Ednor Therriault | Montana Curiosities
Montanans, as well as all the folks that stream through the state each year, will find Ednor Therriault’s compendium of “quirky characters, roadside oddities and other offbeat stuff” an indispensable travel companion.
Even though the first third of the book is devoted to Glacier Country – the portion of this extra-large state that I’ve call home for most of my life – it still holds some fresh discoveries. Who knew, for example, that a used car lot on Evaro Hill is home to a “wild-and-wooly,” homemade miniature golf courses, with “downright devilish” obstacles made from mostly recycled materials? And I’m still wondering how I’ve missed the giant purple spoon in East Glacier, the full-size replica of Stonehenge near Fortine, and the flower-covered VW Beetle tugging a tiny travel trailer near Columbia Falls.
East of the Divide is also brimming with peculiar attractions. My list of strange places to see in the next decade includes the grave of Pitt, an ancient elephant who was struck by lightning in 1943… Read more
Lee Rostad | The House of Bair, Sheep, Cadillacs and Chippendale
Author and historian Lee Rostad, a longtime friend of sisters Marguerite and Alberta Bair, tells the story of one of Montana’s most remarkable families in her new book, The House of Bair. Rostad details Charlie Bair’s astonishing financial success in ranching, mining, oil and real estate that enabled the family to build a dynasty in the small ranching community of Martinsdale. She also reminisces with deep affection about the two sisters. Read more
Zena Beth McGlashan | Buried in Butte
Take an engrossing trip through Butte’s final resting places with Zena Beth McGlashan’s well-researched book. The author, a Butte native, explains the origins of the city’s many cemeteries, which evolved from a mix of politics, religion, money and culture, and the location of the next ore strike. Read more
Richard Hugo’s poems focus of new book and One Book Montana selection
This year's One Book Montana selection is Richard Hugo’s Selected Poems, featuring works from the fabled Missoula poet’s first six collections. And a book sure to enhance the conversation is The Car That Brought You Here Still Runs, in which Seattle poet Frances McCue revisits the "triggering towns" that inspired some of Hugo's best-loved poems. Read more
C.W. Guthrie | The Pony Express, An Illustrated History
On April 3, 1860, a valiant team of riders was poised for an unprecedented feat: ferrying mail 2,000 miles across the continent in just 10 days. “History was made and legends born,” says Ninemile Valley author C.W. Guthrie in her new book, which explores the daring venture that concluded 19 months later with the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line. Read more
Jeanette Ingold | Paper Daughter
Jeanette Ingold weaves an engrossing mystery story for young adults in her new book, inspired by the tales of Chinese immigrants. High school student Maggie Chen has just lost her father to a freak accident. He was a respected Seattle newspaper writer, and Maggie had hoped to follow in his footsteps. Read more
CC Alick | Dancing with the Yumawalli
On the day Karrol disappeared into the sea, “I crossed over, into matters arcane, mystical, and do I dare say, murderous?” writes the young narrator in CC Alick's debut novel. In his quest to avenge his friend’s mysterious death, Godfrey takes up with a painter, disfigured by thalidomide, and Uncle Sydney, a leper married to the mysterious Xudine. Read more