I loved this book! Well written and compelling. It made me want to visit Montana or at least learn more about its geography and the places where the story takes place. ( )

Dancing at the Rascal Fair by Ivan Doig.

This 400-page book is the foundation for Ivan Doig’s on-going saga of Montana: the land and its people. Tho it was the second to be published it is the one I’d suggest reading first. Angus Mc Caskill leaves Scotland in 1889 on a day that a horse drowns in the harbor. He is to have many adventures in the new country.

Angus and his close friend Rob Barclay explore the part of America that was just opening up to settlers. These young men are only 19 years old when we meet them and we watch them mature, often differing in important decisions. Doig’s narrative is flowing and captivating. ( )

Great historical novel of sheepherders in Montana and romance. ( )

very interesting history ( )

English Creek is quite good - good enough that I went right out and got the second book in the trilogy (Dancing at the Rascal Fair). The action in Dancing actually takes place before that of its predecessor, and I enjoyed it much more. It was oddly satisfying to read about people when you already know much of their outcome. The second book also explains the history and populating of the "two medicine country", which adds a lot of depth to the series (in many ways, the land is the subject of the book, more so than the people). I just picked up the third book - full report to come on that next month. ( )