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Montana 1948 (1993)

by Larry Watson

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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1,6017310,966 (3.88)392
Fiction. Literature. Western. HTML:The tragic tale of a Montana family ripped apart by scandal and murder: "a significant and elegant addition to the fiction of the American West" (Washington Post).

In the summer of 1948, twelve-year-old David Hayden witnessed and experienced a series of cataclysmic events that would forever change the way he saw his family. The Haydens had been pillars of their small Montana town: David's father was the town sheriff; his uncle Frank was a war hero and respected doctor. But the family's solid foundation was suddenly shattered by a bombshell revelation.

The Hayden's Sioux housekeeper, Marie Little Soldier, tells them that Frank has been sexually assaulting his female Indian patients for yearsâ??and that she herself was his latest victim. As the tragic fallout unravels around David, he learns that truth is not what one believes it to be, that power is abused, and that sometimes one has to choose between loyalty and justice.

Winner of the Milkweed National Fiction Prize… (more)
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    BookshelfMonstrosity: These lyrical, meditative novels brim with bittersweet nostalgia in their evocatively detailed portraits of small American towns in the mid-20th century. Both focus on sensitive teen protagonists struggling to understand shocking tragedies and complex family drama.… (more)
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» See also 392 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 73 (next | show all)
This is a small but tight masterpiece that slowly unravels and reveals. Thanks for lending it to me Ida. Having just read [b:On The Road|841947|On The Road|Jack Kerouac|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1178825422l/841947._SY75_.jpg|1701188] also set around 1948, [b:Montana 1948|6989112|Montana 1948|Larry Watson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1283045778l/6989112._SY75_.jpg|144809] here we have yet another dimension to middle America. More families on the move but for different reasons.


I suddenly felt a great distance between us, as if, at that moment, each of us stood on our own little square of flooring with open space surrounding us. Too far apart to jump to anyone else's island., we could only stare at each other the way my mother stared at my father.
( )
  simonpockley | Feb 25, 2024 |
I chose this book mainly because of the title, but I enjoyed reading it. A death of a Native woman that looks routine and natural turns out to be anything but. A family is torn apart when the sheriff stands up for what is right. The book is short, so the action moves quickly. ( )
  hobbitprincess | Aug 13, 2023 |
If you look over your five-star fiction selections, what will you find? To me, five-stars mean that something has been unusually well-done or it has moved me in some deep or important way, but I find that some of the best stories stand out because they show us a piece of the truth. And to paraphrase a character in this story, seeing the truth doesn’t mean the sun will shine. ( )
  markm2315 | Jul 1, 2023 |
Pretty good short Western fiction about a boy growing up. ( )
  kslade | Dec 8, 2022 |
This book is a mini masterpiece – mini because it is under 200 pages. Protagonist David tells the story as an adult looking back forty years, when, at age twelve, in 1948, the discovery of family scandal profoundly changed many lives. This excerpt from the prologue provides an idea of what to expect:

“Two months ago, my mother died. She made, as the expression goes, a good death. She came inside the house from working in her garden, and a heart attack, as sudden as a sneeze, felled her in the kitchen. My father’s death, ten years earlier, was less merciful. Cancer hollowed him out over the years until he could not stand up to a stiff wind. And Marie Little Soldier? Her fate contains too much of the story for me to give away.

A story that is now only mine to tell. I may not be the only witness left – there might still be someone in that small Montana town who remembers those events as well as I, but no one knew all three of these people better.

And no one loved them more.”


It is a story that pits family loyalty against justice. The writing is articulate – not a word is wasted. The sense of place is vivid. The characters feel authentic. The social commentary, involving abuse of power and racism against Native Americans, is embedded into the narrative. Watson employs a classic style. He sets the stage at the beginning, then launches into the story. He induces the reader to proceed by providing a new morsel of information that piques curiosity. I set out to read a chapter or two, and before I knew it, I had read the entire book.

Montana 1948 feels evergreen. It is delivered with lucidity, brevity, and humanity. It is both subtle and complex, infused with layers of meaning. It was a delight to read such a masterfully crafted work. I am adding it to my favorites, and certain it will make my top ten for the year.
( )
  Castlelass | Oct 30, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 73 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Watson, Larryprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Bridges, BeauReadermain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Helmond, Joop vanTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Huddle, DavidAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
PĂ©guillan, BertrandTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rosenman, JaneEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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From the summer of my twelfth year I carry a series of images more vivid and lasting than any others of my boyhood and indelible beyond all attempts the years make to erase or fade them . . . .
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. . . I realized that these strange, unthought-of connections -- sex and death, lust and violence, desire and degradation -- are there, there, deep in even a good heart’s chambers. (p. 82)
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Fiction. Literature. Western. HTML:The tragic tale of a Montana family ripped apart by scandal and murder: "a significant and elegant addition to the fiction of the American West" (Washington Post).

In the summer of 1948, twelve-year-old David Hayden witnessed and experienced a series of cataclysmic events that would forever change the way he saw his family. The Haydens had been pillars of their small Montana town: David's father was the town sheriff; his uncle Frank was a war hero and respected doctor. But the family's solid foundation was suddenly shattered by a bombshell revelation.

The Hayden's Sioux housekeeper, Marie Little Soldier, tells them that Frank has been sexually assaulting his female Indian patients for yearsâ??and that she herself was his latest victim. As the tragic fallout unravels around David, he learns that truth is not what one believes it to be, that power is abused, and that sometimes one has to choose between loyalty and justice.

Winner of the Milkweed National Fiction Prize

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