Mary E. Trimble

Calamity: A Novel is a work of historical fiction about the well-known western legend, Calamity Jane. Author Libbie Hawker writes about Martha Canary, aka Calamity Jane, in what is no doubt a more accurate portrayal than what was offered in the dime store novels written in Calamity’s own life time (1852 – 1903). The book is a Women Writing the West’s 2020 WILLA Literary Award Finalist.

Calamity Jane tells her story to a writer in a Deadwood saloon. She tells it honestly, without sparing details that taint her own reputation.

Martha Canary was orphaned at the age of twelve, the oldest of six children. Her mother had already died when her father packed up the kids and their few belongings to head west from Missouri. Martha saw her father shot and killed by an unhappy gambler, who also took her father’s winnings. Martha and the two older boys scraped by in the wilderness, caring for their three little sisters, one just a baby, finally stumbling into Salt Lake City, Utah. The siblings were separated then and Martha was on her own to earn a living.

Martha was never a pretty girl, and she was the first to admit it. Legends of the old west talk about her raving beauty and many talents, but in truth she had an ungainly body, tall as a man, with no redeeming features to call herself pretty. But she had many talents, was a successful oxen, mule and horse bullwhacker, and could shoot a pistol or rifle with great accuracy. Her greatest pleasure was to ride alone on a wilderness trail. She endured many hardships, and the disasters and calamities that befell her earned her the name of Calamity Jane.

At times her life ran smoothly, as was the period she spent with Wild Bill Hickok, the love of her life, albeit unrequited. In her later years she appeared in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show performing sharpshooting skills astride a horse.

The author superbly describes the people of the American West and the western landscape as it appeared then. In many respects the story is a sad one, but the author shows Calamity as a woman of courage, endurance, and independence, a woman who could find humor in tight situations.

I thoroughly enjoyed Calamity from beginning to end. It’s a large book, 497 pages in a hardback copy, but it’s a story alive with passion and warmth. I urge anyone who enjoys reading about “the old West” to read this highly entertaining novel.

Book Review: One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Mary

One for the blackbird
One for the crow
One for the cutworm
And one to grow

This traditional proverb is a perfect description of Beulah Bemis’s philosophy of life in Olivia Hawker’s historical novel, One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow. Beulah, the wise, dreamy thirteen year-old daughter of Cora and Ernest Bemis, considers herself as one with the earth and with all that grows there. The novel is a Women Writing the West’s 2020 WILLA Literary Award Finalist.

Wyoming Territory, 1876, can be a dreary place when you have but one neighbor and no other settlers for miles. Ernest Bemis acts on impulse when he finds his wife, Cora, in a compromising situation with neighbor Substance Webber, resulting in one man dead, the other in jail. With her husband in jail, Cora Bemis and her four children are left without a husband and father, and widowed Nettie Mae Webber and Clyde, her only child, are left to manage by themselves.

Clyde, sixteen, doesn’t really grieve the loss of his father. Substance was a mean, harsh man who belittled Clyde’s gentle ways with their livestock. His mother, Nellie Mae, however, bristles with indignity and hate, though not particularly with mourning.

Winter is coming and it’s apparent that the Bemis family isn’t ready. Late crops are yet to be harvested, but the main worry is an adequate wood supply; without it the family will freeze in the harsh Wyoming winter.

Clyde is now the man of the Webber house and he takes this new responsibility seriously. Strong and capable, he tries to do the right thing by helping the Bemis family and tend to his own chores as well. Beulah steps in beside him and the two manage to get through the late harvest and prepare the stock for winter.

As winter bears down, it becomes clear that in order to survive, drastic measures must be taken. How the two families manage in the course of a year, and the surprising strong bond that develops makes One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow a memorable, remarkable novel. The author vividly describes the wild Wyoming landscape down to the tiniest detail. She paints each character with their individual personalities so perfectly I felt I’d know them in passing. I could feel the juxtaposition of love and hate as though it happened in my own family. I highly recommend One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow. It is a novel to cherish.

Book Review: The Glovemaker

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Mary

The Glovemaker:A Novel by Ann Weisgarber is a highly suspenseful novel that takes place in Utah Territories during the winter of 1888. The book is a Women Writing the West’s 2020 WILLA Literary Award Winner.

Samuel Tyler is past due. He left on a business trip and is late returning home. It’s possible that he’s found other out-of-the way customers. As a wheelwright his services are in high demand.

Deborah Tyler is worried about her husband, but common sense tells her that delays are not only possible, but likely. It’s the dead of winter and travel is hard—anything can happen. Deborah adds to the family income by helping her husband in their orchard, and she also makes fine leather gloves. But now all she can think about is her husband’s safety.

The Tylers and seven other families live in Junction, a small Mormon community with homesites scattered along the floor of a canyon. Junction’s citizens don’t believe in plural marriage and have splintered off from other Utah Mormons.

A desperate stranger pursued by a Federal Marshall appears at Deborah’s door asking for shelter for the night. She’s hesitant, but doesn’t feel right about turning him away. She offers the use of her barn for the man and his horse. As she dreads, a Marshal comes in search of the man, catching Deborah in the web of a spiraling chain of events. She learns the man she sheltered is a polygamist and is on the run from the U.S. government, which has ruled the practice of polygamy a felony.

When the Marshal is critically injured, Nels Anderson, Deborah and Samual’s close friend, also becomes involved in the deceit. In trying to do the right thing, they hide crucial evidence.

The Glovemaker is a well-written and thoroughly-documented novel. The village of Junction did exist and its citizens were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints (LDS). The citizens of Junction didn’t conform to the typical LDS beliefs and practices. References are made to the Mormons being driven from one state after another, often burned out of their homes. The incident at Mountain Meadows where Mormon militia in southern Utah seized a wagon train from Arkansas and brutally murdered 120 people was still viewed with bitterness, and troubled both the attackers and victims. Strong feelings prevailed and hiding a Mormon polygamist was a serious crime. The Glovemaker brings these incidents alive, but also vividly describes Deborah’s emotions: her unwavering love for her husband, her fears, and her determination to do the right thing.

Book Review: Bad Land

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Mary

Bad Land: An American Romance by Jonathan Raban, an Englishman who now lives in Seattle, is an intriguing social history of the homesteading movement in eastern Montana in the early 20th century. Seduced by the government’s Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909 granting individuals 320 acres of non-irrigable land, and lured by deceiving colorful brochures published by the railroad, future farmers and ranchers came to Montana to make their fortune, or at least to make a decent living.

Raban follows several families’ stories from when they first arrived with high hopes to how they were often defeated by blistering summers, minus forty-degree winters, and years of drought. Plus, the monotonous, endless prairie was demoralizing to many. Although homesteaders could obtain loans from local banks for expensive machinery, it was soon obvious that the land could not support the crops or livestock needed to repay loans. Some families were resourceful and managed to thrive, but there were few success stories.

I admired Raban’s ability to show the dignity and integrity of the descendants of early homesteaders. Most of them were proud of the accomplishments of their indomitable ancestors who worked hard to provide for their families under unbelievably harsh conditions. But mostly, the homesteaders’ dreams turned sour; there were simply too many hardships to overcome.

Raban also delves into modern day and the rebellious spirit often seen in rural Montana’s anti-government militia movements. These resentments often stem from long-held family beliefs that the government and big business conspired together against the “little folk.” The government made the opportunities by encouraging people to settle the land; the bank profited from farms and ranches being repossessed.

I enjoyed Bad Land and found Raban’s keen observations enlightening and fun to read. In researching the area, the author endured harsh weather, loneliness, and exposing himself as a “greenhorn” in order to delve into the reality of Montana’s “wild west.”

Book Review: Manhatten Beach

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Mary

Manhattan Beach, a novel by Jennifer Egan, captured my attention from beginning to end. The novel covers the early years of World War II through 1944.

When Anna Kerrigan, nearly twelve years old, accompanies her father to visit the lovely home of Dexter Styles, she has no idea that Styles is a gangster and that somehow there is a crucial connection between the two men. Styles’ beautiful seaside home is a marvel, its opulence unimaginable to her. Anna lives with her parents and severely crippled sister on the sixth floor of a tenement building.

Years later Anna’s father has disappeared and the country is at war. Anna works at the Brooklyn Naval Yard as the first female diver, a dangerous and exclusive occupation. At first experiencing hesitancy and even scorn from her superior and fellow divers, Anna proves herself a valuable asset as an underwater welder repairing ships that will eventually help win the war.

One evening Anna again meets Dexter Styles at a nightclub and begins to understand the relationship between him and her father. As Dexter Styles’ life unfolds, the reader is taken to a world few experience, a lifestyle that has its own set of scruples.

I very much enjoyed Manhattan Beach. The novel brings fresh detail and character to an era that changed the world forever. The author drew me in to the lives of the characters. I especially appreciated the precise details of the hard-hat atmospheric diving apparatus. Having worked as the only female at a professional deep sea diving school, I was particularly interested in the novel’s perspective of the diving profession, especially from a woman’s viewpoint.

Book Review: Moonscape

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Mary

Moonscape by Julie Weston is the third in the “A Nellie Burns and Moonshine Mystery” series. The mystery takes place in the 1920s around what is now known as Craters of the Moon, an ancient lava field that spreads across 618 square miles in southwest Idaho.

Sheriff Charlie Asteguigoiri and Nellie Burns, now on a first-name basis, have worked out an arrangement for Nellie to become his crime photographer. Three people have been reported missing and the Sheriff and Nellie, together with her dog, Moonshine, follow a lead that the threesome, a man and two women, have gone to the lava fields and haven’t been seen since. There is talk that the missing people were involved in a religious cult, but the investigation unveils lies, greed and dangerous relationships.

The lava fields are treacherous with caves, tunnels, sharp peaks and uneven difficult- to-navigate ground. Their initial investigation reveals one dead body, but that is only the beginning of a sinister, perplexing puzzle.

Author Julie Weston has again woven an intriguing mystery which includes an unusual landscape vividly described. The character Nellie Burns, a woman of courage and curiosity, is a skilled photographer with ambitions rarely seen of women in that time period. Although it isn’t necessary to have read the previous two mysteries in the series, Moonshadows and Basque Moon, to appreciate this novel, I enjoyed revisiting some of the previous characters in this latest mystery, Moonscape.

Dungeness Recreation Area

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Mary

Dungeness Recreation Area was a highlight of our recent visit to the Olympic Peninsula. This crown jewel of Clallam County Parks is located in the crest of the Peninsula with views of the Olympic Mountains to the south, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island to the north. To the east, Mount Baker and other peaks of the Cascade Range are visible, and to the west is Port Angeles.

The sixty-six spacious camp sites have fire rings and picnic tables. There are no utility hook-up sites. Many of the sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis. A separate bicycle camping area and a reservable group camp are also available.

Plentiful equestrian and pedestrian trails meander throughout the park. One of our favorites was a bluff trail extending the length of the camp. Another easy half-mile walk led us through the forest to an overlook above Dungeness Spit.

A hiking trail also connects with the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and open daily from sunrise to sunset. The trail continues down a steep hill to the Spit which becomes a 5-mile beach walk to the lighthouse. The refuge protects critical habitat for wildlife and provides viewing opportunities for visitors.

Dungeness Recreation Area can be used as a base camp with four day-use County parks within a five-minute drive, or the town of Sequim is a short ten-minute drive.

A lovely advantage of the area is that the local rainshadow creates an environment where it rains only eighteen inches a year with 254 mostly or partly sunny days. During the winter there are five times as many sunny days and a quarter of heavy overcast days compared to Seattle.

For a great destination filled with a variety of activities, it’s hard to beat the Olympic Peninsula for enjoying nature at its finest.

To learn more and to make reservations, visit: http://www.clallam.net/Parks/Dungeness.html

Book Review: Lillian’s Legacy

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Mary

Carmen Peone’s latest release, Lillian’s Legacy, the third novel of the “Gardner Sibling Trilogy,” takes place in Northeast Washington Territory, 1875. Lillian Gardner dreams of becoming a healer using natural medicines. Along with her dreams, Lillian also has feelings of resentment and frustration. It seems her sister and brother get all the attention and admiration from their parents. On the day of her sister’s wedding, it looks like Lillian’s family has forgotten her sixteenth birthday. All the excitement is about her sister’s wedding. Their neighbors are gathered for the happy event; it seems Lillian’s special day has been swept aside.

Among the wedding guests a stranger appears, a strangely-dressed elderly woman. Lillian talks with the woman who seeks rest for herself and her horse. The woman, Doctor Mali Maddox, originally from Wales, is on her way to the Kettle Falls area to administer medical care to the River Paddlers, a Native American tribe in the Pend Oreille River Territory.

Lillian and Doctor Maddox form a friendship and agree that the two will travel together. Afraid her parents won’t approve, and angry that all their attention seems to go to her sister anyway, Lillian leaves without her parents’ permission or knowledge.

As the two set out for the wilds of Eastern Washington and Indian Territory they encounter people desperately in need of medical care. But, unfortunately, they also meet people with evil intentions, putting Lillian and Doctor Maddox in danger. Even more than the danger, Lillian suffers guilt for the way she left her family. She wonders if she’ll ever achieve her dream of helping people, of being able to leave a legacy of hope.

I found Lillian’s Legacy a story of courage and inspiration. Carmen Peone writes with knowledge and experience about Native American culture. She has lived on the Colville Confederated Reservation with her husband, a tribal member, and has learned the Arrow Lakes (Sinyekst) language, cultural traditions and legends. In addition, she speaks with authority on horses and competes in local riding events. In researching this novel, she sought expert advice on tribal herbal practices, and also on Welsh customs and language. Lillian’s Legacy is listed as a Young Adult novel, but I think it would be of interest to anyone interested in natural medicines, and of the customs of this time period.

Book Review: A Long Walk to Water

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Mary

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is based on the true 1985 flight of a Sudanese boy, Salva, 11. Each chapter starts with a fictional but realistic section about a young girl, Nya, in southern Sudan beginning in 2008. Nya must make two very long walks daily to fetch water for her family. In reading this poignant account, I imagined that the two stories would intersect, and they eventually do in a surprising and satisfying way.

Salva was at school when the Second Sudanese Civil War finally reached his village. The war began two years earlier between the Muslim-dominated government in the north and the non-Muslim coalition in the south. As marauders approached his school, the teacher told the students to run and to keep going. Salva couldn’t return to his village or to his family because that was where the conflict was taking place. He quickly became separated from the other school children, but eventually found other people to travel with, though they were strangers.

Years passed while Salva walked through Sudan and eventually to Ethiopia going from one refugee camp to another, eventually making his way to a camp in Kenya. By this time he was one of what are now known as “The Lost Boys.” He had been away from his village for eleven years, years of grueling travel or of barely surviving crowded refugee camps.

Nya’s continuing story struck a familiar note for me. Having spent two years in West Africa with the Peace Corps in the small country of The Gambia, I know the value and sometimes scarcity of clean water. Daily I saw young girls come to a fresh-water well close to where we lived, fill huge tubs of water, heft the heavy loads onto their heads, and then walk back to some distant village.

How Nya and Salva’s stories eventually come together is heart warming and shows the price so many in Africa have paid pursuing basic human needs. Salva’s true story is daunting, yet inspiring. Unfortunately, Nya’s story is typical in much of Africa. I recommend A Long Walk to Water for people from ages 9 to 99.

Harmattan: The Winds of Africa

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Mary

Sand! We woke up hot and sweaty, gritty with sand in our hair, teeth, our folded clothes, even our underwear. The harmattan had started about the time we went to bed.

“Now I know what a sugar cookie feels like,” I said to my husband, Bruce.

It was mid-March in The Gambia where my husband and I served with the Peace Corps (1979 – 1981). During the harmattan season, dry, dusty northeasterly trade winds blow from the Sahara desert over the West African subregion to the Atlantic Ocean.

We lived at the far upriver end of the tiny country near the town of Basse. Bruce worked as a Peace Corps volunteer for the United Nations in their fresh-water well division; I worked at the Basse Health Center. Since Basse is so remote and 250 very long and tedious miles from the capital city of Banjul (the last 120 miles an unpaved, rutty road), we often had house guests–people from United Nations headquarters, US AID staff, and Peace Corps people, either on business or as a get-away destination. This particular time we had two Peace Corps officials: George Scharffenberger, Peace Corps Director in The Gambia, and Terry (sorry, I can’t remember her last name), “The Gambia Desk” person from Peace Corps Washington, D.C.

Our living quarters included two structures. One was a mud-brick building, 10-feet wide and 30-feet long, with three rooms: a primitive kitchen with no running water (in fact, no sink), a dining/living room, and a guest bedroom. There was an 8-inch gap between the wall and the corrugated iron roof. The windows had no glass or screens but we did have leaky corrugated shutters that we rarely closed because of the extreme heat. The other structure, our “bedroom,” was a 15-foot round mud hut with a thatched-grass roof. The door was a screen tacked to a frame. Obviously, we had no real protection from sand driven by strong harmattan winds. The shared compound latrine was a hole in the ground in a fenced-in area about 150-feet from our hut.

The wind had picked up as we bid our guests goodnight. “This is going to be a real honker,” Bruce said. The next morning we swept the sand off our bed, shook out our clothes and went into the other building. A thick coat of sandy dust covered everything. We had to wash all our dishes, silverware and cooking pots before we prepared breakfast. I could see our guests becoming less and less enchanted with our home. Where George lived near the capitol city, there wasn’t much sand, and coming from Washington, D.C., Terry had never experienced such weather. Our guests left soon after breakfast. It appeared they couldn’t leave fast enough.

For us, the harmattan was simply a part of our West African experience. I was reminded of this incident when a dust cloud from West Africa recently reached the southern portion of the United States. I could almost feel the grit between my teeth.

In my memoir, Tubob: Two Years in West Africa with the Peace Corps, Bruce and I, newly married, discover ourselves in new light as we find both strength and frustration in a third-world culture. Caught up in a military coup, we seek refuge in a house with 116 other people and wonder if our lives will ever be the same.