booksaverb reviewed on 8/26/2011

Helpful Score: 2

This is an enjoyable read. Wickenden provides a well-researched glimpse into 1916 Routt County Colorado history and the upper reaches of back country society, as experienced by two recent Smith graduates from Albany, NY. Though the girls came from a wealthy and pampered upbringing, and had no previous teaching experience whatsoever, they changed lives among their students and school families during a year spent teaching in the mountains above Hayden.

We all should be so lucky as to have our mothers/grandmothers hand us a folder of personal letters to backbone research for such a lively book! Heard Ms. Wickenden speak at THE TATTERED COVER in lower downtown Denver--she did an excellent job of interweaving Routt County/Western Slope ranch and mining history with stories of the growth of Denver, Colorado's second choice of capitol. Drew a capacity crowd.

Too bad someone stole the audio visual equipment--so no illustrations.

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