him singing in excitement, "Saddle up your horses!!!" If you read this men, or anybody for that matter, saddle up, and hold on tight!

One of the key themes in this is "Don't quit the critter." Now, living in New York, I think I even get the simple meaning of such a honky-tonk phrase. Is it that simple? Yep, and it packs quite a punch. It isn't as graceful as say, fly fishing, but it separates the men from the boys, so to speak. This wasn't an easy read at times. You feel some of the discouragement. But finish it if you start it, and you'll feel as if you earned a great prize. The simple prize of finishing, and persevering! That should at least be worth something.

"The Christmas Menorahs" witnesses an event that
reveals how an ordinarily silent majority can address
a hate-mongering minority effectively. It can be done!
Story is beautifully told and illustrated. Good for
children as well as adults.

This is a very important book - written for children yet making the story accessible to many adults too. Would that all adults could set the example of the adults in this story.

Our kids have turned this into a play, which they have enacted the past three years at Chanukah. It's an important about tolerance fighting hate.

This is an important story for Jewish and non-Jewish children.

This is one of the best books for kids during the holidays (or year round for that matter). It's great for adults too, I look forward to reading it every Hanukah.

I remember that night in December 1993. As Christians, we displayed the full paged Menorah from the Billings Gazette in our window. It was a message to the skinhead(s) that hatred and bigotry have NO place in Billings, Montana or anywhere else.

Big Sky is certainly a nice book, with lots of illustrations and good Montana-specific info. It would have been better if it was a bit more comprehensive, however Horner sticks to just the well known formations like Hell Creek, Judith river, Two Medicine, etc. He also skimps a bit on the contemporaries of the dinosaurs, which is a shame. Some of the appendix information would have been more useful to the layman had it been discussed earlier in the bok instead of stuck way in the back. All in all, it's worth a buy, especially if you're actually *from* Montana.

Jack Horner is one of the most important - if not THE most important - living paleontologists in the world. What a treat that he is such a great and prolific writer, too! Dr. Horner combines a laconic, easy-going humor with clear explanations of complex scientific concepts and facts. He is extremely easy to read without ever being pandering. I read this book with my seven-year old son; he and I were able to comprehend virtually everything Dr. Horner discussed. There is so much information packed into this book that we've re-read parts of it several times now.
Dr. Horner does not simply describe the dinosaurs of Montana; far from it. He also discusses all aspects of paleontological work, including geology, stratigraphy and how to approach a dig. This gives the reader a clear idea of what happens in the field. Additionally, Dr. Horner is a global, wide-ranging thinker, who makes many and subtle connections to reach his conclusions. It's fascinating to have this glimpse into his brain through this book. Dr. Horner himself stated that this is the book he wished HE had had when he was starting out as a dinosaur hunter. Indeed, he's done all of us dinosaur and fossil aficionados a great favor by writing it for laypeople.
I recommend this book for people whose interest in dinosaurs and paleontology rise above the "gee whiz" level and who are fascinated by the science of paleontology.

This book was OK for those who live in Montana. It seemed disjointed and incomplete. I would have liked more illustrations and MANY more examples of the fossils you could find. Some of his theories don't seem to have a lot of scientific support. (T-Rex being a scavenger, etc.)

Dinosuars/Big Sky is well written and excellently illustrated. It provides a basic history of bone hunting in Montana and a "how-to" of conducting field research. It also discusses the various geologic formations of the Mesozoic in Montana. All of this is illustrated with appropriate graphics and period and contemporary photos. As is the case with most well-written dino books of the past decade, Horner also discusses the paleo-environmental information that the geologic data provide - how paleontologists know in what setting the various dinos lived. An appendix clarifies some of the sometimes confusing anatomical terms that are used when discussing dino skeletons.
Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, at 60 pages the longest, discuss where Montana's Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous geologic formations are found and the dinos that have been found in them. It is arguable that the info on the geologic formations could have been better placed with the dinos rather than separately.
The only weak part of Dinosaurs/Big Sky lies in a couple of erratic metric to imperial measurement conversions and the pronunciations given with the descriptions of each dinosaur.
Paleontologists are not experts on classical or church Latin pronunciation or the vagaries of classical Greek pronunciation, and most paleontologists end up pronouncing the dinos' names with much inflection from their native languages, but Horner or his editor have not managed to be consistent from one page to the next in this section. Some pronunciations are incorrect by any standard. Richardoestesia gilmorei, for example, twice has its genus name butchered - both wrong.
All in all, this is an excellent introductory to mid-level book for anyone interested in North American dinosaurs and how professionals do field work.

I LIKED THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT GAVE YOU INFORMATION ABOUT DINOSAURS.