The author brought the places to life with his descriptions of Big Sky Country. Ruthie shared her innermost thoughts and fears with the reader.

I lived in southeastern Idaho from 1951 to 1963 a few hours away from the Bitterroot Mountains. Reading about places I had visited many times after leaving the area was a trip down memory lane. The characters in the book were the "locals" my family the AEC newcomers. The problems faced by the locals were similar, ie, outsiders with more education moving in, minorities discriminated against, poverty, alcoholism, and young people struggling with parenthood. Always a them vs us struggle.

When I finished it was the same feeling I get after watching an excellent foreign movie, what did I miss?