A Big Sky Christmas by William W. Johnstone

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

A wagon train leaves Kansas City late in the year with a load of pioneers going to Montana.  The great challenge of outlaws, Indians, prairie fires, winter weather are some of their challenges. 

Audio:  9 hrs. 58 min.
Print:   416 pages

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig

In 1950, Paul Milliron, Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction, returns to his hometown of Marias Coulee to close its one-room schoolhouse. He is heartbroken, knowing that this is the end of an era. As he spends time here, he relives the year he turned 13. His mother has died, and his father is overwhelmed with trying to be both father and mother as he homesteads the land. He sees an ad in a newspaper for a housekeeper that reads 'Can't Cook, but Doesn't Bite'.  Thus whistling,beautiful Rose Llewellyn comes into their life.

Unexpectedly, along with Rose comes her brother Morris Morgan, who becomes the town schoolmaster when the schoolteacher leaves to marry a traveling evangelist. He is eccentric and outrageous, and becomes a defining influence on young Paul. Rose and Morris have a secret, though, and Paul is determined to uncover it.

This is a nostalgic, poignant book about rich characters, with a setting that becomes part of the story.




356 pages

"One White Rose" by Julie Garwood

I read this short historical romance while waiting for a book on hold at the library to arrive.  The story takes place in Montana Territory sometime in the 1800s. Douglas Clayborne arrives at Sweet Creek to take possession of an Arabian horse he bought from Parker Grant several months ago.  Unfortunately, Grant is now dead and his wife refuses to believe that he would sell one of her horses without telling her.  Isabel Grant is also alone and about to give birth prematurely, but no one in town will help her because they are intimidated by the town bully.  Will Douglas help her deliver her baby and lose his heart in the process?  What do you think.

I have read and enjoyed other books by this author, but this one seemed to have been written quickly without much depth of character or subtlety.  There are more books in this series, but I won't be reading them.  150 pages.