Montana Books

Ellen Baumler continues in this book where she left off in her earlier book "Spirit Tailings." While "Spirit Tailings" concentrated on the many haunted sites of the historic mining communities of Virginia City, Butte, and Helena, she ranges further afield in location and subject matter. Not all the stories in this book are about ghosts or haunted places. Some are about mysterious events, and there is one about Montana's famous Flathead Lake Monster.

Baumler's approach is that of a professional historian (she is interpretive historian for the Montana Historical Society) trying to make sense of the many anecdotes brought to her by people she meets in her job, while being respectful of their experiences. As she terms it, she writes "history with a twist." This is why the stories are based in thorough historical research to try and find possible historical reasons for the things that people tell her.

Baumler starts with a number of short anecdotes in the first story, "Beginnings," including bits on the Richards House (Lenox Addition house in first collection); Eighth Avenue house; Helena High School; a house on Hillsdale/site of Hangman's Tree near corner of Blake and Highland (and a couple other houses in that neighborhood); a new house site in a heavily wooded area of Jefferson County (north of Helena), the Harlem Hotel (in Harlem of course!), unnamed houses in Havre and Shelby; Virginia City's Fairweather Inn and Bonanza Inn; Virginia City Theater and Opera House.

"The Sleeping Buffalo" is about a Native American sacred place, now called Sleeping Buffalo Rock. Originally it was located on the Milk River at Cree Crossing, then it was removed from its ancient site by white people to Trafton Park in Malta, and finally to the junction of Montana 243 and US 2.

"Fruit of the Hangman's Tree" relates the history of the infamous hangman's tree of Helena, which was located on what is now the corner of Hillsdale and Blake, the "Boot Hill" graves associated, and some of the eerie happenings in houses in this quiet old neighborhood.

"The Hoo Doo Block" is about an unlucky series of events in an area in Fort Benton, Block 25 (now Block 164).

"Digging Up the Dead" is a tragic and spooky tale covering Benton Avenue Cemetery (mention also of Boot Hill, the pioneer City Cemetery (now Central School), and Forestvale Cemetery.

"Speaking with Artifacts: Conversations with George" introduces the reader to a Helena-based dowser who does "psychic archaeology," George McMullen. He has traveled to and dowsed many Native American sites, including Hellgate Canyon (in Broadwater Co., not far from Helena); in the story he also does psychometry (reading the impressions) of some historical artifacts.

"The Hanging of Peter Pelkey" is about a brutal murder on a ranch between Helena and East Helena, the execution of the murderer (buried in what is now Robinson Park), and the mysterious ghost lights at the ranch.

"Celestia Alice Earp" is a story of a murder by a pioneer woman's stalker and the victim's burial in Bozeman.

"Legacy of the Grant-Kohrs Ranch" lets the reader in on the history, secrets and spooky goings-on at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Landmark in the Deer Lodge Valley. Also a mention of the thermal cone (a sacred Native American site), and furtrade rendezvous site at the Warm Springs State Hospital, about 15 miles away.

"A Ghost Within a Ghost" is a story about a scary night many years ago at the historic ruins of old Fort Assinniboine.

"School Spirit" is a look at urban legends and student tales about the University of Montana-Western in Dillon (Old Main Hall), Montana State University in Bozeman (the old theater now torn down and replaced as of 2007); University of Montana in Missoula (Brantly Hall and University Hall). Most of this story is devoted to Helena's Carroll College, and its stories of St. Charles Hall (including the urban legend of the third story bathroom), Borromeo Hall, and St. Albert's Hall. It also tells the story of Father Paul Kirchen, who is said to still hitchhike around Helena, trying to help people as he did in life. This last bit hits home personally, as I attended Carroll in 1979-1980, and I used to visit with Father Kirchen in his office all the time, and he was truly a living saint.

"The Centerville Ghost" is the story of a 19th century hoax that put a scare into one of Butte's outlying communities.

"Remnants of a Copper King" covers the ghostly happenings at Riverside, the Marcus Daly Mansion in the Bitterroot Valley, near Hamilton.

"Ghostly Transport" is about a phantom train seen in 1893 in the Bitterroot Valley.

"The Bishop of All Outdoors" relates the tragedy of a murder-suicide in Havre.

"Stranger at the Door" is my favorite in the collection, as I currently (2007) live a block away from the site where the events all took place. It is a very creepy story about Catholic Hill (now called Tower Hill, site of the famous firetower "Guardian of the Gulch") in Helena, the various buildings and historic activities there, notably Immaculata Hall, and probably the scariest story in the entire book, about a "stranger at the door" of one of the Tower Hill Apartments.

"Late Night Fright at the Fairweather Inn" adds more stories about Alder Gulch's Virginia City and Nevada City, including the Sedman House/Junction Hotel, the Fairweather Inn, and the Elling House; this entry revolves around the filming of a spooky overnight stay by the FOX network for "Real Scary Stories" in 2000.

"Spirited Victoria Charmer" is a house which attracted national attention at one time as the "House of Screams," the Zakos house haunting in Missoula, which was featured in FATE magazine in August 1975.

"The Adams Hotel" is a haunted hotel in Lavina, north of Billings.

"The Mysterious Death of Thomas Walsh" is the story of the unexplained death of Montana's Senator Thomas Walsh, who died on a train to Washington, D.C., where he was due to be appointed to the cabinet of President Theodore Roosevelt.

"Fire in the Snow" covers the 1945 crash of a C-47 transport plane in Billings, and the reported haunting of the Depot Antique Mall, originally the Sawyer Store, and the store's refrigerated vault where the remains of the crash victims were kept for a time.

"Montana Nessie: Flathead Flossie" is a cryptozoological entry about sightings of the Flathead Lake monster.

"Laura's Canaries" is the story of the Stonehouse Restuarant in Helena's Reeder's Alley, and the "bird lady" who once lived there.

Baumler is a great storyteller, and this collection is a nice mixture of ghosts and historic mysteries ideal for the Montana traveller.

[...]

Having read her "Spirit Tailings" books and taken one of her tours, I greatly respect Ms. Baumler's knowledge of Montana history and folklore. Whatever one's beliefs regarding ghosts and their attachments and activities, the existence of the stories and what it reveals about a community and its attitudes is as fascinating as it is revelatory.

While I prefer reading Baumler's stories and savoring their wealth of regional detail, this CD collection is a great introduction to the books and their subject matter, as well as a good way to hear Ms. Baumler telling her stories, if you've never been so fortunate as to attend one of her lectures or bus tours. Philip Aaberg's accompanying music is appropriately brooding and mysterious, though the presentation was occasionally intrusive. I would rather have had it "bookending" each story, or in bands of its own between each story.

But this collection is great fun, and an interesting approach to historical research (without diving into the realm of seances and tabloids). Montana is lucky to have so many spooks and so dedicated a historian as Ellen Baumler to chase them.

Read aloud by the author and interpretive historian Ellen Baumler, and featuring a bonus music CD by composer and pianist Philip Aaberg, Beyond Spirit Tailings is an abridged audiobook on CD about historical Montana ghost stories handed down through generations. Combining evocative music with tales ranging from the story of the hitchhiking specter of a priest to a departed Hamilton socialite who spreads the scent of roses, Beyond Spirit Tailings is a spooky treasure for ghost story lovers everywhere. Highly recommended.

Beyond Spirit Tailings is the recipient of a 2006 Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History.

As a lifetime resident of Montana and a professional historian, I have to disagree with Cbauman's review of this wonderful book. From my conversations with the author over the years, the intent of the book is to not only tell a good story, but provide good historical contexts of of the times, people, and events that lead to the ghostly encounters. The stories tell you a great deal about Montana's history from a perspective that you don't ordinarily get in most history books. These are community stories as much as they are ghost stories and the way they are presented makes them relevant and interesting for skeptics and true believers. For any student of history and for anybody looking for a great ghost story, I strongly recommend this book. The stories will both haunt you and provide a great inside look at Montana's history from a new perspective.

The authors state rightly that trade policies should be designed to raise living standards and to integrate developing countries into the world trading system. Global poverty (more than 2 billion people live on less than a dollar a day) is the world's most pressing problem.
They say rightly that the developed countries have to date received the lion's share of the benefits from previous trade negotiations. Those ought to do more for the developing countries. The adage should be `help-my-neighbor', nor `beggar-my neighbor'. Right should persevere over might.

Therefore they want to put a radical new trade model on the table of the Doha Round: the Market Access Proposal (MAP). Their model is simple and straight:
All developing countries can have free access to all markets with (1) a larger GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and (2) a larger GDP per capita.

Besides MAP, they give also recommendations for the upcoming trade negotiations, of which many will be extremely difficult to realize, even partly: liberation of labor markets and unskilled services, promotion of labor mobility (immigration), elimination of agricultural subsidies, no technical provisions (like rules of origin), no export subsidies, no tariffs, no non-tariff barriers (dumping duties), no currency exchange manipulations, no arms sales, no briberies, pro-generic drug policies, elimination of secret bank accounts.

They also want better access to financial means for developing countries, institutional reforms (a less costly accession mechanism) and a new international trade tribunal.
By the way, trade negotiations should be about trade, not about intellectual property rights.
Generally, they ask for more democratic media, which are actually controlled by a few rich conglomerates.

Any trade agreement that differentially hurts developing countries more or benefits the developed countries more should be considered as unfair.

J. Stiglitz and A. Charlton have written a most necessary book. The implementation of their simple and radical proposition should constitute a big leap forward for the developing countries and concomitantly for global international trade.

This book is a must read for all participants of trade negotiations and for all those interested in the future of mankind.

N.B. For a viewpoint of the South I recommend Walden Bello's `Dilemmas of Domination'.

Read it. It did taught me a lot about economic premises discussed in class. Prof Stiglitz is great. The book addresses topics I was supposed to hear in other business courses but this book really nailed it

You don't have to be an economist to realise that the World Trade Organisation is failing the poorest countries. But this book is a compelling explanation of what is going wrong, and the best case yet for change.

Stiglitz is a Nobel Laureate in Economics who served in Clinton's White House and was Chief Economist of the World Bank. He was there when much of the current trade policy architecture was being built and he has a lot of insights to impart to readers. This book does not disappoint.

The chapters on the role of neoliberal economic policies in the growth process are especially interesting. Stiglitz takes a nuanced view, arguing that the introduction of market forces is important, but that, in the presence of other distortions, countries will face important challenges to make sure that globalisation does more harm than good.

This book is full gems of economic reasoning and a great introduction to some of the big questions of global economics and development.

Stiglitz is certainly a critic of the free trade ideology but his arguments are much more intellectually robust than I see from either the economic nationalists like Lou Dobbs or the anti-globalization movement (and those two are distinct among themselves). He doesn't favor developed world protectionism, and actually makes a few strong points against it. However his proposals do respond to some of the claims of the anti-globalization movement even if he doesn't accept their quasi-Marxist outlook in total.

Stiglitz favors global trade agreements and infrastructure but he would change the rules. Basically he suggests a regimen where wealthier countries (measured either by GDP in the aggregate or per capita) would give preferential access (i.e. little or no trade barriers) to poorer nations. Thus India would get access to the U.S. market without reciprocating on American products but India would have to give access to Uganda without getting equal treatment in return. The poorer nations would have more leeway to employ subsidies and tariffs and have longer transition periods to liberalization but the long run goal would still be fewer barriers to trade.

Stiglitz makes a very strong case that even if one accepts that trade barriers are a bad idea, the developed and less developed nations aren't on a level playing field when it comes to arbitrating trade disputes, simply because of size.

He also suggests intellectual property issues and a common set of investment rules should not be part of global trade governance. Those are interesting points of view, certainly intellectual property enforcement is spotty in the third world already. He suggests that if investment agreements are wise for developing countries they will implement them on their own. He gets a little vague on this point because he suggests that labor and environmental standards should be WTO functions if investment rules are, which makes one wonder if really believes investment rules should be in or out. On the flip side, he also thinks allegations of currency manipulation should not be part of the agenda.

The dogmatic free traders like Milton Friedman contend there is never any net benefit to protectionism; Stiglitz obviously departs from this point of view in that he selectively endorses it for developing countries. It is hard to argue with much of his logic, I just wonder if the developed world would act as altruistically as he suggests they should. The reluctance of the larger economies to part with farm subsidies is an obvious obstacle, on the other hand what he suggests is already the case in manufactured goods.

Stiglitz deserves credit for moving beyond the simplistic and often disingenuous claims from the developed world who are just engaging in rent-seeking behavior. His proposals would involve governments in aiding people who are genuinely less well off rather than coddling inefficient industries in the developed world.

Generally I think it is another great book from Stiglitz. The MakePovertyHistory campaign, Bono, Bob Geldof and their Live8 concerts has shined a bright light on trade justice.

The World Trade organisation literally has the livelihoods of billions of people in its hands. This book shows how the trading relationships between rich and poor countries have become so unfair that the rich countries are creating more poverty. Free trade does not automatically lead to poverty eradication or environmental sustainability. In fact, if done wrong, it can increase poverty and cause harm to countries at different stages of development.

If you want to understand the issues behind fair trade and the problems facing people in poor countries, this is an excellent place to start.

I was a bit dissapointed. From the title and the reviews, I was expecting a book describing different off-the-beaten-path fly fishing locations in Montana. I did expect a "how to" guide discussing basics like equipment and technique.

It isn't often that a fly fishing book offers both outstanding photography and narrative at the same high levels of excellence, but Badovinac provides unparalled descriptions in both forms. It is a tabletop gem and a wonderful reference at the same time. In a word, it's a treasure.

I started flyfishing, alone, many years ago. I tie flies commercially and am a guide. Trapper has captured the essance of why we fish, and why, sometimes, why we NEED to be alone, male or female. I've known Trapper for MANY years and have swapped flies and lies... and MANY fun days on the river with him. Know this ....Trap's book captures WHY WE ARE WHO WE ARE. Knowing Trapper and his philosify has changed how I view the world and my perceptions in many ways!

Dan

I don't even fish, but I bought the book for the beautiful stories and photos. As I got into the book, I found out that it was so much more than a collection of stories and photos. There's info about navigation that everyone who hikes, wanders, fishes, hunts, or just loves nature should read. Do you know the steps to take if you're lost? Do you know how to navigate, whether it's light or dark? Don't you think you should? And you can with this book.

The value of the navigation info led me to view Trapper's other book, Fly Fishing Montana's Missouri River. Guess what--he gave us something similar there-- what we should all know about etiquette. No, not table manners--outdoor manners. The ones you wish everyone else would follow. Let's start by learning and following them ourselves.

Even if you have been fishing for Thirty years I gaurentee that this book will change; where, when and how you fly fish like no other. Professionals and recreational fly fishers alike will count this book a one of their most prized Fly fishing tools posessions. It is the only book on fishing that I have read cover to cover in one sitting. At times Trappers story telling had me laughing out loud, his tales speak to the reasons we love the sport, but most of all he is unparalelled in organizing and presenting a life time dedicated to flyfishing in a way that will de-mystify the reasons for succsess or failure and transform your personal experiance of Fly Fishing in practical terms.
Never has this much technical information been presented inter mixed with true life stories and stunning photograpy in such a way that will change your approach to Fly Fishing and your
experiance of the places it brings you forever.

Elmer, Montana temporarily transforms from a quiet ranching community into a media feeding frenzy with the announcement of THE GREAT MONTANA COWBOY AUCTION. The town elects Polly McMaster to organize the fund raising event that aims to provide relief for a Maddie Fletcher, owner of a neighboring ranch threatened with reposition. As if Polly does not have enough to do as mayor, post mistress, part-time college student and single mother of four, she adds yet another committee to her resume. When someone volunteers to invite Sloan Gallagher home for the auction, as the top prize, Polly remains skeptical that the small town trouble maker turned Hollywood star will put in an appearance. She hopes he will not, with the memory of him catching her in a compromising position eighteen years ago still burning a searing memory in the back of her mind.

When a buddy asks him to return to aid Maddie, Sloan jumps at the opportunity to repay the kindness done him by the Fletchers during his teen years. With his mother deceased his father descending into emotional and financial devastation, as well as the family ranch being sold, Sloan had been placed in foster care for two years. Maddie her husband gave him a home, providing the frightened teen stability and instilling confidence and self-worth. As a fourteen-year-old, Sloan's curiosity got him in trouble one afternoon when he peaked into the barn to see the most glorious vision of his young life. Of course Sloan buried the memory, reserving it for fantasy. But this opportunity to return to Elmer reawakens the memory, and Sloan is anxious to see Polly, particularly when he learns she has been widowed for the last six years.

THE GREAT MONTANA COWBOY AUCTION weaves numerous subplots with Polly and Sloan's story to create a dazzling tale filled with angst, humor and passion. Anne McAllister is master storyteller, using a long ago memory to bind Polly and Sloan and boldly bring them together. Polly's reticence to become involved with Sloan makes her believable and sparks the reader's compassion even as the reader also cheers Sloan's determination to change her mind. Polly's creative mother and mastermind of the idea for a cowboy auction, inspired by Elmer's surplus of cowboys, gives the novel an added sparkle, as do her children and sister. Indeed, sister Celie's story begins here, and will continue in the June release of the Silhouette Desire entitled A COWBOY'S PURSUIT. A marvelous tale that should not be missed, THE GREAT MONTANA COWBOY AUCTION comes very highly recommended.

This is the kind of book I know I should hate, but I don't. This book is thoroughly enjoyable entertainment. What is wonderful is that many plotlines run through it, with love stories for all generations, ranging from 19 year old Sara to 60 year old Joyce.

The real thrust of the story is about Polly and Sloane, the former Montana cowboy turned George Cloony superstar. Suspend your disbelief and wallow in wonderful story of how Sloan courts Polly and wins her over, ostensibly by agreeing to be a bid in a cowboy auction! Cool or what.

Actually, the best story to my mind was that of Celie and Jace - I found myself skipping the Polly and Sloane parts to get back to those two. Thankfully Ann McAllister is taking up the threads in her next book - she has left a great cliffhanger.

I really recommend this book - I am sure you will love it.

A small town in Montana decides to help out a neighbor whose ranch is about to go into foreclosure by holding an auction of artwork by local artists, services by local businesses, and dates with local bachelors. The twist in this story is that one of the foster children raised on that ranch is now an extremely famous movie actor, Sloan Gallagher (who seems to be a actor in the Harrison Ford mold). After a call from an old buddy, Sloan agrees to be one of the items in the auction. Naturally, his involvement in the auction turns it into a national three-ring circus, with fans, groupies, and the news media descending on the unprepared town of Elmer MT.

Polly McMaster is the mayor, the postmaster, and a widowed mother of four in the town of Elmer. She's been picked to organize the auction and adds it to the many other duties that she has. She's a woman who's pulled in many directions but seems to be able to handle what comes along (with the exception of forgetting a child here or an appointment there). She's also a woman who hasn't taken an interest in other men since her husband, her soulmate and best friend, was killed in an airplane crash 6 years ago. That's about to change, big time.

Sloan and Polly have a history, but it was more on his part than hers - she is his "golden memory" of something he saw when he was 14. She's always been the standard that he's compared the other women in his life. When he finds out that Polly has been widowed, he's determined to renew their acquaintance and find out if his memory has held true.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable story, with multiple subplots. I've never read anything by this author, but from the number of people mentioned in the book, I got the impression that there are other books out there telling their stories. The characters, their actions, and their emotions were believable. The children in the story were realistic, without being cloying or wiser than their years. The scene with Sloan sharing a bedroom with a 9 year old beautifully captured the child's thrill of being in the presence of his movie hero, and the frustration of an adult male sleeping in a bottom bunk when there was someplace else he'd much rather be. There are multiple romances in the book - tender, wishful, unrequited, and sexy. Sloan and Polly's developing romance was filled with aggravation, humor and sexual tension. This is one of those books that once you read it, you want more, to find out the full stories of the other characters that were mentioned. From the threads left hanging on this one, hopefully another book set in Elmer MT will arrive soon.

I just finished "The Great Montana Cowboy Auction", and I couldn't put it down! It was a great mix of romance, comedy and reality. I love how Sloan loved her his whole life, how her son was getting rich off selling "authentic Elmer rabbits", and the realisim of the closeness that a small town has. It had me laughing and cheering Sloan on the entire time. I can't wait to read "A Cowboys Pursuit", the next book in the series!

Every time Polly McMaster misses a meeting she is assigned to complete some huge project. Last time she ended up as mayor of Elmer, Montana and this time she has been put in charge of The Great Montana Cowboy Auction. The auction is designed to raise money for Maddie Fletcher, a foster mom, who has raised half of the town and who is about to lose her home. To make matters worse former local bad boy and foster son, Sloan Gallagher, now a Hollywood star, has volunteered to be auctioned off to highest bidder. With that announcement Polly's hometown becomes a media circus and even the local residents are acting a bit crazy. Added to that is the fact that Sloan and Polly have a bit of a past and you have the makings of a rousing romance. This is a humorous addition to a series featuring different residents of Elmer, Montana and a sweet love story.

Nice book.REMINDS me of the under ground rail road.

The subtitle, "Story of the 1890s Fort Missoula Buffalo Soldiers Bicycle Corps" is a good general description of the book's contents. I had never heard of Ft. Missoula, much less known that they had a bicycle corps, before stumbling across this book in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial's bookstore. It's not a long book, but it covers its topic well. Of course I was interested in the horrendous ride from Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, but the account of the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry saving the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill was enlightening. Also (all too) informative was the account of the "discharge without honor" by order of President Theodore Roosevelt of 167 soldiers, many of them formerly of the bicycle corps. The book also includes numerous photos, a number of which are wonderful shots (and very well-printed) of the soldiers in Yellowstone National Park. I highly recommend this book as an entertaining account of a dedicated group of American soldiers who happened to have been of African descent. (Incidently, having read this book I was able to feel incredibly smug with recognition when the Bicycle Corps turned up as an integral part of Peter Heck's "Tom's Lawyer", the most recent installment of his Mark Twain mystery series.)

This is a very interesting and neglected subject for a book. I'm interested in anything about bicycling and a bit about the turn of the century, so this was a must-read. Because this is the only book of it's kind I've found, I would recommend reading it.

However, be aware of a few annoyances. The book is poorly edited and proof-read. There are many hyphens separating words that are not at the ends of lines, and a few paragraphs end mid-sentence. There are quite a few repeated passages and it tends to wander a bit from the main subject. One gets the feeling it would not have filled a book of more normal format and was padded a bit. It would be nice to see this one re-published and improved.

Again, I don't mean to disparage it too much - just pointing out some personal annoyances.

Hope it helps...

What a great book! It really has something for everybody; military bike history, Black history, the American frontier at the turn of the century and more. Great pictures and illustrations also. Military cycling books are rare and this one fills a much needed niche. You will not be disappointed.

In 1897 a contingent of twenty black soldiers, a white West Point officer, a military surgeon and a young newspaper reporter rode bicycles from Fort Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri, following the Burlington Northern railroad. The groups' leader, Lt. Moss, was trying to prove to the army that bicycles could be a valuable asset. I first became acquainted with this little known gem of history through the children's magazine Highlights in the early 90s. I have been fascinated with it ever since. George Niels Sorenson's Iron Riders presents this story and the broader context of those "Buffalo Soldiers-on-wheels". He tells us of the practice trip the bicycle corp made to Yellowstone Park before their epic St. Louis run and the lives of the riders after their trip. This 8 x 10 book has many primary source pictures, documents and maps which illuminate the text. It's the only informational book I know of devoted to a story which deserves a wider audience. If you are a middle school history teacher, like me, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. It would make a fantastic unit. But I agree with the other reviewer: anybody who likes black history, social history, military history, bicycle touring, the west and/or unsung heroes will find a lot to enjoy in this book. And, if you like this book you'll want to check out the PBS video The Bicycle Corps: America's Black Army on Wheels and the children's book Black Wheels.

This book was a gift for our 9 year old granddaughter. It was a big hit. She read it all in a single day... but would not tell anyone the plot or anything else about the book ..after all its a secret!

If you've seen the TV show, then you'll get a reminder of the story. It tells of how Miley/Hannah try to keep her indentity a secret from friends in the "biz". My daughter reads it with me as we get ready for bed....she's totally in love with the dual girl!

miley finds out that her good friend oliver has a crush on hannah montana!!! scary!!!!!! Then when oliver sneeks in her limo her dad throws her wing on her. then oliver wants her to kiss his hand she makes lily's dog do it insted of her. good job miley!!! if you love hannah montanayou haveto get this book i loved it.

my daughter loves these books and now has the set waiting for next one to come out

This book is really awesome. Hannah Montana kept her identity from her best friend, Lily, and one day Lily had asked her if she could go to the Hannah Montana concert. Miley said that she couldn't because she needed to spend quality time with her brother. The night of the concert Lily snuck into Hannah's dressing room and caught her and found out that Hannah Montana was really her friend, Miley!! I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves Hannah Montana books! It was great!

Her husband died in a car accident that also injured their fourteen years old daughter Skylar. So to help her raise her offspring, pilot Rissa Mathews moves to North Star, Montana where her family and best friends live. Whereas Skylar feels at home, Rissa loathes the move failing to adapt to the small town.

Skylar makes one friend Caroline Taggert, daughter of the sheriff. The town's prime law enforcement official Jonas is not happy with seeing his relatively obedient daughter hanging out with the newcomer, an obviously troubled teen. Making matters worse, he meets Skylar's mom when he stops her for speeding and to his chagrin he is attracted to her; she feels the same way about him including the belief this is the wrong time for them.

The romance takes a back seat to the troubled teen as Rissa steals the show with her behavior and attitude. The story line is character driven as the two single adults struggle with parenting that each knows must supersede their love for one another. Readers who appreciate a solid realistic family drama (climax aside) will want to journey to MONTANA SKIES as the responsible lead couple raises their offspring while falling in unwanted love.

Harriet Klausner

I've been anxious for this book to come out and it was worth the wait!
Unique characters, an emotionally charged plot. I couldn't put it down.
Ms. Stockham's writing just keeps getting better.

If you're looking for a book with great characters and an emotionally involving plot, pick up Montana Skies. The protagonists are realistic characters a reader can identify with, and the supporting cast play an important role and give the story a lot of depth. Romance fans will love the hero who's doing his best to raise a daughter alone, but hasn't a clue how to deal with party dresses or feminine underwear. The heroine is equally admirable facing adversity, but never giving up on her troubled kid. This one is a keeper!

Montana Skies will touch your heart and soul. It's a deeply moving story by Kat Stockham.

Rissa Mathews has come to North Star Montana to help her troubled teenaged daughter after the tragic death of her husband. Her daughter Skylar is no longer the sweet girl she once was, she is a whole new girl. Rissa is happy Skylar has made a friend in town but it's the Sheriff's daughter.

Sheriff Jonas Taggert's first meeting with Rissa strikes a chord with him. He is attracted to Rissa but is very leery of being burned again by a woman. Plus there is her gothic daughter that he feels is a less then ideal friend for his own daughter Caroline.

Jonas and Rissa start a temporary relationship but their hearts have other ideas. They both find a passion that is beyond compare but will their problems with their teens and their past tear them apart?

Montana Skies is a compelling story on so many levels. The romance of Rissa and Jonas is sexy as it is tender. The teens in this story will break your heart and bring you to tears. I would highly recommend that you try Kay Stockham's books they are keepers.

Rissa Matthews moves to Montana with her daughter Skylar, a troubled teen who has been having behavioral problems since the death of her father. In the opening chapter, Rissa is caught speeding, trying to get to Skylar's school on time for a meeting with the school counselor. Sheriff Jonas Taggert is the law enforcement officer who pulls her to the side of the road, asking for her license, which of course she doesn't have with her. Rissa explains that she and Skylar are currently living with a cousin, Maura, at the "Second Chance", hoping that Maura's name will be good enough to keep her from getting a ticket. Jonas lets Rissa go with just a warning.

In the meantime, Rissa is looking for a job as a pilot, but while she is living with Maura, she helps out around the ranch. Rissa hopes that with the passing of time, Skylar will return to her normal self, and eventually Rissa will find that job she's been looking for, allowing them to move on from their temporary home. But Rissa can't find the daughter she used to know underneath the Goth makeup and dark clothing. Skylar is getting in a lot of trouble at school, which Rissa finds out soon enough from the school counselor, and with the law.

Jonas has a teenage daughter, Caroline, who is quiet and shy, and somehow she and Skylar become friends. Rissa is happy to see Skylar finally trying to fit in with her classmates, but Jonas doesn't want Skylar's influence on Caroline, whose mother left, leaving Caroline insecure and vulnerable. Jonas does, however, like Rissa a lot, but unfortunately he can't seem to get past Skylar's attitude and her outward appearance. He's in a difficult situation where a potential romance may never get a chance to bloom because of Skylar.

I enjoyed this superromance, mainly because of the two teens Skylar and Caroline. I felt they were the stars of the story, a friendship that ultimately helps to bring together Jonas and Rissa. Skylar especially was a standout character, very complex and interesting on many levels. Kay Stockham did a wonderful job portraying this girl who was trying to sort out the mess that was her life, and the guilt she carried regarding the death of her father. Rissa is torn between her growing attraction to Jonas, and her desire to protect and nurture her only daughter who desperately needed help. I felt that Jonas made an interesting male protagonist, with his inability to see past Skylar's looks and assuming the worst in her, just like the rest of the town did. The pairing of Caroline and Skylar, two girls who were as opposite as night and day, was brilliant.

MONTANA SKIES is a romance that I'll remember for its multi-faceted characters that were realistically drawn and interesting to read about. This book is recommended.

Her husband died in a car accident that also injured their fourteen years old daughter Skylar. So to help her raise her offspring, pilot Rissa Mathews moves to North Star, Montana where her family and best friends live. Whereas Skylar feels at home, Rissa loathes the move failing to adapt to the small town.

Skylar makes one friend Caroline Taggert, daughter of the sheriff. The town's prime law enforcement official Jonas is not happy with seeing his relatively obedient daughter hanging out with the newcomer, an obviously troubled teen. Making matters worse, he meets Skylar's mom when he stops her for speeding and to his chagrin he is attracted to her; she feels the same way about him including the belief this is the wrong time for them.

The romance takes a back seat to the troubled teen as Rissa steals the show with her behavior and attitude. The story line is character driven as the two single adults struggle with parenting that each knows must supersede their love for one another. Readers who appreciate a solid realistic family drama (climax aside) will want to journey to MONTANA SKIES as the responsible lead couple raises their offspring while falling in unwanted love.

Harriet Klausner

I've been anxious for this book to come out and it was worth the wait!
Unique characters, an emotionally charged plot. I couldn't put it down.
Ms. Stockham's writing just keeps getting better.

If you're looking for a book with great characters and an emotionally involving plot, pick up Montana Skies. The protagonists are realistic characters a reader can identify with, and the supporting cast play an important role and give the story a lot of depth. Romance fans will love the hero who's doing his best to raise a daughter alone, but hasn't a clue how to deal with party dresses or feminine underwear. The heroine is equally admirable facing adversity, but never giving up on her troubled kid. This one is a keeper!

Montana Skies will touch your heart and soul. It's a deeply moving story by Kat Stockham.

Rissa Mathews has come to North Star Montana to help her troubled teenaged daughter after the tragic death of her husband. Her daughter Skylar is no longer the sweet girl she once was, she is a whole new girl. Rissa is happy Skylar has made a friend in town but it's the Sheriff's daughter.

Sheriff Jonas Taggert's first meeting with Rissa strikes a chord with him. He is attracted to Rissa but is very leery of being burned again by a woman. Plus there is her gothic daughter that he feels is a less then ideal friend for his own daughter Caroline.

Jonas and Rissa start a temporary relationship but their hearts have other ideas. They both find a passion that is beyond compare but will their problems with their teens and their past tear them apart?

Montana Skies is a compelling story on so many levels. The romance of Rissa and Jonas is sexy as it is tender. The teens in this story will break your heart and bring you to tears. I would highly recommend that you try Kay Stockham's books they are keepers.

Rissa Matthews moves to Montana with her daughter Skylar, a troubled teen who has been having behavioral problems since the death of her father. In the opening chapter, Rissa is caught speeding, trying to get to Skylar's school on time for a meeting with the school counselor. Sheriff Jonas Taggert is the law enforcement officer who pulls her to the side of the road, asking for her license, which of course she doesn't have with her. Rissa explains that she and Skylar are currently living with a cousin, Maura, at the "Second Chance", hoping that Maura's name will be good enough to keep her from getting a ticket. Jonas lets Rissa go with just a warning.

In the meantime, Rissa is looking for a job as a pilot, but while she is living with Maura, she helps out around the ranch. Rissa hopes that with the passing of time, Skylar will return to her normal self, and eventually Rissa will find that job she's been looking for, allowing them to move on from their temporary home. But Rissa can't find the daughter she used to know underneath the Goth makeup and dark clothing. Skylar is getting in a lot of trouble at school, which Rissa finds out soon enough from the school counselor, and with the law.

Jonas has a teenage daughter, Caroline, who is quiet and shy, and somehow she and Skylar become friends. Rissa is happy to see Skylar finally trying to fit in with her classmates, but Jonas doesn't want Skylar's influence on Caroline, whose mother left, leaving Caroline insecure and vulnerable. Jonas does, however, like Rissa a lot, but unfortunately he can't seem to get past Skylar's attitude and her outward appearance. He's in a difficult situation where a potential romance may never get a chance to bloom because of Skylar.

I enjoyed this superromance, mainly because of the two teens Skylar and Caroline. I felt they were the stars of the story, a friendship that ultimately helps to bring together Jonas and Rissa. Skylar especially was a standout character, very complex and interesting on many levels. Kay Stockham did a wonderful job portraying this girl who was trying to sort out the mess that was her life, and the guilt she carried regarding the death of her father. Rissa is torn between her growing attraction to Jonas, and her desire to protect and nurture her only daughter who desperately needed help. I felt that Jonas made an interesting male protagonist, with his inability to see past Skylar's looks and assuming the worst in her, just like the rest of the town did. The pairing of Caroline and Skylar, two girls who were as opposite as night and day, was brilliant.

MONTANA SKIES is a romance that I'll remember for its multi-faceted characters that were realistically drawn and interesting to read about. This book is recommended.

This is the funniest novel I've read since finishing Don Quixote sometime last month. I feel I ought to single out for particular notice Chapter 34, wherein a drunken Frank abducts Lucy and precipitates a riotous vehicular escapade. This episode constitutes about as polished a piece of comedy as I've ever encountered in any of the books I have read and, like I said, I've just finished Don Quixote. Ozell's revision of the translation of Peter Motteux as a matter of fact. Take my word for it, the unfairly maligned Motteux puts Tobias Smollett in the crapper. For what it's worth, Mister McGuane actually alludes to Cervantes' great masterwork twice during the course of his own inimitable relation: once a tad obliquely, when Frank briefly visits Alaska and is tossed in a blanket by a bunch of tanked-up Eskimos, recalling Sancho Panza's similar treatment outside the Inn at the hands of four Segovia Clothiers, three Cordova Point-makers, and two Seville Hucksters, all brisk, gamesome, arch fellows; and once rather more directly, when a Buick Frank had purchased from June is described as being as loose-jointed and ungainly as Rozinante. Well it's all a circle really, isn't it?

Thomas McGuane is a remarkably gifted writer and here he is at the top of his form. This book captures the beauty and the tragedy of the west, is full of characters who are real and pathetic and loveable and maddening. The territory of Western pathos and failed relationships covered briliantly by Richard Ford, but McGuane in this book brings a consistent over the top humor and sense of the ridiculous which distinguishes him sharply from Ford. Picaresque bar fights alternate with lyrical descriptions of the fishing streams of Montana, the protagonist's series of soulless affairs constrasts sharply with his desperate love for the wife who has left him. The book is fascinating, and beautiful, and terribly funny.

This was my first, but will not be my last, novel by Thomas McGuane. Frank Copenhaver, the central character, has hit a rough patch in his life. His anchors have left him. In the opening scene he is taking his wife to the airport. She is leaving him. After some brief background info, McGuane lays before us a man who's life is torn out from underhim and who doesn't really seem to know how to get back on track. Ultimately it is a story of betrayal, love and relationships. Husband and wife and daughter. In between there are great descriptions of Montana flyfishing. Although not as good as The Shipping News by Annie Proulx, this book does come pretty close.

McGuane is easily among our most talented contemporary authors. There were times that I caught myself laughing out-loud as well as smiling at truly remarkable descriptions written with such skill that I felt as if I were standing in a river somewhere in Montana. He is able to pull the reader into his world of complex and entertaining characters that operate in an equally wonderful backdrop of Montana's ranches, rivers, and small towns. If you are a fan of other McGuane titles such as "Nobody's Angel" and "Keep the Change" you will not be disappointed with "Nothing but Blue Skies." I can't think of higher praise than to be truly sad to turn the last page and realize that such a beautifully and skillfully written story is over.

I simply can not stop reading this book. Since buying it, I have reread it so many times that I will soon need to buy a new copy. If you are looking for a novel that is funny, sad, moving, painful, unforgetable, very readable, and unbelievably enjoyable, then get this book. My only warning is that you will soon need to buy a new copy for display.

Author Groneberg's spare, beautiful, prose could make you weep in its honest simplicity. He takes the reader on the most intimate of journeys into his heart, his soul, and his mind. His struggles to come to grips with the ordinariness of his life while still daring to reach for extraordinary that he dreams of, is brillantly woven into stories of the past and the present, the human and the equine. Rarely does a memoir touch my soul as this one has. Reading this felt like a privilege. I was enriched in so many ways. I am grateful for the gift od Tom Groneberg.

Mr. Groneberg knows the West and takes us there instantly. His characters struggle, live, relate, disengage, and escape just like those anywhere else, but here things move differently. Our hero's method of dealing with, or avoiding, the difficulties of human relationships is through focusing his efforts and passion on the process of training an unbroken horse. As the complex stories unravel, the dusty trail becomes clearer and the beauty of human fragility shines through.

One Good Horse picks up Tom's life where he is still in Montana working various ranch jobs to support his budding family. Dealing with all of the complications in his life, Tom decides that what he really needs is a horse. This is not to be an ordinary horse that belonged to another, Tom wants to buy an un-broke horse and go through the process of training him; not the old time approach of jumping on his back and breaking him but rather through kindness and teaching the horse what he needs to do without stress and confrontation. Concurrently Tom also chronicles the life of the horse as it eventually becomes part of the Groneberg family. For me, one of the things that makes this book special is the interjection of segments of Teddy Blue Abbott's wonderful book, We Pointed Them North. Teddy's colorful account of his cattle drive from Texas to Montana is beautifully woven in with Tom's own experiences and surprisingly transcends the century that divides the two literary works. I strongly recommend that anyone interested in the west (past and present alike) give this book a read - I believe you will thoroughly enjoy it.

"Remember that life is not always fair, but it is good. Success is measured by the size of your heart," Tom Groneberg writes in his elegiac nonfiction followup to his successful memoir, The Secret Life of Cowboys. This time out, Mr. Groneberg writes of the eponymous equine, Blue, interspersing his tale of searching for that horse with his tales as husband and father to three young sons. In the process, he acquits himself not just as an extraordinary writer, but as an extraordinary father as well.

Tom Groneberg's One Good Horse presents several characters from disparate times and influences. Several stories emerge, and are woven in, out and around the authors desire to buy, break and train one good horse. Initially, the books cast of characters seem unrelated as they move in and out of the story. But ever so masterfully this author breathes each one to life, and a common theme begins to coalesce and shimmer. Within each characters circumstance, sandwiched between all things ordinary, life folds tiny, subtle cataclysms that alter perceptions and expectations mercilessly for good or ill. The author opens a window into his own soul and humbly invites us to pause to wonder at the blessings and the disappointments of our naive and so often narrow expectations of life and its most precious commodity: time well spent; time purposefully spent. In this earthy book I can almost smell the hay and grass and hear the horses snort and breathe as I recognize life's brevity and beauty in the colors of the Montanta Sky. Just as in his book, The Secret Life of Cowboys, Tom Groneberg's transparency and gentle vulnerability in sharing his desires, his moments of bliss or epiphany and more often than not - his heartache and disappointment were a genuine delight.