This book can be considered historical fiction in that it offers a view into the beginnings of the US national forests, World War I, and the Great Influenza Epidemic. It is, however, generally thought of as a book written in the Western genre.
The story is that of two 19 year-old Scottish boys, Angus McCaskill and Rob Barclay, who emigrate to the US in the late 19th century. They move to Montana and become homesteaders, deciding to raise sheep for a living. When the price of sheep begins to fall in the market Angus becomes a school teacher. He meets a neighboring teacher, Anna, and falls in love with her, but this is to be an unrequited love. Angus marries Rob's sister instead, but his unrequited love for Anna drives a rift between himself and Rob. Rob attempts to confront Angus about this problem but his attempt bring great changes to Angus's life: Angus's wife leaves him for a time, and his son becomes estranged from him. Anna, Angus's true love, dies in the Influenza Epidemic, but as the novel comes to a close Angus's son marries Anna's daughter; and Rob drowns in an accident, leaving Angus to write his remembrance of his longtime friend and enemy. | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of book? - thoughtful Time/era of story - American wild west period Romance/Romance Problems Yes Kind of romance: Poverty, surviving Yes Kind of living: - farm poverty Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Lover is Unmarried Love Triangle? Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Main Adversary Identity: - natural phenomena Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 10 () United States Yes The US: - Midwest Europe Yes European country: - England/UK Prairie? Yes Farm/Ranch? Yes Farm/Ranch: - lot of descript of animal care Writing Style Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references only - actual description of hetero sex Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |