Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Montana 1948--#44 finished

A short book and a good quick read. It is about a family in the most NE part of Montana in 1948. The family is probably the most powerful family in the county of only 2000 people. The book is written in David, the son's perspective, he is around 10, give or take a year or two. The grandfather was the former sheriff in town who created a lot of wealth in his time that became a large ranch--I think there was an inheritance involved as well. The grandfather's favorite son Frank is the town doctor, but also good looking, high school athletic star, decorated war hero and on and on. The other son, Wesley, is David's father. Wesley is a lawyer but was at one point injured at his knee, severely so he still walks with a limp. The knee keeps him out of the war and also I think kept him from being much of an athlete. Seemingly because of these failings, the grandfather shows little respect to Wesley. Well, the story is about Frank sexually assaulting Indian girls and even raping them when he is performing checkups etc to them as their doctor. This comes out from Wesley's maid and then a few short days later, the maid ends up dead. She was sick but comes to find out Frank snuck into the house just a couple hours before she died. Wesley is forced to arrest Frank and holds him in the basement. After a few days Frank breaks some canning jars and the next morning is found to have killed himself by slitting his wrists.

Obviously there is a lot more going on. It is a well written book and interesting in that it is told from the perspective of a child. I enjoyed the book and also enjoyed that it was a quick read. I have posted it on PBS but there are 66 copies ahead of it so it is going nowhere for a very long time. I guess it could be donated somewhere else with others at some point.

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