Community Chat

[Anglophilly]

"Centennial" by James Michener. Not Wyoming but Colorado, though I think the history fits most Western states.

Michener was so good at weaving history and fiction together. In this case there's a history of the land itself, the original people (Arapahoe), the migration from the East (wagon trains!), all tied together by the story of several fictional families. A big book, but so worth the effort. It became a tv mini-series.

[Vamp]

I forgot about Centennial--good call, Anglophilly, but be warned: Michener starts at the very beginning...as in, when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

I also like the books of Sandra Dallas. Many are about early settlers of the American West, and several are set in Colorado. The Diary of Mattie Spenser is a good place to start, but I have read many (not all) of her books, and there wasn't a one I didn't like. You can check out all her books at her website:

http://www.sandradallas.com/index.php

Another author who writes about the west is Larry McMurtry. I absolutely loved Lonesome Dove and its sequel, The Streets of Laredo. Lots (but not all) of the action takes place in Texas, but the stories are about cowboys and Texas Rangers and they wander into Mexico as well as north through the prairie to Wyoming/Montana (I forget exactly where, it's been a while since I read them) on the cattle drives. I am not overly fond of cowboy stories, but I have to say, McMurtry is a great storyteller!

[qualitygal]

Just went through all parts of the Centennial movies this last year. I so enjoyed that. Thanks be to the others too who wrote more ideas down. I have them listed and will continue to search them out. Thanks again.

[candy kisses]

I think you would like THE PERSIAN PICKLE CLUB by Sandra Dallas. I love books set in the west. This was a mystery and one of the best I have read. Odd title refers to material the women in the quilting club like to quilt with.

[walkingal]

I just discovered an author, Molly Gloss, author of The Hearts of Horses and Falling From Horses. If you are a horse lover, or just love reading about the American West, you will enjoy her books.

Another author you may enjoy is the late Kent Haruf. One of his most popular novels and a must-read is Plainsong.