This book just misses being great romance. Funny, too, because it seemed that the author went out of his way to shun all paths that would have taken the story in that direction. Too bad. But for what it is, it's a fast and entertaining read. The dialogue sparkled, and the author was extremely comfortable in both his settings (New York City and Wyoming) and time period (circa 1870's). Lack of romance notwithstanding, it makes me want to read the first two in the series.

I can not say enough about the Baynes Clan series of books. McCord is equal in every way to Louis L'Lamour in his writing abilities. I just wonder why someone has not made a movie of the Baynes Clan yet. It is the best family western series since the Sacketts and I do not exagerate at all. After reading the Baynes Clan and Walking Hawk, another excellent book by McCord, I am a devoted fan of his writing style. I am eagerly awaiting his next western book!!! ~Bev. Bozman~

Con Jenkins, a horse-thieving murderer helps an old Indian and his granddaughter carry out the last wishes of Crazy Horse, by taking the Besr Paw horses to their destination. I found this story difficult to follow. However, don't decide to read or not to read on my opinion.

I was surprised to find this book was still being printed. It is one of the books on my "I will never sell this" shelf. Will Henry is an authentic western author that writes period stories with thorough research and extensive understanding of the times. His stories also flow beautifully. The Bear Paw Horses story has basis in historical fact, is well researched and Will Henry pulls it together into a very readable story. As an author he is right up there with Louis L'Amour and Luke Short.

Jeremi Kruger owns the Red Feather Frame shop in a quiet, little town in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She's happy when she can keep her four brothers and father from trying to run her life. She also doesn't need a man after a disastrous relationship in Chicago. According to her, men can smile lovingly, look a woman in the eyes and lie blatantly. Everything is going fine until she fires her picture framer for showing up drunk to work. He vows to get even. Then Daniel arrives.

Daniel Chase-Meyers--multi-millionaire--wife murder--fresh out of six years in jail. He stumbles across Jeremi while looking for a bathroom and saves her from getting crushed by her own framing supplies. Against his better judgement, he decides to stay as her employee. After all, she treats him like any guy who could make her laugh, like someone worth knowing. Will that change when she finds out he'd been convicted for murdering his wife?

A villain is watching Jeremi and Daniel with a hefty appetite for Chunky Monkey ice cream and revenge. Tricia Treager wants Daniel dead because of his role in her father's love affair with Lilian Chase-Meyers--Daniel's murdered wife. Tricia wants to destroy Jeremi, because she's become part of Daniel's life. Hey, no one said she was sane! She'll use, kill, and destroy anyone in her path to get at Daniel, including Jeremi's former employee.

A stay-up-all-night read with unusual characters!

Heart-stopping suspense and scintillating sensuality provide an exciting read. Daniel Chase-Meyers II leaves Wyoming State Penitentiary a tormented man who wants only to regain his humanity. In Cheyenne he meets hard-working Jeremi Kruger whose liquid silver eyes offer acceptance and the promise of salvation. He doesn't realize his efforts to rescue her art gallery and frame shop from bankruptcy make Jeremi the target of the woman determined to kill him. Bizarre vandalism plagues Jeremi's business, and a hit-and-run driver bounces Daniel into a tree. The elderly couple who help him are murdered. The frame shop is trashed and ruined. Dead bodies accumulate, all connected to Daniel. Jeremi knows he is innocent, and she knows she is next when a shattering truth is revealed and dark passions explode in the still Wyoming night.

Ms. Curry does a wonderful job describing life in the Rockies, whether it be on a hay farm, sheep ranch, or school bus. I was less impressed when she her stories ventured to California or to the East; those stories seemed less genuine

Peggy Simpson Curry writes a story you can sink your teeth into be it a short story or a novel. She said that seeing the Tetons for the first time was like being born again, reading one of her short stories is like learning to read again. She knows how to write fiction about human nature, the wide sweep of the Wyoming plains, the nuances and candence of the language of man, be he ranch hand or boss. Peggy Simpson Curry writes a mean story and we can all learn by her tales. Besides that the picture on the cover of the paper back book was taken on our property and includes our hayrake! :)

My book club read this book and we were in general agreement that this was a very good read, especially realizing that it is the author's first novel. Being from Denver, I found myself being transported back in time to the 1880s making the trip from Denver to Como, Colo, where much of the action takes place. The historical research that went into producing the novel was accurate, yet it is a history of the west that most westerners aren't even aware of: How Scottish cattle barons became influential ranchers in Colorado and Wyoming.
The Scottish broage dialect was delightful, bringing another flair of authenticity to the novel. It's an Hisorical novel, a romance, a women's rights book (for which it must be read and recommended by Oprah) and a western adventure story all rolled into one. I highly recommend this book!

In this debut novel by Colorado writer and historian Corinne Joy Brown, the life of cattlemen in 1870's Colorado and Wyoming, formerly earned by nothing more and nothing less than sweat and blood-comes to face with big business-dealings with Scottish investors who conquer their worlds with prestige and money.
Margaret Dowling, the daughter of a Philadelphia bank president, finds herself in the middle of this venture when she weds a Scot investor, Kerr McKennon. Though this marriage is not one based on the true romantic natures one would expect, Maggie welcomes the opportunity to go west and start a new life, and develops an instant and everlasting fondness to the landscape and wildlife of the American West.
Maggie McKennon comes face to face with her destiny when her husband is killed, and rather than leave a country and lifestyle that she has come to love, she vows to take his place in the partnership he had formed with Hugh MacGregor and see his dream through. This challenge would be tremendous for any man who on a daily basis deals with the rugged and violent nature of their adversaries, but Maggie McKennon proves herself capable of surviving such a world that can be as ruthless as it is beautiful.
Corinne Joy Brown is a welcomed voice to Western literature, one that captures her readers with a clear, concise prose, and a compelling story reminiscent of the great historical author John Jakes. MacGregor's Lantern is a novel for all times, and Corinne Joy Brown a treasure to the new millennium. -Steven Law, ReadWest Online Magazine

The Mystery of the Mother Wolf is a fairly good book, I would have rated it three and a half stars, but it was more closer to four. It isn't exactly a "must-read", but it is rather fun to trail along with the huge number of suspects. Nancy's father is missing, so she has to take drastic action at once! And it's during the ski season, so that way it is exciting, even more than the book "The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears", for those of you of have read that. I am writing this because I gave this book a chance, and that's all that matters to true 'Literature Lovers' like me! Be sure to try this book out, and do it, just to give it a chance if you really truly like books!

I love this book! while vacationing in a rustic lodge nancy is asked to find the lodges tame wolf rainbow. Rainbow disapeered sudenly and nancy suspects that she was stolen. can you figure out who took rainbow? find out in the myster of the mother wolf

Naturalist and award-winning author Jean Craighead George offers children a smoothly written account of the wildlife, both big and small, which inhabits the alpine tundra of Wyoming. The talents that won her the Newbery Medal for JULIE OF THE WOLVES and have helped her write nearly one hundred other marvelous environmental stories for young readers swing into action. On a mountaintop in the Teton Mountains, a great rock stands regally above the almost treeless landscape, and it is about to fall. A wide variety of rodents, birds, and mammals go about their daily business, unaware of the avalanche that will soon take place. Water pipits hop like sparrows across the ground; a sleepy marmot begins his time of hibernation; a golden eagle scans his kingdom, searching for prey. And a stranger to the area, a boy named Johnny, wakes up in his tent. This quiet story, which turns exciting when the rock tips, is a fascinating look into a unique environment. The human character in the story never manages to take over, as sometimes happens in some of Ms. George's other books. The accurate, interesting writing is reminiscent of Ms. George's earlier series about specific ecosystems, like the Thirteen Moons series, about the seasonal changes that take place with thirteen animals in thirteen environments. These books are now out-of-print, but one gets the same sense of fascination and new understanding of the animal world through the One Day series (you can find my review of the Thirteen Moons series by searching for the book THE MOON OF THE OWLS). The other books in the ONE DAY series are: ONE DAY IN THE. . .PRAIRIE, DESERT, TROPICAL RAIN FOREST, and WOODS. Jean Craighead George's dramatic words are also strengthened by Walter Gaffney-Kessell's expressive illustrations. Come to a whole new land with this fine, short but thourough investigation into one of nature's greatest landscapes.

This nonfiction book is presented very well to its readers because the author, Jean George, spent many hours observing the animals and plants in the tundra. As a naturalist and an animal lover, George gives an excellent idea of how life would be in the Alpines. Because of the short chapters, it's easy for the younger readers to follow along with. Also, unfamiliar words are defined within the reading as well. The book describes the effects on wildlife, trees, and plants due to the climate and geological disasters, which occur in the tundra. This makes for a very informative book, which is also filled with excellent reference aids. These include the complete Bibliography of books about animals that were used to create this particular book. This helps establish credibility for the author. Also, a very helpful index is available at the end of the work as well.

The book also contains excellent illustrations. The pictures convey a vivid image of the lifestyle of the seven specific mammals that are fit to inhabit this area of land. The pictures clarify themselves without any needed captions to explain them. The cover of the book is very enticing to children because of the animals and the mountaintop landscape that are displayed on the front. It is a very attractive book that is sure to be enjoyed by its readers, both young and old.

When using this in the classroom, encourage the students to draw their own pictures to help explain what life would be like on the tundra. They can include plants and animals to show the interrelationship of each one upon the other after reading the book.

Turner's book is a look at a year in the life of a climbing guide in Grand Teton National Park. Turner, an Exum climbing guide, also relates to nature, wildlife, and the overall experience of the lifestyles of those who call the park home throughout the year. As I read the book, I felt like I had been transported to the park with Turner. His vivid descriptions and lively writing style make the book a must read for anyone interested in climbing, mountaineering, or this country's national parks.

Teewinot - A Year in the Teton Range. Jack Turner. Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press. New York. 2000. 248pp.

Jack Turner is a mountaineering instructor and guide for Exum Mountain Guides, the oldest and most prestigious guide service in America. He has lived and climbed in the Tetons for over 40 years and so is uniquely qualified to write this book.

A philosophy professor by academic training, Turner has deeply contemplated the essential nature of the mountain landscapes of the Teton Range. Teewinot, named after the peak that looms above the Exum Guides' summer base and climbing school, is an ode to the mountains, streams, plants, animals and people that he loves. However, this book is far more than just an account of one of America's most beautiful mountain ranges or the remarkable climbers, rangers and biologists that know those mountain holds better than anyone ever will. It is also about achieving a tranquil and happy life by strengthening personal connections to the seasons, cycles and rhythms of the land.

Turner speaks of the "gifts of returning" - certain routines observed year after year, season after season, which in time have become personal and meaningful rituals that uplift and reconnect him to the landscape each time they occur: the first circumambulation of the Cathedral Group every Spring; the first snowfall in Lupine Meadows, snow that will not melt until the following summer; battening down the guides' hut for the winter off-season; and the final hike around Jenny Lake each year.

Turner reminds us that such simple gifts are available to anyone who attunes one's self to one's surroundings and the people and places one loves.

In its major themes and conclusions, Teewinot is in a class with Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' lovely book, Cross Creek. The latter book is a loving testimonial of the joy Rawlings experienced during her long residence in the land between Orange and Lochloosa Lakes in North Central Florida in the 1930's and 40's. Like Teewinot, Cross Creek teaches that meaningful connections with a place are hard-won after patience and persistence and determination.

I recommend Teewinot to anyone who loves and contemplates landscapes and their meaning in our lives, and who believes that developing a sense of place and exploring one's inner landscapes go hand-in-hand in one's attempt to live a deliberate, meaningful life.

The state in the title of Barry Gifford's "Wyoming" is not the Cowboy State, but a state of mind. To the mother and son traveling together by car in the 1950s -- not on one trip but a series of trips over several years -- Wyoming represents sanctuary. It's a place where one can hide and never be found, where horses run in the open country and cool breezes blow, a good place to have a dog.

But they never go. Instead, Roy and his mother Kitty stick to the main roads, exploring swamps, roach-infested motels, Civil War graveyards and greasy spoons on the Gulf Coast. The purposes of their desultory journeys are not always clear, sometimes hurtling toward a shabby liaison, sometimes unfolding in the slow aimlessness of "concertina locomotion." The reader seldom knows the real destination, although the route always runs through an ambiguous landscape of lost dreams and poignant hopes.

The 34 vignettes sketch the bare outlines of Roy and Kitty, abandoned in Florida by an absent father with apparent mob ties. Roy dreams of being a baseball player, or an architect, or a fisherman; Kitty dreams of survival. *How* mother and son survive is never known, although the reader can deduce that Kitty occasionally leaves their various motel rooms at night.

The rhythms of the conversation are remarkably true and, although a story told completely in dialogue runs a very narrow gauge, the talk is keen and occasionally deeply poetic, such as this moment when young Roy talks about the human spirit:

"Your soul flies away like a crow when you die and hides in a cloud. When it rains that means the clouds are full of souls and some of 'em are squeezed out. Rain is the dead souls there's no more room for in heaven."

"Did Nanny tell you this, Roy?"

"No, it's just something I thought."

"Baby, there's no way I'll ever think about rain the same way again."

In the end, Roy and his mother speed past too quickly. We see them for a moment, and they are gone. No time for questions and, although it appears they never get to Wyoming, the reader is left hoping -- not knowing -- they found a place to land.

I really enjoyed this book because of all the hope and sensitivity it presented in its short 127 pages. It's one of the most touching stories I have read in a long while. It was a nice change. "Wyoming" tells the story of a mother and her young 9 year old son, Roy, who travel together by car through the south and mid-west United States during the 1950's. There trip to "Wyoming" exists as a state of mind rather than an actual place. The story is told entirely in dialogue, where they both discuss their lives, hopes and dreams.

I thought the questions the son asks on the trip were the same type all children ask when we are young, inquisitive, and innocent. We view the world at that age as a wonderful place full of surprises and many mysteries.. The author brought this out in little Roy in a wonderful way. This mother and son were two people you would really want to know. When Roy asks questions like: "Mom, when birds die, what happens to their souls?" or "What would happen if there was no sun?" and "Mom, after I die I want to come back as a flamingo" who could not love this little boy? For the short time it takes to read this wonderful story, it's more than worth the effort. Highly recommended!

Add another travel guide to Wyoming's burgeoning outdoor-activity series. "The Wyoming Guide" by Sierra Adare (Fulcrum Publishing, $17.95 paperback, 256 pages) is better than many of the destination-oriented books that have been recently published for the Cowboy State, with lots of "factoids" and user-friendly breakouts among the well-organized listings. It divides the state into six distinct regions, then subdivides those regions by major attractions, listing unique and interesting sights, history, fun things for families, restaurants, lodging and more. The amount of information is wide, but not deep.

My own town's listings, for instance, aren't much different from most other guidebooks' listings. They hit the high points in Gillette, Wyo., cursorily (Dalbey Fishing Lake, McManamen Park, coal mines, golf, etc. Unfortunately, the new book lists the closed Goings restaurant among the city's six eateries, even though the Goings was closed long before the book came out -- and a new one opened long after. And it touts the city pool as a great place for water sports, but completely omits the Campbell County Recreation Center. Perhaps worse, the only accommodations listed for Gillette are a single bed-and-breakfast.

Sierra Adare, who lives part-time in Rawlins, is a capable travel writer, and her "Wyoming Guide" is a good book to pick up if you take family day-trips or like to give guidebooks to help your out-of-state visitors ferret out interesting Wyoming places. It's impossible to keep track of the marketplace in a state where businesses come and go faster than January snowstorms, but there remain many sights and travel resources that are often unlisted. So far, the elusive comprehensive Wyoming guide book hasn't been written.

A very informative book. I enjoyed the history included. I am very impressed with the information included in this guide.