by Mildred Walker
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Product Description
For this Bison Books edition, James Welch, the acclaimed author of Winter in the Blood (1986) and other novels, introduces Mildred Walker's vivid heroine, Ellen Webb, who lives in the dryland wheat country of central Montana during the early 1940s. He writes, "It is a story about growing up, becoming a woman, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, within the space of a year and a half. But what a year and a half it is!" Welch offers a brief biography of Walker, who wrote nine of her thirteen novels while living in Montana.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Wholesome Literature, 2008-05-24
I stumbled across a copy of this book that was printed during the war, stamped "This book is manufactured under wartime conditions in conformity with all government regulations controlling the use of paper and other materials" which made it so much more of a treat, in my opinion, since the book was written during this time and really allowed me to enter the world that the author creates in this book. I grew up in the Midwest (central and southern Illinois and Indiana), and I could truly relate to the rural life that (main character) Ellen grew up in and eventually returns to. It is a shame this book hasn't had more publicity, but it is certainly a classic novel and it would be great to see it in the hands of more young people. It's easy to feel for the main character and it's bittersweet as you see Ellen grow up and blossom into an independent woman as she learns the difficult lessons of living and loving. A book that all generations can appreciate. Wholesome and whole-grain ...a great book to feed the soul.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
What a beautiful book!, 2008-02-13
This is a beautifully written book. This author's use of descriptive language is beyond compare. I felt as if I were with Ellen each step that she took toward growing up & I was with her on the emotional rollercoaster of this time in her life. Her love for Gil, her misunderstanding of her parents love for each other, & the loss of a student. She paints a vivid picture of the starkness of Montana & I could feel Gil's hesitation in his love for Ellen, however unfair it was. Read this book. You won't be sorry that you did.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
One of my all-time favorites, 2006-06-23
Such a beautiful, beautiful book. The characters are gently revealed through their choices, actions, dialogue, and even their interaction with the harsh/lovely landscape. Ellen's situation is unique to her era and environment, but then again, much about her is timeless: her longing, her confusion, her stamina, the bitterness of the lessons she learns in growing up. Her parents are--I'd say richly drawn but that makes me think of the florid descriptions of a Pat Conroy or something, and Walker is as far from that as imaginable. I'll say instead that they are hard and true characters whose own story adds much to Ellen's. You will not regret reading this wonderful book.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Coming of age in rural Montana . . ., 2006-04-24
Written over sixty years ago about ranchers living in remote parts of Montana, this old fashioned coming of age novel has a surprising currency. Its bittersweet portrayal of human relationships has a deep ring of emotional truth, and its understanding of the constantly shifting nature of identity makes it almost postmodern. Meanwhile, it can be read with a kind of page-turning breathlessness that keeps readers hoping that everything - against all odds - will somehow turn out for the best.
Most remarkable for a reader growing up in a mid-century rural community, the novel evokes vividly the seasonal rounds of living and working on a farm circa 1940. Though Montana was her adopted home (Walker grew up in eastern Pennsylvania and attended Wells College), she writes with an intimate knowledge of farm work that is rare in literature. Also remarkable is the novel's wartime setting, as Walker writes of Pearl Harbor and the impact of entry into WWII on the lives of her characters, even while that war was still being fought (the novel was published in 1944).
I recommend this novel highly for its way of creating very individual characters leading quite plausible lives rooted firmly in very real physical and psychological worlds. Its lessons about hard work and survival, the bonds of love, living with insecurity, and the lifelong effects of choices made affirm a view of life that embraces both loss and reward. Thanks to the University of Nebraska Press for keeping this fine novel in print. Also recommended, Judy Blunt's "Breaking Clean" and Mary Clearman Blew's "All But the Waltz."
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
A beautifully written and emotionally powerful book , 2005-02-11
Mildred Walker is a suburb writter who can span the entire emotional spectrum of humanity. This book is one of my favorites, I have read it several times. Each time I find new ways in which I can relate to the emotion's of the characters. I really enjoy her descpriton of Montana's landscape. Her ability to describe takes the reader into the wheat fields to join in the life journey of her characters. Powerfully written, this book will change how you view yourself and the realtionships around you.
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