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gdp60's review against another edition
5.0
Good story, enticing, piqued my curiosity, not quite solved.
katharines's review against another edition
2.0
Could have been a great book if the main story had been developed more instead of relying on distracting side stories to develop the characters. The ending felt inconsistent with the story and the terrain and ended up frustrating me.
amn028's review against another edition
3.0
The book has lovely descriptions of early days in the Banff area. I enjoyed the historical sections more than the current day parts, but both fit seamlessly together in a good narrative. The characters were lovely and complex giving a depth to the story.
carolineballyd's review
2.5
Found it difficult to read, took much longer than it should! Was it the tiny font, was it the writing style? It had all the elements ( mystery, historical, Canadian, family, different timelines) but it just didn’t come together for me. I persisted to the end!
jannie_mtl's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe it's because I'm about to embark on a road trip through the Rockies, or because I enjoy family sagas with strong women, or because I love a good bar, but this novel has everything. Based in two time periods, the present staying put and the past starting a century earlier and moving forward, it tells the story of a family coming to grips with the mystery and danger of early white settlements in western Canada.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
laurenbdavis's review
4.0
Such an audacious book! The research is mesmerizing and the characters fascinating. I'm quite in awe of what Govier was able to accomplish with this one.
shawnalewk's review
4.0
This multi-generational story had me hooked from the beginning. Whether it was the draw of the rocky mountain setting or the compelling nature of the characters, I was drawn along from chapter to chapter. The mysterious nature of the story and the Hodgson expedition provided a compelling anchor for the story, but it really was the characters and their own grappling with their follies and lives that kept me reading. Each of them was fallible and yet utterly lovable - like most real people and that realness made me want to follow along and see their stories through.
penny_literaryhoarders's review
3.0
Hmmm, need to think on this one - 3 stars? 3.5 stars? From the start I was swept into the wonderfully imaginative storytelling going on in here. Just loved it. Govier's story and details were wonderful. But then that storytelling just never seemed to end, you know what I mean? The book is broken down into 4 parts. And now that I've finished, I'm thinking perhaps the entire Part 3 could have been removed. I don't think it would have hurt the grand interest in this book since throughout this part I spent it spinning and sputtering around, waiting for the story to propel itself forward from this stagnated point.
It is a grand tale with a hint of mystery to it and about the development of a Parks Canada and the West, but perhaps a little more thrown in there than necessary?
It is a grand tale with a hint of mystery to it and about the development of a Parks Canada and the West, but perhaps a little more thrown in there than necessary?
kgoffin's review
3.0
An uneven book. The passages about the Rockies are beautifully written and some of the characters have been wonderfully fleshed out, such as Herbie. However, the modern day chapters are boring, the three sisters are unlikable and one dimensional