Wyoming Books

Rarely do you come across a book so well-written that the characters become your friends. While I read, I laughed, I cried, I held my breath and signed in relief as the characters vividly faced life's challenges.

This book grabbed me right from the start. I felt like I knew the characters. Ms. Gilbert paints a picture with her words in such a way that, even having never been to Wyoming, I felt as though I had. This book took me on a journey that made me feel good. It brought up spirituality in ways that made me pause and consider my own faith and what role it played in my life. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read her next one!

Safe Pastures is a first novel crafted with some of the best writing I've seen, even in seasoned writers. The characters are alive and real, and the story is compelling with plenty of depth and tension to hold the writer's interest. But what most impressed me was the multilayered style of Ms. Gilbert's writing. She uses natural, flowing, complex sentence structures that pulled me along in the story, yet made me want to stop, re-read and relish a turn of phrase. Her writing is full of lush yet efficient description that manages not to get in the way of the story. I enjoyed wandering along through paragraphs with plenty of rich details but no unneeded snags to trip me or distract me from the plot. It's good literature and a good story in a perfect fit. Read this book! You will stay up late, saying to yourself, "Just one more chapter and then I'll turn out the light."

I have read a lot of books -- some very bad and some very good. Safe Pasture is one of those "Very, very good books". I would highly recommend this book to young couples just beginning their lives together or to older people who have lived much of their lives. This is an inspirational book for all ages.

I have been in contact with others who have read this book and their response always is: "I wish Mrs. Gilbert would write more about this family" or "when will she write another book?" I think all libraries should carry this book on their shelves. It is a clean, lovely story about a young woman with a child striving to do the right thing in the eyes of the Lord.

Susanna Parker, the main character of our story, is a young widowed mother. At the onset of the story Susanna is fired from her job and decides to take up her Aunt Ora's invitation and visit with her for a while in Wyoming. Her son Rusty is overjoyed and can't wait to begin the adventure, but Susanna is only looking forward to some quiet relaxing time.

Aunt Ora is a believing woman, setting her hopes on the Lord for her everyday existence. Susanna loves and respects her aunt but does not share the devotion and commitment to the Lord that she does. However that would soon change. And you know, without being told, that Aunt Ora was inspired by a higher force to invite her niece to spend time with her. Realizing this, you are aware that God has a plan for this young woman's life and you await to see it unfold before you.

On Aunt Ora's insistence Susanna and her son accompany her to church where Susanna meets and is befriended by Beth O'Connor. She also meets Mark, a man she finds quite appealing despite Aunt Ora's disapproval of him, and is one of our colorful sinister characters in this work. The author did a good job using this character to show how the enemy sends counterfeits along our path to sway us from God's ultimate purpose. But the Lord is at work in Susanna's life and things are about to change as he turns her to him.
Her conversion takes place when her son is missing and Susanna promises the Lord that she will change if he is returned safely to her.

We are introduced to Zeke McCall, a rancher that is in need of a cook. Aunt Ora thinks this would be the perfect opportunity for Susanna to pick up some extra funds and for Rusty to enjoy ranch life for a while. Susanna is not so sure but agrees to at least meet the man and discuss the possibilities. Their meeting does not go well and instead of making Susanna pick up and leave she decides to prove to this man that she can indeed take on the responsibility of cooking for the likes of him and his men.

Zeke is a widower with a young daughter named Laura who has not spoken since the tragic death of her mother in a car accident.
This is where the true meat of the story begins as the author introduces you to colorful ranch hands that challenge Susanna to battle for her acceptance as one of them; you will smile at their playful antics towards Susanna, but you will also
cringe as the author has woven in some very distasteful characters that almost destroy Susanna's life. Good mix.

The author takes you on a journey in this read of this woman Susanna, this man Zeke, both struggling with their inner hurts and fears. Both feeling the force that is drawing them together and both battling against the tide. Susanna's faith is growing and Zeke has not yet accepted the Lord, this is not acceptable to Susanna who could never have a relationship with a man who does not have the Lord in his life.

The story takes you through many trauma's, from a near rape of Susanna, the near loss of the ranch for Zeke, to the desperate search for the children during a blinding blizzard, which leads to Zeke's acceptance of the Lord. The author shows through each and everyone of these the saving grace of God.

Safe Pasture is a work that takes the lives of two people and shows how God is able to intervene to bring them to the place he wants them to be. It is a work that is filled with raw emotions, tender love, nail biting suspense and deep inward faith all interwoven in a great storyline. One that will keep you reading, and will encourage you in your walk as you see how the steadfastness of one believer can indeed move mountains and change lives forever.
Very highly recommended.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review

This is the classic guide book for the Tetons. Many pictures and topos are provided to help route finding, however most topos are for the more difficult routes. The text is very descriptive. The book is heavy so be prepared to make photo copies before your climb.

exactly what I was looking for. All the detail I needed and more. Please send my thanks to the authors for the great beta.

Excellent book. Clearly describes hundreds of routes with climbing topo's and ratings. Highly recommended.

If you are looking for a comprehensive, detailed, easy to understand reference guide to the history, approaches and routes of the peaks of the Grand Tetons...look no further. Complete with Topos, black and white Arial photographs, and hand drawn route diagrams, this guide is a "must have" in any mountaineer's quiver of guide books. The book opens with a history of the Grand Teton Range and introduces readers to the men and women who explored and developed many of the modern routes enjoyed by all today; particularly the "bold" first accents of the early Teton pioneers Paul Petzoldt and Glenn Exum. The meat of the book can be found in the remaining pages covering everything from, recommended equipment, mountain safety, to detailed accounts of the climbs and approaches on all the jagged peaks of the Teton Range.
As a climber of 20+ years, I found this book to be extremely helpful on my trips to the Tetons and highly recommend this guide to anyone entertaining the possibility of climbing or hiking in the Teton Range. Whether you are a seasoned climber, or are considering cutting your teeth in one of the most spectacular mountain ranges the United States has to offer, consider this resource a must!

A good climbing guide is a personal friend. You spend hours reading about possible climbs, adventures awaiting for you. There is much pleasure in browsing a climbing guide, remembering the climbs you have made, those climbs not completed due to severe weather or other reasons, and all those climbs you have yet to try.

My Teton guidebook has particular value as I always inscribe notes about my climbs: the date, my companions, the weather, route finding tips (or conversely, where I went astray), elapsed time, and other items of interest.

This third edition, 1996, is more than four hundred pages. It is much to bulky and heavy to carry on a climb. But it is a remarkable reference of virtually every climbing route in the Teton Range. The descriptions are detailed and well-written. I have not encountered any climbing guide that is comparable in detail and scope to this work by Leigh Ortenburger and Reynold Jackson.

The number of routes and variations on the favorite peaks can be overwhelming. The most commonly used route is highlighted. Route descriptions range from easy scrambles to difficult climbs requiring substantial technical skill on ice, snow, and rock. Numerous excellent black and white photos with climbing routes overlain are scattered throughout the texts. Also, there are many detailed ink drawings of more difficult climbs.

For climbers new to the Tetons, the authors have listed more than 130 of their favorite routes ranging from easy scrambles to severe climbs 5.12 in difficulty, as well as difficult technical ice climbing routes.

The introduction, some sixty pages, is quite good. Major topics include a history of Teton climbing, descriptions of great climbs and traverses, details on the national park service policy, and a discussion of the difficulty rating system. The section on Teton weather and climatology is both helpful and sobering. Also, on more than one occasion I had reason to appreciate Ortenburger's and Jackson's bushwacking hints for those canyons without maintained trails.

I have used A Climber's Guide to the Teton Range for many years beginning with the first edition dating back to the 1960s by Leigh Ortenburger. In the intervening years a condensed version, an extended version (volume 2), and a second and third edition have been published.

This third edition is really quite exceptional and I highly recommend this guidebook to anyone planning to climb in Grand Teton National Park.

Down Time is a wonderful book. Full of beautiful images, wonderful characters, true dialogue, and original twists. Mr. Cohen displays a clear passion for the subject and location of the story which is very refreshing, and reminds me very much of Stephen King describing his beloved Maine. I sincerely hope to see more works by Mr. Cohen in the future. Down Time is a wonderful read.

This was one of the few books that has touched me personally over the past year. The book throws you into the deep spiritualiy of the West, the quest for human adventure and the reality of history.
The fluidity and perfection of the language with which Cohen writes takes you to a place that you can't stop dreaming about. His characters and stellar story make the book one that every person should read.
Buy the book and read it!

There hasn't been a book that has touched me more over the past year. The captivating power of the setting and of each of the characters in turn draws you into a world that you can't stop thinking about.
The fluidity and perfection of the language with which Cohen engages the reader is truly fantastic. As if the story itself isn't moving enough, the beauty of the writing makes it all the more so!
In 'Down Time' one finds the true spirituality of the heart as well as human adventure and the reality of history. Buy the book and read it!

Downtime took me on a much needed literary vacation. Through Mr.Cohen's vivid descriptions of life out west I was transported not only to a different part of the country, but a different time; a time where cell phones and digital watches were as foriegn as flying saucers.
Tales of puppy love and strength in family keep the pages turning.
Filled with action and subtle humor, Downtime is a beautifully earthy and timeless novel, sure to be loved by generations to come.
Do yourself a favor and take a vacation with Downtime.

Cohen's language bursts with the radiancy of a true western adventure. His words possess a movement all their own - one of lasting color and enduring images that embody the heart and spirit of the West. A story of young love encompassed by a quest through time. It bears sentimentality along with masterful moments of comic relief. An absolutely amazing read!

SO many times you pick up a novel expecting to be entertained, but for that entertainment to last you also have to believe in the story and want to keep reading. Sherwood's work is not only entertaining, but not once did I skip ahead with a longing sigh for reality (a big achievement!) The plot is engaging, the characters sympathetic and real (no obviously trumped up stereotypes in this!) and the ending is very satisfying in a way that is both unexpected and relieving, as well as brutally realistic. (key words: realistic realistic realistic) His attention to character and environment is truly exceptional. I am impatiently awaiting his next literary endevor!

What an outstanding novel! It was thoroughly enjoyable. The western setting is authentic and you quickly feel like you are a part of the community. Similar to other reviewers - I was sorry when I finished it. I am looking forward to Steve's next novel!

I just finished Steve Sherwood's novel Hardwater and I'm very disappointed...that it's over! I couldn't put the book down. Mr. Sherwood has created such compelling characters that I feel like they are a part of my real life. I am a suspense and mystery novel buff, but Hardwater is the most emotionally involving novel I've read in a long time. Get this book, then get settled into your favorite chair, because you won't be getting up for a while! The setting, politics, relationships between characters is a joy to behold. When is Mr. Sherwood's next novel coming our way?

Hardwater is a hidden gem of a suspense novel set in the contemporary American West. The story opens on a gruesome crime scene, and a journalist intent on sniffing out the identity of a serial killer with a knack for verse.

Underneath this murder mystery is an issues novel about the contemporary American West, where native tribes and white farmers battle over water rights, and failed uranium mines sit abandoned in the landscape, to be approached with Geiger Counter in hand.

But more than the mystery or the provocative issues, what makes Hardwater such an enjoyable read is its fantastic setting. Hardwater is a world of granite monoliths, tribal customs, and wide open spaces. Fans of Tony Hillerman and John Nichols will eagerly devour this worthy winner of the 2003 George Garrett Prize.

If you're looking for a fine, fast suspense, Hardwater is a book you won't want to miss. Outstanding characters, fast paced plot, interesting setting--this novel has it all. Not to be missed.

I absolutely loved this collection of her letters, journal and diary entries, as well as letters by suitor and future husband John Love, and her friends. It's at times a very emotional read. You don't want the book to end and you definitely are itching for more info about their life together after they were married at the book's end. Author John McPhee, who wrote the forward , mentioned I believe that more of Ethel Waxham Love's writings exist and are still unpublished. Hopefully they will be published soon. Check out McPhee's Rising From the Plains which is a combination history and geology exploration centering on John David Love, John and Ethel's son. He was home-schooled by Ethel, Yale-educated and became a preeminent geologist of the Wyoming and Rocky Mountain region. There is quite a bit of info on John David's early years growing up on the Love Ranch in Wyo. and further info on his Mom and Dad's life after marriage. It's an interesting blend of geology lesson interspersed with J.D.s personal and family story. J.D. shared his mother's letters and such with McPhee and his book was the first time they were published- though he used only a small portion of what was available to him. Then Lady's Choice was published about 10 years later if I'm not mistaken. Director Ken Burns and Co. then later featured excerpts of the Love's story in their PBS series and book, The West.

This is one of the best books I've ever read and the subject matter is really interesting and engrossing. It's much more than a bunch of dry letters and diary entries that's for sure.

The book was compiled and edited by two of the Love's grandaughters, Barbara Love and Francis Love Froidevaux, with a forward by John McPhee.

I love stories of women in the American west. Ethel's limited diary entries are insightful and often funny. I also loved the letters from her varied group of friends, most of them educated women who were pursuing the only career choice available to them: teaching. John Love's determined, romantic letters to Ethel were poignant and irresistible. As her options narrowed, his steady offer became more and more attractive, but unfortunately, he could not deliver on many of his promises. I could have read much more about her life after their marriage! If letters and writings exist, I wish another collection could be published. For me, this book was a page-turner.

If you are looking for a book that captures the real-life essence of the hardship and romance of the American West, look no further; this book has it all. A wonderfully written story of the lives and loves of the ordinary pioneering people who made America great.

This collection is truly wonderful. Ethel Waxham and many of her correspondents are of such intelligence, perceptiveness, spirit, and wit that they are, as John McPhee says of Ethel Waxham in the Forward, irresistable. The jounal entries and the letters make it clear that the story of Ethel Waxham's journey from Wellesley to the ranch on Muskrat creek just south of Moneta was deeper and more complex than the story of the PBS series. The endnotes are particularly good -- a story in and of themselves. I do wish there were more pictures of the ranch itself and its surroundings (even from today), "where the gray hills lie, Eternally still, under the sky," and the people, and I wish that I could know more about Ethel Waxham and the authors of the letters. I also wish that the unpublished sources were available -- as they are by "EPW" and J. D. Love, both of whom are of indisputable eloquence, they would make wonderful reading. And finally, as stated by McPhee: "I will wait impatiently for the sampler" -- the collection ends in one sense where the adventure just begins, and I long to see more of the correspondence and hear more of the story of the life at the Ranch on Muskrat Creek.

When John McPhee published his now-classic RISING FROM THE PLAINS, he introduced Ethel Waxham Love in the first paragraph. All through the rest of the book he interwove her story with that of her son, Wyoming geologist David Love and the geology of the Great Plains. When fan mail came rolling in, readers wanted to know more about the "slim young woman" who stepped down from a train in Rawlings, Wyoming one fall morning in 1905.
LADY'S CHOICE is Ethel Waxham Love's story. Her granddaughters, Barbara Love and Frances Love Froidevaux, have collected her writings -- journals, letters, poetry, essays, stories -- present them in combination with letters from her friends and classmates as well as from the man she would marry.

Her story begins in the Fall of 1905. She has graduated from Wellesley and spent the Summer working as an assistant to her doctor father in Denver. When she gets the opportunity to teach in a log cabin schoolhouse in Wyoming, she accepts the offer. Her first journal entry describes her journey into the wilds of Wyoming by train, stage coach and wagon. With a sure pen and a sympathetic eye she records her impressions of the land, the people and events. Her observations are those of a sharp mind (she had earned a Phi Beta Kappa key at Wellesley, specializing in Greek, Latin and French), her descriptions are those of a major literary talent.

Of one acquaintance she writes, "Mrs. Butler. . .is a little war-horse of a woman, with a long, thin husband. I'm telling you about her because she has been improving him for twenty years and it is beginning to tell on him."

Her year in this community is surprisingly eventful, considering the isolation and the seeming lack of resources. But Ethel is a resourceful person, full of imagination, the kind of person who makes things happen. She visits friends, attends church services and "sociables," and dines in local restaurants. There are dances and suppers and school entertainments. And there is John Love, the man she will marry after the five-year courtship that is recorded here.

She is enchanted by her surroundings. "The color of the white hills against the pale of the blue sky is most exquisite i the world. The cedars are gray with snow, the sagebrush white clumps of crystals. Where a long way off the sun touches the tops of the snow-covered hills there are shines a streak of silver. A whole white world was there, rising around us, as far as we could see; there did not appear to be such a thing as direction. Everywhere the whiteness, everywhere the hills. Where the stubble of the fields of the range rose above the snow,there was a shading of gold over the white. . .and when the full moon shines out of the deep dark night sky, the hills are like shining silver."

You, too, will find a lady to love in these pages. Her journal begins as she stands on the threshold of her life, emerging from the chrysalis of a protected girlhood toward the challenge of womanhood. Here she records a land, a people, a life, a love, welcoming them as unequivocably and eagerly as only the young do.

LADY'S CHOICE eclipses others of its type. It not only showcases the lady's life and the choices she made, it reveals a true literary talent and a rare human being. Wallace Stegner (ANGLE OF REPOSE, SPECTATOR BIRD, CROSSING TO SAFETY)once spoke of the "inextinguishable western hope" expressed by writers of history as they look at the world and at humanity's place in it. Ethel Waxham Love's letters and journals provide a major contribution to that hope as well as to the history and the the belles lettres of the American West.

(c)2002 Sunnye Tiedemann
(Ruth F. Tiedemann)

My Dad read this book to me as a child many times. It's a special story. He bought me my own copy as a teenager and now I'm purchasing a copy for my two children. There are very few stories that tell the story of the old west from a bear's perspective. My 8 year old son went to Yellowstone last year and it offers even more meaning to him now. It's a wonderful book for young and old.

My grade two teacher read this book for the class many ,many years ago and it truly touched me. A bear cub who is orphaned at the hands of the human learns to cope and survive to one day exact his revenge on the hated human. The book is written through the eyes of the bear it seems and you can't help but feel his pain and rage as he struggles through life alone. Whab, the name of the bear, is taken advantage of as a cub and through life. As he grows and becomes more bitter and angry,he will at times meet up with his old enemies from the woodland and through his eyes they all seem so much smaller now. This book is not all anger and bitterness but has some very tender moments as well. As well as this book is written, I never imagined I could ever feel pity or sympathy for such a creature as a grizzly. Ernest Thompson seton is a gifted writer and I have passed this gift on to many friends and aquaintances over the years. If you are looking for a book that your children will pass on to thier children for generations ; get this book. D.Seguin Edmonton Canada

I was first introduced to Whab the grizzly bear & his adventures by my mother. Since then I have often read this book to myself, as a small child, as an adolescent & as a grown man. Over the years Whab has become a true friend & there is something comforting about how the grizzly overcomes the challenges he faces throughout his life. Perhaps his challenges are our challenges. I have read this book to my boys & in their classrooms many times & we have discussed lifes lessons as seen through the eyes of Whab. I often give this book to children & to adults as a present.

I haven't read it in decades. I'm buying a copy for my library - maybe I'll be able to read it to the grandkids - or vice versa :) A fairly short story about the life and death of a grizzly. What stands out in my mind after all these years is the way the aging process is made part of life. Probably best for the budding naturalist rather than those who think predation is a dirty word and all carnivores should be muzzled. A great philosophical work for those who want to teach some of Nature's ways to the young. Its a pretty transparent allegory of our lives. Deals (gently but clearly) with topics like death, fear, competition - winning and loosing. I'd say ages 8 to 13, best read together with your child. (At least the first time!) I also loved his Two Little Savages - about camping & the outdoors.

I first read this book as a kid in the 1950's. A neighbor loaned it to me. I was fascinated by it, the first time I had read a book devoted to one animal in a personified way. It still evokes exactly the same feelings now as it did then. While a pure scientist might object to how personified and dramatized it is, based on reading other books on bears and grizzlies in particular, it seems pretty fact-based to me. A reader might wonder where the book, essentially a chronology, is going, but it does build to the conclusion, which is not earth-shattering but as touching and emotional as it is simple. It really conveys many things that we humans can relate to and feel. I've given it to my oldest child to read, and will eventually give it to the others.

The book is an easy read, has a simple style, and really helps the reader picture how things look from the animals' perspective. Animals do have intelligence and emotions, recent learnings show that even sharks do, so this book is probably more relevant and true to life than when it was written.

I recommend it to readers from about age 10 to the oldest adult will all enjoy it and come away thinking and feeling in ways they didn't expect.

Good guide to all the lakes in the Beartooth Mountains. Ever wonder if all those lakes have fish in them. This book tells you. Tells you depths and last time they were stocked and other useful information.

Pat Marcuson knows the beartooths. If you are planning a trip into the Absaroka/Beartooth wilderness area you need two things a good map and this book. After a few trips into the Montana wilderness especially the Beartooths you will quickly find out you need to know what your up against and what going to be there when you get there. Pat's book will give you the best fishing advice because he's been there and fished the lakes for a decade working for Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. So again if you're a fisherman looking for trout in the Beartooths you have to get this book.

This is the best fishing guide that I have ever read. When I first purchased the book, I had little experience or success with fishing for trout in mountain lakes. I had taken an earlier backpacking trip to the Beartooth Mountains, but only caught 4-5 fish in 9 days. Then I purchased and studied this book in detail and during my next two 9-day backpacking trips to the Beartooth Mountains, I caught fish for dinner almost every night. Where once I had to settle for catching small brook trout, I now could plan trip routes to catch big fat Cutthroat trout for dinner. It was a true joy to read the detailed descriptions of each mountain lake and to understand Pat's reasoning behind stocking each lake with specific trout species. Not only that, but Pat gives you details on what years are the best to fish each lake based on their individual stocking schedules. Finally, Pat gives invaluable fishing tips such as how to locate and catch fish in these remote mountain lakes. I thank Pat for what has become a lifelong joy of trout fishing throughout the west.

The author managed the fisheries and fish stocking program in the Beartooths for many years, and provides enormous detail in this book about every lake that has fish. There have been some changes since he wrote the first edition, and not all of them are noted in this latest edition (1997) but, overall, the info is great. I don't know of a similarly complete and authoritative fishing guide to any other wilderness area. One small gripe: this book talks solely about the lakes of the Beartooths without mentioning that some of the best fishing is in the feeder and outlet streams, some of them a long way from the nearest lakes.

Mr. Marcuson clearly has an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject, and communicates it well. Even if you're not planning to fish the area, you'll easily get your money's worth from his descriptions of scenic attractions, camping possibilities, trails, routes, wildlife, and other background information - as well as an assurance of where the fishermen and outfitters won't be if you're looking for the most in wilderness solitude.

My caveats are minor:
1. The index follows the same scheme as the book (organized by drainage), which I found to be a nuisance when looking for a lake by name.
2. You may need a magnifying glass for the maps showing the lake index numbers.
3. Restarting the lake index numbers at 1 for each drainage makes it easier find the wrong description; this could easily be addressed by numbering all of the lakes sequentially, or using a drainage prefix character.
4. A couple of additional indexes organizing the lakes by size, species habitation, abundance, most recent stocking year, and so forth wouldn't have cost too much and would have made the book much easier to use as a reference. Maybe Mr. Marcuson was trying to keep it from being too easy to find his favorite fishing holes, though.

This is certainly the best book so far in this series. The action is non-stop, and the tension just keeps increasing. We get a first-hand look at the operation of First Nation-owned gambling casinos, and the effects both good and bad that these facilities have on the First Nation tribes that have them. They bring prosperity and money for programs for the people, but they can also bring unsavoury people and companies to the casino because these people want to take advantage of he money that is being made. This book runs two parallel stories as usual. Father John is trying to determine what happened to an Arapaho who has disappeared. This Arapaho is the pit boss at the casino on the Wind River Reserve. Vicky is working as a lawyer for the casino and uncovers many secrets and frauds that get her into a pack of trouble. And of course, there are dead bodies along the way. The plot eventually melds together, and we have the formidable pair of Father John and Vicky Holden working together to uncover evil, dishonesty and also to unmask a murderer. This series keeps on getting better and better.

Excellent book if you like Native American thrillers. We read a lot of the Thurlo books and Margaret Coel's books are a lot like those. The book keeps you on you seat and guessing all the time about the plot. You won't be able to put the book down once you start.

Margaret Coel casts the dice to spin another tightly plotted mystery on the Wind River Reservation. Lean times force Vicki Holden to do some legal work for the new casino on the reservation though she has doubts as to the easy money flowing to the tribe.
Vickie's path crosses Father John's and their feelings for each other still cloud their judgement despite their best efforts to ignore the regard.
With all mysteries a body turns up that demands justice. Father John and Vicki, both find questions that need answers around the casino. But a new man proves them wrong in their assessment of him, and finds a place in Vickie's heart.
Pages turn till the very end, which provides clues for the next installment in the fine series.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Margaret Coel hits all the right notes in the latest book about Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and the Wind River Reservation's priest, Father John. The discovery of a dead body at Double Dives brings Father John into an investigation, just as his friend Vicky is offered a job at the Indian reservation's gambling casino. Vicky has her doubts about the casino job, but she is convinced by Adam Lone Eagle, the other attorney at the casino that it would be beneficial to her people. Vicky has been barely making ends meet in her law practice, so she agrees to join Adam. As she learns more about the operation, Vicky becomes suspicious about the legality of some of its practices. The human side of gambling problems is revealed when one of Father John's employees becomes enmeshed in gambling debts. The delicate balancing act of Vicky and Father John's relationship is again addressed in this book, and the possibility of a new romance for Vicky causes them to face some issues that they have chosen to ignore in the past. The beautiful background of the Wyoming reservation, the well-defined characters, and the tightly-woven plot are all typical of this series.

This latests mystery was no exception. The plot involves a casino that has just opened on the Arapaho reservation in Wyoming. Vicki, an Arapaho lawyer, is desperate for work but not very excited when she gets offered some work by the casino -- she has some concerns about the place. In the meantime, Father John, Jesuit priest who runs the reservation mission, has been called on to say some prayers over a body that's been discovered. And that involvement leads to Father John's getting caught up in whatever is going on at the casino, as he attempts to locate someone who has gone missing. So -- you have both Father John and Vicki snooping around the casino, and since they have an unstated special regard for each other, you know their paths will cross -- and they do.

I don't know why I love Coel's mysteries so much, but it has to do with her portrayal of life on the reservation -- I feel like it's a place I know well, and that her fictional characters are real people I've met. The plotting is very good, but that's not why I read the books. My only complaints about her books are 1) enough of Vicki and Father John pining for each other -- Vicki needs to forget about him and find someone available; and 2) I don't like all the violence that usually marks the end of Coel's books -- this one being no exception.

Having grown up in Wyoming, it's refreshing to see such a wonderful story using Wyoming as a backdrop. Ms. Ryan's characters are alive and real in their struggles to overcome grief. Her characterization of the mountains and its terrain really made me feel as if I were home again. I also enjoyed the dynamics between Annie and her grandfather. Their struggle to reconnect to one another in spite of the loss they shared is heartwarming and extremely touching. I hope that Ms. Ryan will go on to write more books of this caliber.

This is a beautifully written, moving novel about teenage Annie's search for answers after her brother's accidental death. Ryan's writing is fluid and poetic, her characters are engaging and real-to-life and the descriptions of the Wyoming wilderness are fantastic. I highly recommend this novel to both teenagers and adults.

This touching and page-turning story contains beautiful descriptions of its locations in Jackson, Wyoming. Annie was someone I, when I was a shy, searching-for-answers teenager girl myself, would have like to have been friends with - she's realistic, quirky, and wins you over. I love the complexity of the characters (especially Marcus), and the lovely flashbacks to scenes with Cody. Very enjoyable!

I couldn't put this book down. The characters are all compelling and very complex, you believe in them and in the story. And the descriptions of the natural beauty of the mountains make you feel like you are there. The relationships between Annie and her grandfather and all the other people around her are finely tuned and beautifully developed. This is a very honest, believable story of how different people deal with and, eventually, begin to recover from a devastating loss.

I read Shadow Falls in just a few sittings. Annie's conflicted emotions regarding her brother's death are refreshingly honest, painful and realistic.
Poetic setting descriptions put me right into those Teton mountains, into Jackson, into that stretch of Wyoming, which happens to be one of my favorite places in the world.
If you've ever wondered if it's truly possible to see a difficult family member in a new light (her grandpa), if you're curious about the dangers of rock and ice climbing, if you love adventure stories that also exercise your mind, this is your book.

Wyoming may be the "Cowboy State", but this is not stereotypical cowboy fare. "A Taste of Wyoming" sparkles with eye-appealing sophistication. Pam Sinclair has compiled a real Wyoming treasure with a compilation of Wyoming history and regional cuisine. The book showcases Pam's meticulous research and dedication. Every recipe is a "must try". Paulette phlipot's photography is beautifully done and adds to the overall impact of this delightful cookbook.

There are a tremendous selection of different and delicious recipes from appitizers to dessert and everything in between the two. The photographs are fantistic and make you want to give each of the recipes a try. This is a cookbook not to be missed.

This ia a beautiful book. The photographs alone are worth the purchase. Pam's recipes and the comments included from other Wyoming writers make A TASTE OF WYOMING a keeper. It is so lovely, I jot the recipes down before using them, so I don't have to take the book into my often messy and always busy kitchen.

Bought two, one as a gift, and was worth the money. Great recipies, beautiful book, and very interesting!

As a cook who regularly tries variation of recipes and love to try new recipes, this cookbook is a must have in the kitchen. The book gives a wide variety of meals for everyone. It is so very nice to be able to prepare a meal from a top rated Chef. The Venison Stew is truely incredible as well as Scalloped Sweet Potatoes. Every recipe I've tried has been a big hit with my family. I can't wait for the next cookbook from Ms. Sinclair.