Montana Books

This is a fun book that provides some great Montana travel tips. Stevens primarily focuses on haunted locations you can visit, but in many of the comments at the end of each section she also provides information about other unique places in the area to visit. Stevens' tips will provide travelers with an intimate experience of Montana.

I also really enjoyed how the sections were divided up so the reader knows how likely it is to encounter something at each location. The stories and personal experiences provided for each location give the reader a bit of history, insight into the ghostly activity and a desire to visit each place in person.

Haunted Montana is an entertaining book in and of itself, but it is also a useful tool for those looking to visit Montana.

Want to hang around a haunted hotel, have lunch at a haunted restaurant or listen to other-worldly voices at a haunted batttlefield? Find out where and how to find ghosts all over Montana. Grab your camera -- no matter where you go under the Big Sky, the author knows a haunted site not too far away. This travel guide to the supernatural will appeal to the curious, the just-for-fun, and the serious ghost hunters who want to know where to find their next chilling tale.

Karen Stevens' book "Haunted Montana: A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Haunted Places You Can Visit -If You Dare!" focuses on haunted places in Montana that are accessible to the public, so that you too can go and try to experience the spooky goings-on yourself! This is a guidebook for ghost hunters in Montana, as Stevens is an avid ghost hunter herself.

While this book does cover some of the most famous sites in Montana mentioned in previous Montana ghost books by Munn and Baumler, such as the Grandstreet Theater in Helena, and Virginia City, it is different in several ways:

1. Stevens covers only publicly accessible sites, no private homes, so that you can go and do a little investigating yourself.

2. Stevens adds some new sites, especially in eastern Montana, not covered
before.

3. One of the best features is a ranking of the frequency of ghostly activity at the site, whether low, moderate, or high; very useful to the novice ghost hunter

Following is a listing of the sites this book covers, first the town (or closest town) and then the sites themselves:

Anaconda: Copper Village Museum and Art Center (originally Anaconda City Hall); Anaconda Copper Company Smelter site with stack

Bannack State Park: Meade Hotel; Bessette House; Grasshopper Creek; Old Jail

Big Hole Valley: Big Hole National Battlefield; Chief Joseph Pass

Billings: Western Heritage Center (originally Parmly Billings Memorial Library); Union Depot/"The Beanery"restaurant; Juliano's Restaurant; Parmly Billings Library

Bozeman: Casa Sanchez restaurant; MSU Strand Union Theater

Browning: Highway 464/Duck Lake Road, between Browning and Babb

Butte: Arts Chateau Museum (originally Charles Walker Clark Mansion); Rookwood Speakeasy (originally Rookwood Hotel); old Hirbour barbershop; old City Hall Jail

Deer Lodge: Old Montana Territorial Prison; Grant-Kohrs Ranch

Fort Peck: Fort Peck Summer Theater; Fort Peck Hotel

Fromberg: Little Cowboy Bar

Gallatin Gateway: Gallatin Gateway Inn

Garnet (ghost town): Kelly's Saloon; J. K. Wells Hotel

Great Falls: Tracy's 24-Hour Family Restaurant (originally Stanton Bank & Trust foundations and Hank's Hamburger Haven); Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art(originally Central High School); Black Horse Lake (near Great Falls, north on Highway 87, near mile marker 9)

Hamilton: Marcus Daly National Historic Site ("Riverside" mansion)

Hardin (Crow Agency): Little Bighorn Battlefield

Havre: Park Hotel; Havre Railroad Museum and Havre Beneath the Streets (underground display of exhibits); Oxford Bar

Helena: Grandstreet Theater

Highway 382 (Perma to Hot Springs): Markle Hill

Hobson: Meadow Brook Farm (Bed and Breakfast)

Hysham: South of Interstate 94: the old Bridger Trail (?)

Kalispell: Conrad Mansion

Lincoln: Hotel Lincoln

Miles City: Club 519 (originally First National Bank); Olive Hotel (originally Leighton Hotel)

Missoula: Fort Missoula

Nevada City: Nevada City Hotel

Red Lodge: Pollard Hotel

Reed Point: Hotel Montana and Wild Horse Saloon

Virginia City: Many of the buildings have ghost incidents, including Bennett House (now aB&B), Wells Fargo Coffee House (originally Buford Store); Bonanza Inn(originally a Catholic hospital), Bonanza House (originally nun's rectory), Opera House and rehearsal hall behind.

West Glacier: Belton Chalet and railroad station

All in all, "Haunted Montana" is a splendid addition to Montana's ghost lore,and especially valuable for tourists and ghost hunters of all ages!

Haunted Montana is a must read for paranormal enthusiasts everywhere. Karen Stevens writes with an expert pen and is a ghost hunter and paranormal researcher of highest integrity, skill, and experience. I know, having had the privilege of joining her on many ghost hunting forays to England and Wales as well as a few stateside. As a research librarian, she also knows books - understands what makes a book a good and entertaining read. In Haunted Montana, she combines this knowledge with her extensive paranormal experience to give readers an incredibly appealing ghost book.

All sites listed are open to the public which is a tremendous bonus sure to please those wishing to explore the hauntings on their own. Even site telephone numbers are given, along with the addresses. But armchair ghost lovers won't be disappointed. Stevens' well-written essays transport, taking the reader right to the scene as if you were there with her.

Another very helpful feature is the rating scale of 'Ghostly Activity Level.' Noted at the top of each new listing, the scale immediately shows whether a site's paranormal goings-on are Low, Moderate, or High.

In addition, as noted in the book's introduction, another perk is that Stevens chose only sites with recently recorded paranormal activities. This makes the book an invaluable ghosting guide, increasing the chances of catching a glimpse of the activity for those wishing to explore on their own.

The essays themselves are varied and fascinating. Stevens gives a brief summary of the site's 'History' and then delves into the actual 'Phenomena,' detailing the haunting in a refreshing combination of Stevens' interviews with eyewitnesses and then describing her own experiences and impressions upon visiting the site.

Another feature I really enjoyed are the little personal commentaries at the end of each essay. Sometimes amusing, sometimes poignant, each one is the perfect wrap-up to the listing. The observation to the account of the Nez Perce haunting at Big Hole National Battlefield (The Spirits of Big Hole National Battlefield) was particularly touching - and revealing of Stevens' integrity as a paranormal researcher: she reminds possible visitors that the site is 'a place of tragedy and should be approached with respect.'

Lastly, the book closes with Stevens' own 'Tips For Ghost Hunters.' Concise, insightful, and definitely helpful, this feature alone is well worth the price of the book. Karen Stevens is indeed an authority in her field and has amassed her knowledge through decades of hands-on experience. No one does it better.

Don't miss Haunted Montana. It's a guaranteed ghosting good read!

Truvy, an old-maid school teacher who secretly yearns to discover for herself "The Science of Life," meets bodybuilder, Jake, a man with secrets of his own, in Ms. Holm's fabulous finale to her Brides for All Season's series. Hearts is funny and tender. When it comes to Americana, no one does it better than Stef Ann Holm.

Early in the Teddy Roosevelt administration, Truvy Valentine teaches economics and coaches athletics at the all girls St. Francis Academy. Although a renegade in many ways, her energy makes Truvy a popular teacher among the administration, staff, and students. However, she totally crosses the line when she reads extracts from a nonregulated book, "The Science of Life," that provides insight on human sexuality to her students. Truvy is given a leave of absence to decide whether she can return under the condition that she teach inside the school's rules.

Truvy travels to Harmony, Montana, home of her friend Edwinna Wolcott. There she meets Jake "Bruiser" Brewster, who runs a local gym and was once considered the world's strongest man. Truvy replaces the pregnant Edwinna teaching dance, with most of her students coming from Jake's gym. However, not only can't she dance in spite of being a talented athlete, she only wants to dance with Jake, not the men competing in a local physique contest.

HEARTS is a superb historical romance that provides the audience with a feel for western America circa 1901. The story line is enjoyable as the tidbits of history are cleverly woven into the plot. Truvy and Jake are a dynamic duo and the support cast adds to the authenticity of the fabulous fourth and final book of Stef Ann Holm's wonderful "Brides for all Seasons" series.

Harriet Klausner

HEARTS is funny, touching, and very romantic! You won't be able to put this one down!

Stef Ann Holm has proven once again that she is the queen of the Americana romance. Reading HEARTS is like revisting old friends, as the book is set in Harmony, where the wonderful Brides for All Seasons series first started. I love reading books that give me warm fuzzies, and this book does all that and more. Jake and Truvy are a match made in heaven, and the chemistry between them is hot, yet sweet as Valentine's Day itself. As always, Stef Ann Holm's research and attention to detail is impeccable, and the characters really come alive. This is one of the best books of 2001 that I have read.

I took my family on a driving trip through Montana, and this book proved to be an excellent resource for discovering the somewhat undiscovered, as well as guiding us through the more mainstream sights, attractions, restaurants, and accommodations throughout the state. A must have if you are traveling through the great state of Montana.

Braeking the state up into sections, the author does an excellent job of describing and presenting the various highlights of each. Equal treatment is given to popular and off-the-beaten-path areas, with sufficient detail for each. It made my recent visit more enjoyable!

Hidden Montana appears in its third edition to cover inns, tours, drives, and outdoors explorations throughout the state. From Glacier Park to Yellowstone, this is packed with lesser-known byways. Recommended.

This book was a wonderful guide to the areas of Montana we traveled through. There were several things we would not have seen if it hadn't been for the suggestions in the book and some excellent restaurants we wouldn't have stopped at if they had not been recommended by the book. We plan to get another "hidden" book for our next trip.

I received this book yesterday, sat down to leaf through it, and scarcely budged from my chair except for meals until I had read the last word. The text simply grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. Yesterday was a day well invested.

The text is very accessible and yet some paragraphs reach the level of great literature.

This man is a wonderful author and gives an authentic depiction of life as it was in that time era and under those conditions. We were neighbors with the Beers when I was growing up and truly,life was hard but good at the same time. The sense of neighborliness has gone by the way of subdivisions but I believe the author managed to capture the dying spirit of what was good and wholesome about the life that was led from the original homestead on. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I got this book from a friend a while back and just never really picked it up, but boy am I glad I finally did. Ralph Beers' prose is beautiful, and his descriptions of a way of life that's passing away are fit to bring tears to my eyes.

If you have any interest in the West, especially the contemporary Western way of life, I recommend In These Hills very highly.

Ralph Beer is one of my favorite Montana writers. In both fiction and nonfiction, he's hard to beat. This collection of short essays describes his life as a rancher outside Helena, Montana. Many of them are humorous and rich with Western wit; some have a melancholy undertone; all are very finely crafted.

Working a ranch that has been in his family for four generations, Beer slowly comes to terms with the futility of maintaining a lifestyle that can no longer be justified as a way to make a living. As cattle prices fail to meet the rising costs of running a ranch, it is finally only humor, sentiment, self-respect and the well-worn romance of the rural West that keep him going. Beer's wonderful essays chart the gradual decline of ranching, even as he puts in new fences and throws himself into the yearly rounds of upkeep and improvements.

Meanwhile, many of Beer's essays use humor to deromanticize the Western mystique. A trip into town becomes an occasion to reveal himself as a fish out of water. The descriptions of ranch work often reveal him struggling with uncooperative equipment and stock, often in brutal weather. A tongue-in-cheek discourse on pickups explores the special kind of love affair between men and their trucks.

Other essays are rich with boyhood memories of his father and grandfather and the friendships of men who have been long-time neighbors and mentors. Some essays are celebrations of skills and craftsmanship no longer appreciated, the building of a log barn by his great-grandfather, the work of a hayfield irrigator, his own reconstruction of an old snowplow, the way a natural horseman rides a horse. In these, the essays become a balancing between a sense of people and times slipping into the irretrievable past and an embrace of what is still there to be cherished in moments of grace and pride.

Many thanks to the University of Nebraska Press for keeping this wonderful book in print. May it find the many readers it deserves. For a sample of Beer's excellent fiction, get a copy of his novel "The Blind Corral," which tells a story very similar to his own, about a Vietnam veteran inheriting a family ranch.

There are very few books written for or about the hundreds of thousands of children with incarcerated parents. This book's story line catches the interest of any reader, child or adult, from the first and carries it through to the end. The theme of hiding an incarcerated Dad from those outside the family rings very true to me who has spent years working with children of prisoners. School and public libraries SHOULD have this book in their collection.

Jan Walker and Raven Publishing, Inc. have partnered in their mutual mission of using fiction to address contemporary issues faced by preteens and teens. "An Inmate's Daughter" is an effort to increase awareness of the daily struggles faced by children who have a parent in prison.

The story revolves around thirteen year old Jenna, whose father is in prison for murder. Jenna found herself without friends after a move to live with her grandparents. The stigma of her father's imprisonment, and her mother's firm rule about keeping this fact within the family left her feeling insecure about making friends.

Jenna whose heritage is half Native American is also confronted with Bi-Racial bigotry. Jenna uses her journal as a means of sorting out her feelings.

On an extended family visitation to the McNeil Island prison facility to see her father, Jenna saves the life of a young child in a near drowning incident. News coverage of the incident becomes a threat to Jenna's mother. She fears that their identity and family secret will be exposed. Jenna is faced with the question of what will happen to her "evaluation" if members of her secret club find out about her father's incarceration.

Jan Walker intricately and expertly weaves a plot around club acceptance, a soccer team, the strength of family, and the measure of true friendship in this heart rending, true to life, fast paced narrative. The pen and ink illustrations of Herb Leonhard make you feel the emotions of the dialog.

Jenna is faced with the choice of living a lie, the possibility of bringing hurt and shame to her mother and younger brother, or the freedom of truth.

This is an excellent book for the young reader, grades five through eight. It is an important resource for classroom teachers, child counselors, ministers, and prison personnel who are exposed to children with an incarcerated parent.

This story tells about thirteen-year old Jenna MacDonald, whose father is in prison for murder. Mom's "don't tell" rule requires that Jenna and her brother fabricate stories about their dad. There are more than two million children in the US that are in this same predicament. They have an incarcerated parent, and are suffering from isolation and the pain of being ostracised by their peers. These children need help to cope with the problems they encounter, but few receive this assistance. Jan Walker tackles the problem head-on in this book. Jenna, her brother, and her mother have moved in with grandparents to live closer to McNeil Island where her father is incarcerated. Being half Native American contributes to Jenna's difficulty in trying to make new friends. During a visit to the prison Jenna dives into the water to rescue a small girl when she falls off the dock at the prison. When the Department of Corrections investigates the accident, the publicity threatens to expose the story of Jenna's dad to all her new friends at school. Jenna's mother is upset because her actions have called attention to their family, and now Jenna questions her own decision in rescuing the drowning child. "Why did I do such a dumb thing?"
Jenna longs for a friend that she can talk to about her feelings, but when she tries to join one of the racially-mixed "in" groups, they ask questions about her family, bringing the tensions between Jenna's need for acceptance and her mother's desire for secrecy to a head. Jan Walker's plotting and characterization skills are exceptional. You can really feel Jenna's isolation and pain. This book would be a great addition to your children's library and a wonderful family night conversation starter to help promote tolerance and acceptance in your children.

Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (2/06)

Jenna MacDonald didn't mean to do anything wrong when she plunged into Puget Sound to save a little girl from drowning. She just reacted on instinct. She had been rescuing her rather hyper younger brother in their neighborhood swimming pool for years without her mother knowing.

But Jenna's mother is upset because her actions have called attention to their family. The rescue occurred at McNeil Island boat dock during a visit to Jenna's father who is serving time in prison. Now, the paper wants to run a story and the McNeil Island Corrections Center wants to investigate how it happened.

When her dad was transferred to this site, Jenna's family moved, too. Now they live with her grandparents and Jenna is adjusting to a new school. She feels confused by her mother's anger and insistence that they keep her dad's situation private. Jenna wants to talk to someone about it. She wants to feel like she belongs to a whole family.

Jenna's grandparents encourage her to make friends and to enjoy life. But junior high is tough and Jenna, who is half Native American, struggles to find her niche. When she tries to join one of the racially-mixed "in" groups, they ask questions about her family bringing the tensions between Jenna's need for acceptance and her mother's desire for secrecy to a head.

More than two million American children wrestle with the stigma of an incarcerated parent. Few of these children receive the assistance they need to cope with their situation. Walker's book takes on a tough topic. Her book informs and encourages young adult readers so they can support their peers.

Our grandfather is very talented. He can write and build things. Justin's Rock is a story about him. We love our grandfather.

This is the coolest book--It brought back so many memories, experiences,feelings and people from my childhood in Jordan, Montana. I could hear and see some of the people and places he describes. The fact that it is written in poetry adds to the entire experience. Thank you, Richard

I really enjoyed this book because the author ( my uncle) made me feel like I was in Jordan during his childhood. My father was very happy whenever talking about or visiting Jordan. This book helps me understand how he felt.

I recommend this book of poems to everyone, especially the folks that grew up in the rural ares of this country. I guarentee that any one who has spent time in a small town in the thirties and forties in rural America will find many things in these poems that will bring back fond memories. These poems are so descriptive, I am sure the writer must have lived them.

I love this story. It is really a page turner and it is the only thing that you can think about. Everyone should read this book.

i love the surprises carefully written throughout this book!!!
a MUST read for all christian/romance lovers!

This is an adventure-filled book that will pick you up off your seat, and leave you wanting more when it's done

The daring actress Isabel Leon knows all the roles, but she's never known true friendship until she buys a hotel in Cantrell, Montana, and determines to settle down. Captain Dawson Mandera irritates and frustrates her, but she's intrigued by his past and his big brood of kids. Isabel is finally offered the role she's always dreamed of, but will her own past make her ineligible? A page turner.

I take a special delight in reading novels set in remote locales, far from the madding crowds and the usual suspects. MINERAL SPIRITS is a fine example. Ms. Sharfeddin's second novel, a literate and humane contemporary western, is a pure gem. Sheriff Kip Edelson is the lawman of Mineral County in Montana, near the Idaho border. He finds the skeletal remains of a dead lady. His only clue is an anonymous phone caller identifying the lady corpse as "Chris". At the same time, Kip's wife Robin decides to move to Missoula and resume her college education. Kip is lonely until he befriends ten-year-old Gray Dausman who's destined for a tough row in the foster care system. An elderly lady, Mrs. Sherwood, takes an interest in Kip and Gray. They form an ad hoc family in this bleak, frigid wintry landscape. Events carom to the pitch-perfect climax, Kip's showdown with the local bad guys including killers and dope dealers at a deserted school. Fans of C.J. Box, Craig Johnson, and the masterly Tony Hillerman should find MINERAL SPIRITS a rewarding read.

This exciting new author really hooks you quickly into her storyline. Her characters, while flawed and resistant to relationships, develop into people you wish you could write a thank you letter to for allowing you into their world. Ms. Sharfeddin captures Montana perfectly with just the right mix of one foot in the past and one foot in modern times and leaving you uncertain which way you would like to see it step next. Mineral Spirits has just the right mix of pathos, humor, possibilites and heartbreak. A gem of a book

I totally enjoyed her first book "Blackbellies" and am anxious to read whatever she next releases. 4 thumps up!

Sharfeddin's latest book kept me turning the pages until the wee hours on a work night. I enjoyed the intricate plot, the beautiful descriptions of rural Montana, and the fast-paced action. Kip Edelson is a complicated man--tough sheriff on the outside, yet complex and emotional in ways he tries to hide from everyone, including himself and those he loves. A satisfying ending and a great read. I can't wait for Sharfeddin's next book.

This is 2 for 2 good novels from Heather Sharfeddin. I recently read Blackbelly which I really loved. The imagery was fantastic and the detail made it so real. I was not disappointed with the next novel, Mineral Spirits. This book follows one of the more likable characters from the first book, Sherriff Kip Edelson to a new location in Montana (Mineral County). Kip's character is well developed here and is given more depth. He becomes emotionally entangled with a heartbreakingly trusting but neglected young boy in the course of the investigation into a skeleton unearthed by the young man. Kip is drug through an amazing range of emotions during the course of this book, tenderness for Gray, the young boy, and for the sweet old lady who needs them as much as they need her; hurt and betrayal from his wife with a good dose of confusion; terror and measured response upon meeting up with members of a drug ring and sadness at the way people (including himself) can treat each other. Thrown into the mix is an almost school boy giddiness at meeting an intensly interesting but unapproachable woman who he continually devises ways to approach. On the periphery and intertwined in the story are other characters who are equally interesting. The tavern owner with his secrets and occasional glimpses back to the romantic wild West Montana is captivating. I highly recommend this fast read and can't wait to see what's comming next.

Monkey Love Was looking for several Sock monkey books to give as a shower gift, along with sock monkey items that I had made: a diaper bag, monkey burp clothes, monkey swaddler, and three monkey books. This particular book, MONKEY LOVE, is a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y darling! I enjoyed all the books, but this was is going to be repeatedly purchased to accompany my homemade sock monkeys. Not a story, but all about love and its many phases. Buy and ENJOY!

Monkey Love is a delightful and inspirational book which displays caring and love not only in the colorful monkey photographs, but also in the heart-felt sayings which accompany those photographs. The 'situations' in which the monkeys find themselves are FUN to look at .... the sand angel, the tongue stuck on the flagpole, the 'unique' monkeys, etc. .... all relate to events and situations in real life. It is difficult to come away with just one favorite. This little book not only makes a nice treasure for my own bookshelf, it also makes a cherished gift - one that comes with lot's of love within. I've already given one as a gift (to my mother-in-law) and it was passed around the room with lots of smiles, laughter, and discussion! This would make a nice item for anyone for anytime - all ages - everyone will enjoy it.

This is a wonderful little hard-backed book and just the right size for little hands. The pictures are so endearing and will enchant little ones as they ooh and ahhh over those little monkeys in their charming outfits and their demonstrations of affection in oh so many ways!
I love the book, I love the Monkeys! Thanks Dee for such a treasure!

edie brown

This is a wonderful little book and is suitable for all ages. It makes an excellent gift, and is great for brightening anyone's day. The sock monkeys in Dee Lindner's work are all unique and expressive, which is probably why people identify with them so much. For anthropomorphizing human emotions onto other things, Lindner is second only to William Wegman's brilliant works with dogs.

The pages each represent a human emotion, feeling, or action associated with love, and all are whimsical and entertaining. My two favorites are the monkey making a sand angel with the caption "love gives you wings," and the sock monkey with his tongue frozen to the flagpole with the caption "love learns from mistakes."

This is a great little book, perfect for a gift, and sure to make anyone smile.

The photographs make this book. I have never visited a ranch, but I now feel like I have. "The Montana Cowboy" shows the real working life of the American cowboy, not the fluffy romantic stuff that comes out of Hollywood. This book offered me the chance to experience the realities of ranching first-hand. It holds a prominent place on my bookshelf, and it is well worth the buy.

I thought that this book really captures the aura of Montana. I believe that only the truth is seen when looking at these pictures. Coming from a ranch here in Montana, I only see a lifestyle and a way of living and I think that many people that don't have the same oppurtunities to see what I see everyday, can see it in the pictures of this book.

Having lived in Montana and grown up on a ranch, this book was like going home. If you have never been on a working ranch to experience the wonder of the cattle and horses there is no place better than one in Montana. The Big Sky country is indeed the "last best place" and David Stoecklien has photographed it beautifully. It amazed me how an outsider could come in and really capture the essence of ranch life and the country around it. He truly depicts the struggle of working nature in all it's elements, even at 40 below zero. That is what cattle ranching is all about.

Along with the pictures are wonderful biographies about the ranches. History is the romance of a cowboy's life and many people don't know they still exist today. History in the making!

I for one,am very excited that these ranches have been now captured in history to show and tell to everyone interested the way of life these families have built. I grew up in the Milk River Valley next to the Cornwell Ranch, one of the many depicted in this book, and to see the pictures and share them with my family and friends was exciting.

The cowboy ways in moving cattle, putting up hay and rounding up horses are so excellently photographed by Mr. Stoecklein. No one has his talents to zero in on the boots, dogs, ropes, calves and other details that you know are authentic to their equipment and hardwork. It explains the life without the needs for words. You can experience the moments in the breathtaking scenery of the Big Sky country. In the cold, clear water, the mountains and the valleys all have a personallity of their own to share with us. We have purchased these books to give out at Christmas to our family in Montana to have a record of what they have been a part of.

Stoecklein's use of shading and shadow in his photography in this book really capture the Montana spirit. My wife, a born and bread Montana gal, really loved this book. She was really moved by some of the pictures. This is really a great book for the die-hard Montana resident (and you know who you are...) and anyone who likes the spirit of the northwest.