Mary E. Trimble

Goth-Girl to Cowgirl, book four in the “Rescue Series” by Heidi M. Thomas is a heart-warming contemporary novel of a troubled teen from New York who finds redemption in the wide-open spaces of the Montana prairie.

New Yorker teen Electra Lucci has suffered the tragic loss of her brother and the subsequent divorce of her parents. She’s become a Goth-girl, wearing white make-up, black-rimmed eyes, black lipstick and fingernails, and spiky hair. When her mother suggests a mother-daughter “bonding” vacation to a Montana dude ranch, Electra balks. But when they arrive, a whole new world opens up to her.

Samantha (Sam) Moser works part-time at a neighboring Montana dude ranch as an instructor, helping guests get to know horses. Sam also works hard on her own ranch, not easy for a single woman. She is dedicated to running a “rescue” ranch, rescuing Thoroughbred horses and using them to help traumatized veterans and troubled teens. She notices this obviously out-of-place girl at the dude ranch, undoubtedly troubled, and invites the girl to her ranch. When Sam takes Electra to see an abandoned horse, the young girl’s heart goes out to the starving animal. She forgets her own troubles and throws her energy into helping this neglected horse. When the mother-daughter vacation ends and they return to New York, Electra realizes she doesn’t fit in there anymore either, and she longs to return to Montana.

Goth-Girl to Cowgirl is written from Electra’s point of view. We see a troubled girl who doesn’t fit in. The author has written a timely book with rich insights to a troubled teen’s heart, and the healing capacity of horses. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves horses, and especially to teens who don’t always understand their own feelings but who yearn to make a difference.

Book Review: Take Me With You

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Mary

Take Me With You by one of my favorite authors, Catherine Ryan Hyde, is a heart-warming novel that reminded me to cherish the moment, to savor it, and to keep it locked in my heart.

August Shroeder, a high school science teacher, is facing life alone. His nineteen-year-old son was killed in an automobile accident, and he’s divorced from his wife. August and his son had planned to go camping at Yellowstone this summer, but now August plans to go alone and take his son’s ashes instead. He’ll be gone the entire summer.

August sets out in his RV but has the misfortune of a breakdown while still in California. A mechanic hauls the rig to his shop and begins the repair. Toward the end of the few days it takes, the mechanic asks a favor of August. Would August take the mechanic’s two sons with him? It’s a strange request, but the man confesses that he’s facing a three-month DUI jail sentence and he has no where else to leave the boys. It’s just the three of them—the boys’ mother is no longer in the picture. The mechanic offers to not charge for the repairs if August could take the boys with him.

The older boy, Seth, 12, is a bright, precocious boy. His little brother, Henry, 7, is timid with a cartoon-mouse voice on the rare occasions when he does speak. August has gotten to know the boys during the last few days because they’ve played with his little Jack Russell terrier. It’s an unusual request, but he reluctantly agrees.

The three of them set out on a joint adventure. They see it all—Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park where, as a science teacher, August could explain the geothermal areas to eager listeners, then on to Arches National Park, the Navajo Nation and finally the Grand Canyon.

The trip ends, but not the bond that has developed between them.

The story skips to eight years later. Another trip has been meticulously planned, another transformative journey that will change their lives forever.

I loved this book. I especially enjoyed the interaction between August and the boys. I delighted in the camping scenes. I’ve camped all my life, starting when I was 10 days old. We now camp with a truck/camper, which is similar to camping with an RV. I often felt as though I was with them seeing the sights and enjoying life on the road. This novel is one of many that I’ve enjoyed by this author. I highly recommend Take Me With You.

Book Review: A Good Man

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Mary

A Good Man, an epic historical novel by Guy Vanderhaeghe, takes place mostly in the western United States shortly after the Sioux victory at Little Bighorn in the late 1800s.

Wesley Case bears the burden of being a big disappointment to his father, a Canadian lumber baron. He joins the North West Mounted Police and while with them experiences a tragedy that will haunt him the rest of his life. He settles in Montana, buys a cattle ranch while serving as a liaison between the United States and Canadian militaries in an effort to contain Native Americans.

Ada Tarr, recently widowed, is Case’s neighbor and teaches school to augment her dwindling finances. Wesley and Ada fall in love, but their romance is threatened by a secret admirer of Ada’s, a man who comes across as a bungling ne’er-do-well, but who actually commits evil acts toward anyone who gets in his way.

While Case works with American and Canadian militaries, he befriends Sitting Bull, a Lakota Sioux warrior. Case sees the humiliation Natives experience, and sympathizes with their betrayal by the whites. He witnesses starvation among the tribes as whites systematically kill the buffalo, either by shooting them or burning fields where they graze. Case sees the mistrust resulting from lies, broken treaties, and the unreasonable demand that Indians live on reservations, giving up their way of life.

A Good Man is an earthy, realistic novel of depth. Vanderhaeghe, a Canadian, paints a stark picture of the plight of Indians and their resulting bitterness. Battle scenes are shown in vivid detail. The author’s extensive research has brought to light the attitudes and realities of the times, a period of mistrust and deceit. I highly recommend this novel to those who yearn for the truth of those violent years.

Book Review: The Book of Longings

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Mary

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd is an inspiring novel of one woman’s bold struggle to realize her own passion and potential. The story is set in the First Century and begins in Sepphoris in the geographic center of lower Galilee.

Ana, 14, is the daughter of a wealthy Roman sympathizer. Although it is against tradition for a woman to read and write, Ana’s father indulges her, even furnishing her with writing materials and books. She is a bright, intelligent girl, but also rebellious and ambitious. Her constant companion is her Aunt Yaltha, a witty, fun woman who encourages Ana to be herself. When her father announces that she must marry an older man, she is horrified. Not only is he repulsive to her, marriage to him would mean the end of her reading and writing. A chance encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus at the market changes her life.

Contrary to her parents’ wishes, Ana and Jesus marry. They make their home in Nazareth and live in a family compound with his brothers and their mother, Mary. Jesus’ work as a stonemason and woodworker takes him away from home for days at a time. He learns about John the Immerser, a strange man who is baptizing people in the Jordan River. John claims the Kingdom of God is near and is seeking disciples. Jesus realizes he must follow John and become a disciple…without Ana. The prophets have no female disciples. Jesus’ mission is to bring God’s kingdom into the hearts of people.

In the meantime, Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in danger. After Jesus leaves she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations unfold that put her in threatening circumstances.

As the story unfolds, new thoughts came to my mind, thoughts as how precious our freedoms are, such as our human rights, our right to education, to choose our occupations, and to pursue our choice of religion.

I started this novel with some misgivings. I am a Christian and I wasn’t sure if I wanted the beliefs I’d always held challenged or even altered. I was raised a Baptist, then became a Catholic at age 18, so I had two viewpoints to consider. But here is yet another viewpoint. The Bible doesn’t say that Jesus was ever married, but then it doesn’t say he was single either. I trust and am impressed with Sue Monk Kidd’s impeccable research. I found this story fascinating, for the fictionalized story of Jesus and for the amazing research of attitudes, dress, cosmetics, foods, and class disparities. Many of the facts she presents are substantiated in known history. When the author mentioned John the Immerser, I thought she was giving John the Baptist a fictionalized name, but when I researched it, I learned some Christian traditions used that name for John. Although the story follows the life of Ana, a fictitious character, it coincides with history and the beginnings of Christianity. I’m thankful I read this powerful book.

Book Review: The Good Earth

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Mary

The Good Earth, a timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece by Pearl S. Buck, follows the life of Wang Lung in 1920s China. The book, first published in 1931, was the best-selling novel in the United States for both 1931 and 1932. The author grew up in China, a child of missionaries.

Wang Lung is a farmer in a rural village and lives with his widowed father. The novel begins on the day of his marriage to O-Lan, a slave at the House of Hwang. He doesn’t really know his intended bride, but since his mother died, he needs someone to cook, care for the house, and see to his father’s comfort. Wang is a farmer, dedicated to his land. Although they are poor, it is a good marriage and O-Lan is a capable homemaker in their modest dwelling. Wang works hard on the land, often with O-Lan at his side. They begin to have children, births which O-Lan accomplishes without assistance.

The story takes us into Wang Lung’s old age, through good times, droughts, famine, trials with family, land acquisitions, and wealth. Wang learns that although satisfying, wealth has its burdens, too.

I first read The Good Earth when I was twelve years old. One Seattle summer day I walked to a nearby shopping district and, curious, went into a second-hand store. I discovered a bookcase full of old hardcover books. Among the books were Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and The Good Earth which I bought for twenty-five cents each. At that time I didn’t know what a “classic novel” was, nor had I ever heard of either book. I read both novels that summer. The Good Earth was an eye opener for me—the way of life in China those days, taking a second wife, class distinctions with the extreme poor and how they were treated, and with the extreme rich and their sense of entitlement. I treasured those books, and though I didn’t know they were “classics,” I knew they were special. Now, with this second reading, I am again impressed with the depth of The Good Earth. It is a masterpiece.

Book Review: I.M. Possible Muscle for the Mind

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Mary

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
Sir Edmund Hillary

I.M. Possible Muscle for the Mind: The Power To Achieve Success When Success Seems Impossible (The I.M.Possible Series Book 1) is a powerful guide to turning seemingly impossible situations into life-changing victories. The book is written by Jamie DeVovo with a Forward and collaboration throughout the book by Bryan Kolb, PhD, FRSC, Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience.

The goal of this book is to change situations or life challenges from the apparently Impossible to I.M. Possible, or I AM Possible. The author shares basic neuroscience information about the brain that helps us understand how we can make changes that improve our life situations. Even though the brain is really an organ, new research shows that the brain is more like a muscle—it changes and gets stronger when you use it.

The book has many inspiring quotations from well-known people who have made a difference not only in their own lives, but to all of humanity. Here’s a good one:

“I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be.”
Albert Einstein

We need to give up old defeating ways of thinking in order to bring about positive change. Negative thoughts hold us back. We need to push through fear and discomfort to achieve our goals.

Our attitudes can make a difference for ourselves and for others. I worked with the American Red Cross in New York in the grim days following 911. Before I presided over our daily meeting, I started every morning with a big smile to the staff. It was a genuine smile, one that said I was honored to serve with the American Red Cross and proud of our volunteers. In order to be there we all had taken numerous classes to train us in various capacities to help those suffering in disasters. One day a fellow came up to me after the meeting and said how much he looked forward to that smile. He said it fortified him for the day ahead.

I.M. Possible Muscle for the Mind offers persuasive methods to make life changes. It’s packed full of examples and how-to ideas to make the necessary changes to improve life as you want it to be. “What goes around comes around” can be either negative or positive. We can choose to make positive outcomes.

Book Review: The Girl from Bletchley Park

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Mary

The Girl from Bletchley Park, a novel by British writer Kathleen McGurl is a highly suspenseful and intriguing story toggling between 1942 and present day England.

Julia struggles to manage her own IT business and her home life. Her husband does little to ease the strain of keeping up a business and managing the household. He rarely helps and is obviously jealous that she makes more money than he does. No matter what she does, it doesn’t seem to be enough to satisfy him. Her two sons, 14 and 12, are willing to give a helping hand, but how can she manage to juggle her dual role and her husband’s constant demands?

Toggling back to 1942, three years into World War II, Pamala, Julia’s grandmother, defers her hard-won place at Oxford to become a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. She becomes a WREN (Women’s Royal Naval Service), the women’s branch of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. Pamala meets two young men, both anxious to please her. But as her affection grows for one, even to the point of thinking of a future together, doubts begin to surface, followed by danger.

The Girl from Bletchley Park is an interesting story on several levels. Bletchley Park was once the top-secret home of the World War II codebreakers. They provided a valuable service breaking German military transmission codes, allowing Allied forces to take appropriate action. In the novel, Julia discovers her grandmother Pamala played an important role at Bletchley, making an interesting tie-in between the war years’ technology and Julia’s present day work with Information Technology.

Book Review: The Book of Charlie

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Mary

The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year Old Man by columnist and editor for the Washington Post, David Von Drehie, is an amazing biography of Charles White, Von Drehie’s Kansas City neighbor.

I felt a kinship to Charles White because he was born the same year as my father, 1905. In telling Charlie’s story, the author brought me through the years of America’s history as my father experienced it, from horse-drawn carriages to the early automobile, the Great Depression, two World Wars, wireless communication, radio and television. My father passed away before experiencing what Charles did: the everyday use of computers and smartphones plus huge strides in the medical world.

As a young boy, Charles experienced a shocking tragedy and through it mastered survival strategies that served him well throughout his long life. He learned how to thrive, not just survive.

Charles, usually called Charlie, put himself through medical school by playing self-taught saxophone at college dances. He became a doctor during the Great Depression, when house calls were considered the normal form of primary care. Charlie experienced a long life as a doctor with years as a general practitioner followed by decades as an anesthesiologist.

Although his life as a physician was fascinating, I found his philosophy of life truly inspirational. His messages: live life right now, the past is beyond our influence, the future is unknown, now is the only thing we can touch so we must always be ready for opportunity. The book is chock-full of such gems including my favorite: “Life unfolds by accident, despite our hopes and plans.”

The Book of Charlie is a wonderful, refreshing story of a man who lived life purposefully. I would recommend this book to people of all ages— there’s something in it for everyone.

Book Review: Broken Bondage

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Mary

Broken Bondage, a novel by Carmen Peone, the second of the “Seven Tine Ranch Romance series,” is a highly suspenseful, intriguing cowboy romance with Native American characters. The contemporary story begins on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in northeast Oregon.

Rita Runninghorse carries a heavy burden. She works cattle sunup to sundown on her demanding father’s ranch. Not only that, she’s a victim of abuse from Bowie Dark Cloud, her fiancé, a man her father encourages her to marry. Her life is spiraling downhill and she must do something to save herself. She flees to the Seven Tine Ranch in eastern Washington, a safe haven for women in need. But as luck would have it, the owner is on a month-long speaking tour.

Robert Elliot, the brother of the Seven Tine’s owner, has one main interest: bronc riding. The Indian National Finals Rodeo is coming up and Robert sees it as his one chance of going pro. But what is he going to do with this woman who suddenly shows up on the ranch, obviously scared for her life?

Bowie Dark Cloud is pure evil. Above all else, he intends to marry Rita. He’ll beat some sense into her—again—do whatever it takes. He has too much riding on this to give up.

Broken Bondage is a gripping story depicting the unfortunate truth of horror, violence and abuse so prevalent among Native American women. The author, who lives on the Colville Reservation with her tribal husband, speaks with authority of reservation life, about the thrills associated with rodeo competition, and about the strength to be gained from God’s promises. This story kept my rapt attention with the plight of Rita Runninghorse, of Robert Elliot’s dream to become a rodeo pro, and finally a message of hope.

Book Review: Women of the Colorado Gold Rush Era

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Mary

Women of the Colorado Gold Rush Era by J.v.L. Bell and Jan Gunia is a marvelous compilation of women of the wild and sometimes violent Pikes Peak Gold Rush years.

Ten women are featured, each unique in their own way, women whose lives profoundly affected those turbulent years. Probably many of the women named are unfamiliar to the reader, but all made their indelible mark in Colorado history.

Hard work, sacrifice and dedication made these ten women remarkable with their unsung heroism. The women—Native American, Hispanic, Anglo, and African American—had one thing in common: tenacity.

Women of the Colorado Gold Rush Era is meticulously documented with annotations at the end of each featured woman’s chapter. Also, throughout the book are marvelous quotations. One of my favorite is from the section on Tsashin: Clement J. Frost, a Ute Indian, said, “The land doesn’t belong to the Indians; the Indians belong to the land.”

I was impressed with the depth of systematic investigation conducted for each subject’s life, research gleaned in books and also through state archives, museums, local historical societies and libraries. Women of the Colorado Gold Rush Era is a valuable book for anyone interested in Colorado history, or for those who appreciate the role pioneer women played in paving the way for the future state of Colorado.