Waltzing Montana - by Mary Clearman Blew (Paperback)

About the Book

"Set in central rural Montana in 1925, Waltzing Montana follows midwife Mildred Harrington as she grapples with feelings for her old sweetheart while also trying to overcome the horrific abuse that she suffered as a young teenager"--

Book Synopsis

Midwife Mildred Harrington is riding back home one evening after checking on one of her pregnant neighbors when she stumbles upon an injured stranger. She soon realizes it's her old sweetheart, Pat, from country school--and he may not be telling the full truth about how he was injured.

Set in rural Montana in 1925, Waltzing Montana follows Mildred as she grapples with feelings for Pat while also trying to overcome the horrific abuse she suffered as a young teenager. Ultimately Mildred must decide whether to continue her isolated life or accept the hand extended to her.

Inspired by the life of midwife Edna McGuire (1885-1969), who operated a sheep ranch in central Montana, Blew has turned the classic Western on its head, focusing on rural women and the gender and diversity challenges they faced during the 1920s.

Review Quotes

"Blew's close attention to gender and what women in particular had to endure living and working on ranches elevates Waltzing Montana in the Western genre. . . . Waltzing Montana is the gritty, beautiful, and startling western love story that does, indeed, satisfy."--Maggie Doherty, Flathead Beacon

"Mary Clearman Blew is in the saddle again with a galloping western romance. Set on the Montana plains in the 1920s, Waltzing Montana is an adventure story about a horseback midwife and her cowboy lover, so vivid you can smell the sagebrush."--Annick Smith, author of Crossing the Plains with Bruno

"What we need most right now are stories that are down-to-the-bone authentic, and Mary Clearman Blew gives us one with her new novel, Waltzing Montana. The women and men in this book are not only resilient but find their true meaning in forging through challenge: drought, war, and the Spanish flu pandemic. And yet Blew artfully nods to their limits too. There's only so much brutality a person can endure, and the ravages of pain and abandonment Blew portrays in these pages stir acts of forgiveness, patience, and abiding friendship, which allow the deepest wounds to finally heal."--Debra Gwartney, author of I Am a Stranger Here Myself

About the Author

Mary Clearman Blew is the author or editor of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including the novels Sweep Out the Ashes (Bison Books, 2019), Ruby Dreams of Janis Joplin (Nebraska, 2018), and Jackalope Dreams (Bison Books, 2008). She is professor emerita of English at the University of Idaho and has won numerous awards, including the Western Literature Association's Distinguished Achievement Award.