Montana Books

I recently returned from traveling the Lolo Trail. Having read this book just prior to my trip, and having it with me during the trip for reference made the entire excursion a great experience. This book is not for everyone. But no one should travel the Lolo Trail without it.

I bought the book as a reference to historical information about the Nez Perce and Lewis and Clark sites on the trail. It was very satisfactory in this regard. But the best parts of the book were actually some of the stories of other, more recent, events that have occurred in this area.

I read this book over twenty-five years ago in my mother's collection of books that she bought as a young adult. Of all my mother's books, this one remains a vivid impression. Val gains depths the reader would not expect from the first shallow impression. Her husband's alcoholism and moral weakness are hard subjects for the early-century audience that Bower handles with a verity not often encountered. Yet my deepest etched memory is the love between Val and the hard-working honest cowboy she shuns at the first; he is impressed by her bravery alone in the cabin and her willingness to work hard to make a home in a shack when she expected a solid house, he wants to help her, he watches her struggle and transform, he realizes her husband is not worthy of her and he wants her for himself. Eventually he loves her with the kind of love she needs. This I remember to this day. The unexpected knight who replaces the prince of soft gold; the princess who realizes the difference between glitter and iron. These archetypes B.M. Bower worked with long before "archetypes" became a catch-word. She was writing good stories, better than good stories, and she deserves to remain in print based on this book alone. (Although the later Flying U book about the young man who goes to the rodeo to prove he's as much of a hero as his "wild west" father and uncles were is also as good).

This is the third book in the Matched in Montana series. Nurse Rebecca O'Reilly swore that she would never get involved with another doctor, ever. Being hurt by one was enough for her Thank you very much. Rebecca knew she was safe from falling for her boss Dr. John Saville. The man was cold, unfeeling, and had an ego the size of Texas as far as she was concerned.

Dr. John Saville has never had an easy life and has worked hard to get to where he is today. John was attracted to his nurse, but her actions and sharp tongue clearly show him that she is not the leas bit interested in him, as a matter of fact, he is sure that she dislikes him for one reason or another. Only when an emergency hits there small town Rebecca and John are forced to work together for the sake of others. Rebecca sees John in a new light and even feels herself being drawn to him. Whether they will have a future is anyone's guess.

I liked John for his compassion and professionalism. Rebecca, on the other hand, was a very judgemental person. She was quick to offer insults and to never give anyone the benefit of the doubt. I realize that her insecurities are from the hurt that she suffered in the past, but she still got on my nerves. If it wasn't for the town matchmaker these two would probably have never had a chance for a happy future.

Schultz had a knack for telling tales, but usually gets the dates wrong. I don't know if this was on purpose or just carelessness. It doesn't really matter. The reader shouldn't turn to him for a history lesson, but rather to experience the flavor of the time. And on this Schultz delivers in an easy reading style.

ROGUE STALLION BY DIANA PALMER IS WELL WORTH BUYING THIS ANTHOLOGY!ITS PURE ENCHANTMENT,SWEETNESS AND HEAT THE WAY ONLY PALMER CAN.DON'T MISS THIS STORY BY DIANA PALMER.....

Read about the adventures of Matthew Lunes, Sophia Beets, Helena Frebolt, C.D. Lukovich, Red Fishburn, Moses Goldstein, and Mary, Mary, Mary, and Martha, Montanans one and all, as they face post-modernity in Montana. Flighfish adeptly moves between the old and the new, the sunrise and the highrise, and the good, bad, and ugly in a real unreality that Montana can sometimes be, and always seems struggling to become. Flighfish covers a broad spectrum of inanities of life in Montana, and I doubt if she will avoid offending anyone at some point in her new mythology. However, many of the stories captured for me the unreality of living in the west in the 21st Century, and I found myself smirking as our essentials of modern life come within her sights, or should I say the cast of her rod?

The "Portrait of America" series is a wonderful introduction for pre-teens to the 50 states and to the places and events that shaped the history of the United States. This "Montana" installment is particularly good. The book is broken down into sections like "History", "Culture", "Economy" etc., and each section is thoughtfully written and edited. The "History" section is especially good and is very inclusive.

This book, as well as the entire "Portrait of America" series, will prove to be a valuable teaching tool to all primary school educators.

This Montana Almanac is a fine volume chock full of facts and notable faces and places. Nearly every detail of life and history in Montana lies, like the treasure richly strewn acrossed this state, within the pages of Montana Almanac.

One fine addition over other books is the county by county hilights. Every county seat and at least one notable historical fact are mentioned and mapped.

What's the weather like? Where did the notables live? Where to visit and vacation? Mining for saphires? Tallest mountains? Coldest temps and deepest snow? It's all here!

this book was great, i thought that it would be just like the others, but i got so into the book that it was 100 degrees outside and i thought that it was cold. there was a snow storm in the book and i got the shivers. it was sweet and it ended like you never thought that it would. it was a good ending and a sweet story!!!!

Dr. Rory "Swift Eagle" Oakes was one of the boys that Oliver Oakes adopted.
The three boys share in the Double O Ranch that Walker runs - Rory was a healer so he went to vet school to be able to take care of the animals.

One wonderful summer Kristi Kerrigan came to visit her grandmother, Dr. Justine Beauchamp and she spent a lot of time with Rory.
She wanted to become a doctor just like her grandma so she went home intending to attend med. school.

"Bird Brain" [the Oakes brother's name for Rory] spent the next 5 years becoming a veterinarian and now has a home just down from Dr. Justy in Grass Valley, Montana.

During that time he lost contact with Kristi and was afraid to find out that she had gotten on with her life without him.

Dr. Justy has broken an appendage and is in need of help so she asks Kristi to come spend a few weeks with her. She also has ulterior motives.

She is afraid to see Rory again, as he mustn't have cared for her all those years ago. Then they get caught up in a snow storm [maybe a blizzard] trying to rescue a man with a possible heart attack.
They end up rescuing a wolf and taking him back to town with a little hanky-panky thrown in.

Oh yeah, mama shows up with her grandson - Kristi's son and floors Rory. He doesn't know what to think. Adam has to be his son? Oh boy, is Kristi in trouble. They have a lot of misunderstandings to clear away. Rory has lost the first 5 years of his son's life.
Now Adam gets a Blackfoot naming ceremony.

It's a pretty good read - wonderful characters - nice piece of a trilogy.