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josie8's review against another edition
4.0
An unlikely, but very likable story set in Canadian wilderness around the turn of the century (1903). I only wish the author had revealed a bit more of the circumstances that led to Mary's crime. I wanted her to believe her a heroine who found murder the only escape rather than a murderess. The door was open for a postpartum insanity plea as well. 3.5 rounded up.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
In 1903, a newly widowed young woman of 19 is escaping the consequences of both the murder of her husband and the events surrounding it. Her brothers-in-law are intent on catching her to make her face justice. This sets the scene for a brutal journey through the cold western wilderness of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. The widow (as she is generally referred to throughout the novel) carries with her the demons of her past and some of her recollections are not entirely reliable. The widow knows that there is no safe place for her within the confines of what passes for civilisation and so she flees across the Rocky Mountains.
There are a number of different themes in this novel and the setting itself is important. The environment is both beautiful and harsh. In order to survive, the widow needs to appreciate both and to adapt. Along her journey she meets some interesting characters, most of them outlanders in their own way, and learns how to survive. Can she find an enduring happiness?
There are a number of different themes in this novel and the setting itself is important. The environment is both beautiful and harsh. In order to survive, the widow needs to appreciate both and to adapt. Along her journey she meets some interesting characters, most of them outlanders in their own way, and learns how to survive. Can she find an enduring happiness?
ellenjoannecampbell's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really interesting read, a young and resourceful woman setting off on her own through the Crowsnest Pass area of Alberta/BC. All of the individuals are described in delicious detail. Looking forward to reading the follow-up.
sawyerbell's review against another edition
5.0
Gripping, poetic and beautiful. I couldn't put it down.
mamasquirrel's review against another edition
4.0
A quick read and definitely a page-turner. Especially since I know the history of the town of Frank fairly well...
elisabethreadsandreads's review against another edition
3.0
If you want the CanLit landscape-as-character, here it is in spades. But the premise and the setting is what grabbed me. Set in the early 1900's, a young woman kills her husband and flees into the wilderness of the Canadian rockies. As soon as she ended up in Frank, AB, I knew what was going to happen. Anyone in historical fiction who goes to Frank is there in either 1903 or 1907, when the mountain falls. It was a very remote book, the characters at arm's length from the reader, but well worth it if you like your CanLit heavy on the Literature-with-a-capital-L side of tihngs.
kchin's review against another edition
She's like omg I have to run but where am I? Maybe I'll steal all these useless things from this really nice person first. And this guy found me wandering around because I suck at hiding and he reads me stories. He is soooo nice so I'm just going to state at him. Omg where is my horse?
So is she crazy? Yes, she sees dead people sometimes but does it plays into anything in the book? Nope. So she's a crazy person running in a straight line and a pack of bloodhounds and the two brothers couldn't track her. I'm not sure what is more frustrating, those idiots being the worse trappers I've ever encountered in a book, or how she has no idea what she's ever doing, or the above two sequences just keeps repeating itself. It got so boring that even the brothers gave up on chasing her. Whatever. Abandoned.
So is she crazy? Yes, she sees dead people sometimes but does it plays into anything in the book? Nope. So she's a crazy person running in a straight line and a pack of bloodhounds and the two brothers couldn't track her. I'm not sure what is more frustrating, those idiots being the worse trappers I've ever encountered in a book, or how she has no idea what she's ever doing, or the above two sequences just keeps repeating itself. It got so boring that even the brothers gave up on chasing her. Whatever. Abandoned.
julieek's review against another edition
2.0
This was one contradiction after another for me. Elegantly written in a literary way, but it babbled on and on. Rich characters that I didn't like. A suspense-type novel with a lousy ending.