Logging Conflict in the Flathead Valley of Montana

Crossroads by James L. Thane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having been to the Flathead Valley I hoped to read this book set there. The author did justice to the place and the ongoing battle of progress vs status quo and economy vs environmental concerns. He presents a fair treatment of the proponents in each camp and manages to get his middle of the road stance on paper. The rancor and emotion that exists on both sides and the extremists that make compromise so difficult is well handled. Lots of bed hopping in that little town, too, so alibis are suspect as are loyalties but in the end the motives become clear and the murders are solved, as is the hero's romantic life.

If I have any real criticism it is the lack of any Native American presence in the story despite the large population in Montana and in that area. But then, when my daughter went to college in Bozeman, she was stunned to hear and see the treatment of the Natives by many locals. Prairie N is a common derogatory slur used in those parts. How sad. She was not surprised when I told her how that segment of the population was ignored. Still, Go Cats! And if you long to know about the Big Sky country this isn't a bad read. Kalispell is a disaster, however. Did not linger on the way to Glacier. This paperback was provided by Goodreads for review

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Paris Between the Wars

The Paris Hours by Alex George
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Come spend a day on the streets and in the bookstores and bars of Paris as four very different people try to capture what has been lost. An Armenian immigrant performing puppet shows for French children while narrating in Armenian. A wounded WW I vet searching for the infant lost with his wife in the flames of a burning Church. A failed artist trying to find the money to save his life. And a shy country woman serving as the confidante and caretaker of a hypochondriac, Marcel Proust. We follow them through the course of one day as they seek and, in the process, learn of their histories and the whys of the seeking. Engrossing as their stories are the city itself captivates the senses as the reader roams from place to place and observes the other residents of the City of Light. The story brings it all together at the one fateful night when all the seekers find themselves in the smoky, jazz-filled room of Le Chat Blanc.

This is a review of an ARC provided for discussion by BookBrowse.

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Michael Collins Died At 31 Years Old !

One of the things that is important to me when reading a historical novel is whether or not the story makes me want to research the actual people and events. This book did that and it was interesting to note that the book is more history than fiction. My Irish grandmother hated the British and my American born father had absolutely no use for the English. Both would roll in their graves if they knew what a Anglophile I've become. It amuses me to hear derogatory remarks in British programming about the heavy handedness of the Yanks in their interactions with the Brits and others. Reading this history as well as other tales of the Empire, I can only say, we learned from the best. How sad British arrogance brought such pain to the nations who wanted their freedom from the Empire on which, at one time, "the sun never set." I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Bitter and the Sweet of Cherry Season

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a moving story about three generations of the same family--the Wrights. Denise has died leaving her daughter,Hope, and grand-daughter, Tink devastated and at loose ends. In her depression, Hope becomes involved with a man who turns out to be an abusive obsessive from whom the two escape and flee to Northern Michigan and Denise's childhood home. They arrive in the middle of the night, exhausted and hungry, at the Orchard House where Denise's sister, Peg, lives alone with her dog, Nelson. Hope does not know Peg but has nowhere else to turn. Peg, herself reclusive, allows the two to remain for a few days but soon realizes that they need to stay longer. She offers them a temporary home if they will help with the cherry harvest which has just begun. Peg and her hired hand, Abel, could use the help. The deal is made and over time family secrets are revealed, trust is established and a new life emerges for all the Wright women. Engrossing and at times heart-breaking, the story grows along with the family unit formed as barriers, emotional and physical are broken down.

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Charles Lenox and Graham Starting Out

The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fun prequel to the , now 11 installment, series about the detective, Charles Lenox in 19th century London. I've read all the series and so this was interesting to meet the well-known, well-respected sleuth at the outset of his career. He is all of 23, unsure about everything in life, career, what to do about the woman he loves married to someone else, where to live and how. While it made me smile a few times, knowing as I do, how things turn out for him in so many of these youthful quandries, it also made me happy that in real life we cannot know the future. If you haven't read the series, then start with this one. If you have, then get to know the young untested Charles and his valet, with a hard " t ", Graham before they became so successful a pair.

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