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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
One of my favorites ~ I have read this several times.
Enjoyable read even through the tragic parts. I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending. I had never really read or even thought much about that part of the world (northern Canada around 1910). It was great to get a feel for country that I didn't have much previous knowledge of. There were a few heart-wrenching moments which made this book worthwhile in my opinion. It was wonderful to watch the heroine grow into a woman through her incredible experiences.
I was somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for this one but decided to give it a 3 because I'm not ready to run out and buy it.
I was somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for this one but decided to give it a 3 because I'm not ready to run out and buy it.
I read about this book in the Oprah magazine and got to it before there were a million holds on it at the library. It was great! A lot of times when I read books written pre 1960, I have to work to keep my attention on the page. It’s amazing how writing styles have changed in 50+ years. But this was a gripping book that kept me reading and reading.
It’s based on the true story of Katherine who, in 1907 at the age of 16 moved from Boston to Alberta to live with her uncle. She moves because the weather in Alberta is supposed to help her pleurisy. Once there, she meets Mike, a Mountie and they marry in short order. They move to the Northwest Territories where Mike is posted.
There, they encounter a lot of winter (my number one reason for not marrying a Mountie.) They also encounter illness, isolation and crime. They meet hearty pioneer stock and see a lot of tragedy as well as suffer some of their own. The transformation of Kate from a young, invalid girl to a mature, world-weary married woman (at the age of 20) is both charming and heartbreaking.
Be prepared for 1940s era descriptions of Indians (read: not very p.c.) Be also prepared for the main character to find her identity through her husband. But most of all, be prepared to like this book. A lot.
It’s based on the true story of Katherine who, in 1907 at the age of 16 moved from Boston to Alberta to live with her uncle. She moves because the weather in Alberta is supposed to help her pleurisy. Once there, she meets Mike, a Mountie and they marry in short order. They move to the Northwest Territories where Mike is posted.
There, they encounter a lot of winter (my number one reason for not marrying a Mountie.) They also encounter illness, isolation and crime. They meet hearty pioneer stock and see a lot of tragedy as well as suffer some of their own. The transformation of Kate from a young, invalid girl to a mature, world-weary married woman (at the age of 20) is both charming and heartbreaking.
Be prepared for 1940s era descriptions of Indians (read: not very p.c.) Be also prepared for the main character to find her identity through her husband. But most of all, be prepared to like this book. A lot.
A love story, an adventure novel, a man-vs.-nature tale. It's all of those things and more.
Despite the feel-good sweetness of this book, I really like it. As a matter of fact, that's probably WHY I like it.
So much of modern literature seems to have characters moaning about perceived troubles and woes. It's rather refreshing to read the story of a woman who faces real trials and tribulations and yet does so with hope and joy.
Recommended.
Despite the feel-good sweetness of this book, I really like it. As a matter of fact, that's probably WHY I like it.
So much of modern literature seems to have characters moaning about perceived troubles and woes. It's rather refreshing to read the story of a woman who faces real trials and tribulations and yet does so with hope and joy.
Recommended.
I had a really hard time getting into this book. It should have been a quick read but it took me weeks to finish. It wasn't until the last couple of chapters that it clicked and I was hooked. Those chapters bumped the book up to 3 stars for me. As I read it I kept thinking this is an interesting time period novel that gives a "day in the life" of a girl and allowing us to experience the newness of her life in Canada through her eyes. There was sexism and racism within the story that I didn't care for at all. It was so bad that I almost couldn't finish the book. I am glad I stuck it out b/c I really fell in love with the main character at the end of the book and appreciated her journey back to where she believed her heart truly resided. I'm a sucker for the "hero's journey" and I'm glad the author had the main character experience her own journey at the end.
I adore this book. There are three copies at my house. You should probably read it.
Wonderful story. It read as if I were sitting next to Mrs. Mike and hearing her tell it. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with the harsh Canadian country of the early 1900s.
Great historical fiction. Fun read. Book group read.
This is a genre I usually don't read, historical fiction, however it is interesting because it is an entirely Canadian history, loosely based on a true story and has enough description of the hardship of living in the great white north to keep me interested. If I were still in high school, I would likely read the entire series. But now, I'll stop here.
Nope, couldn't do it. I could not finish it. I do think that this book stands as an important study, though, of our evolving perspectives on gender roles. I read a lot of historical fiction, so I didn't hesitate to pick this one up with high hopes, given the positive reviews. However, I quickly realized that recently-written historical fiction still reflects our current views on gender roles. Even if the characters' actions in a book are appropriate for the historical time frame, the characters' personalities and inner dialogues are naturally skewed to our modern sensibilities.