The fearless Englishwoman rode all over Colorado’s mountains in 1873, in bad weather and by herself. Isabella Bird is one of Colorado’s favorite historical figures. “The Lady and the Mountain Man,” by Chris Enss (Two Dot) The Lady and the Mountain Man by Chris Enss (Two Dot) Schwartz brings an understanding of ordinary people to this engrossing story of a fractured family that strives to heal itself through love and understanding. And your heart goes out to Harry, the insolent son, when he finally finds a best friend only to have the boy desert him for jock buddies who accuse Harry of being gay. In addition to accepting his wife’s betrayal, Reuben, who’d worked for the Chicago Tribune, frets over the insignificance of small-town journalism. The affair and its aftermath ring true as each member of the family tries to cope with not just the consequences of infidelity but with their own personal challenges as well. It throws the family and the town into a tailspin when it ends suddenly.įort Collins author Steven Schwartz’s tightly written story tells of a family in crisis. Little surprise that Ardith has an affair, with the beloved local doctor. What’s more, she has to cope with her angry teenage son, a loner who hates his new life. She’s left to fend for herself in the crumbling home that her husband, Reuben, insisted on buying, while he runs the town newspaper. Life in a small town isn’t what Ardith Rosenfeld thought it would be when she and her family left Chicago for fictional Welton, on the Colorado plains. “The Tenderest of Strings,” by Steven Schwartz (Regal House) The Tenderest of Strings (Regal House) “Lamentations” is a superb look at westering women nearly 200 years ago as they accompanied their families into the unknown. Unlike the many diaries written by real women, it is a fictionalized compilation of thoughts and views and fears. This is a book about women - “women walking west,” as the subtitle says. She is courted by two men in the company and will probably have to marry one of them. The Widow Abel is a young woman with a baby, whose husband committed suicide. There is little for them outside of marriage. They cannot vote on their leader or participate in decisions for the company. In fact, the women are nonentities on the trek. Caroline, like the other women, is skeptical that Oregon will bring a better life, but she had no say in the matter. Her husband intends to establish a newspaper in Oregon. Using a variety of forms - letters, conversations, written accounts, musings - historian Carol Kammen fills in the blanks as she fictionalizes the story.įoremost among these women is Caroline Tompkins, who makes the trek with her husband and grown children. The only written record of the trip was found in brief notations about weather and mileage kept by one traveler. In 1842, a group of families sets out for Oregon. “Lamentatons,” by Carol Kammen (Bison Books) Lamentations by Carol Kammen (Bison Books) Annalee and Jack go dancing at the Rossonian, which she explains in an author’s note was really named the Baxter Hotel back then. She writes of the fear of Black residents at a time when Denver politicians were KKK members. Raybon’s setting is a look backward at Denver in the 1920s. Just as a coterie of wealthy whites controls the city, so does a devious Black parishioner of Jack’s church exercise power over the whites. Turns out the DA’s house is filled with suspects, both Black and white. So once in the city, she goes undercover in plain sight, as a domestic in the district attorney’s home. “All That Is Secret” is the first in a planned series of faith-based Annalee Spain mysteries by Denver author Patricia Raybon, who was inducted into the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame this fall.Īnnalee, with the support of Jack and Eddie, an orphan boy, thwarts an attempt on her life even before she reaches Denver. Her only qualifications as a detective are her love of Sherlock Holmes books and her faith in God. It’s the 1920s, and Denver, ruled by the KKK, is a dangerous place for a Black woman. When her father is murdered, Annalee Spain sets out for Denver at the behest of Jack, a young minister, to find the killer. “All That Is Secret,” by Patricia Raybon (Tyndale House) All That Is Secret by Patricia Raybon (Tyndale House) Tuesday, February 20th 2024 Home Page Close Menu
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