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The Winterkeeper: A Tale of Hope and Love in the Face of Insurmountable Obstacles
COMING OF AGE STORY THAT WHAT IS FAMILY?
Montana, Winter, 1933
At fourteen Millie Chase is orphaned, and unless she does something drastic, she’s going to end up living with her stepfather in a town that is a far cry from the life in Chicago she’d once known. She sets out to find her mother’s friend, Ginny Baker, who she believes lives in nearby Yellowstone National Park. But when it’s Ginny’s husband, Nate, she encounters, Millie has doubts. Is Nate the lesser of two bad options?
Nate Baker has built his life around his love for his wife Ginny, his work as a winterkeeper in the Park, and minding his own business. But when he discovers Millie hiding out in a closed hotel in the park and she demands to speak with his wife, Nate sees no choice but to get involved. Of course, doing so could cost him his job in a time when jobs for fifty-year-old men are impossible to find.
Ginny Baker happily gave up the high society Chicago life she’d known for the peace and solitude of life in the wilderness. But when her brother-in-law and financial advisor reveals she and her sister have lost the fortune left to them by their parents, Ginny sees no choice but to return to Chicago to salvage what she can. The fact that she is forty-four years old and has just realized she’s pregnant throws even more chaos into her life – and Nate’s.And then Nate calls with news of finding Millie...
Montana, Winter, 1933
At fourteen Millie Chase is orphaned, and unless she does something drastic, she’s going to end up living with her stepfather in a town that is a far cry from the life in Chicago she’d once known. She sets out to find her mother’s friend, Ginny Baker, who she believes lives in nearby Yellowstone National Park. But when it’s Ginny’s husband, Nate, she encounters, Millie has doubts. Is Nate the lesser of two bad options?
Nate Baker has built his life around his love for his wife Ginny, his work as a winterkeeper in the Park, and minding his own business. But when he discovers Millie hiding out in a closed hotel in the park and she demands to speak with his wife, Nate sees no choice but to get involved. Of course, doing so could cost him his job in a time when jobs for fifty-year-old men are impossible to find.
Ginny Baker happily gave up the high society Chicago life she’d known for the peace and solitude of life in the wilderness. But when her brother-in-law and financial advisor reveals she and her sister have lost the fortune left to them by their parents, Ginny sees no choice but to return to Chicago to salvage what she can. The fact that she is forty-four years old and has just realized she’s pregnant throws even more chaos into her life – and Nate’s.And then Nate calls with news of finding Millie...
308 pages, Paperback
Published April 7, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 13, 2021
Being a young girl in the winter of 1933 with a recently deceased mother and an abusive step-father in a town you barely know could seem like a hopeless situation. However, Milly is not a girl without some intelligence and imagination. It is not long before she makes an escape, with a plan to find her mother’s estranged friend Ginny. Ginny lives with her husband Nate, the winterkeeper at Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park. Unfortunately, Ginny has gone to Chicago to help her newly widowed sister.
The novel develops a wonderful wintery setting of Yellowstone and the nearby town of Gardiner Montana. Descriptions are vivid and familiar to those who may have visited the park.
It also highlights the potential dangers of winter with severe low temperatures, extremely deep snow, and potential snowstorms. It is a challenging environment for Milly who walks up the snowy hill from Gardiner to Mammoth and finds no one in the area in early evening with temperatures dropping quickly.
Throughout the book, the first-person viewpoint changes from Milly, to Nate, to Ginny. We see into the thoughts and emotions of the characters as they struggle with their situation. Milly must convince Nate to not return her to the abusive step-father. Nate likes his quiet life, and he is reluctant to change or get involved with other people’s problems. Ginny feels torn between returning home to the husband she loves or helping her pampered sister who must deal with the financial ruins of her life during the Depression.
As the story evolves, we wonder if there is any way to resolve the differing wants and needs, and to provide a satisfying ending. The path to happiness is not clear.
As a young adult book, this would be very entertaining for the intended audience. It may provide an eye-opening understanding of adult issues that young people might face as they get older; “how do my actions impact those around me”. It is also set in a historical time period that few books illuminate for younger generations. I think it would also be appreciated by many adults who enjoy books with great character development in an interesting setting.
I received this book as an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) on Reedsy Discovery. The original posting of my review is at this link on Reedsy -
View my Reedsy Review
The novel develops a wonderful wintery setting of Yellowstone and the nearby town of Gardiner Montana. Descriptions are vivid and familiar to those who may have visited the park.
There was a different kind of peace that came with the start of a new winter day in Yellowstone – a kind of promise, it seemed to him. The way the light and shadows played over the snow-covered landscape, the silence interrupted only by the song of a bird...
It also highlights the potential dangers of winter with severe low temperatures, extremely deep snow, and potential snowstorms. It is a challenging environment for Milly who walks up the snowy hill from Gardiner to Mammoth and finds no one in the area in early evening with temperatures dropping quickly.
Throughout the book, the first-person viewpoint changes from Milly, to Nate, to Ginny. We see into the thoughts and emotions of the characters as they struggle with their situation. Milly must convince Nate to not return her to the abusive step-father. Nate likes his quiet life, and he is reluctant to change or get involved with other people’s problems. Ginny feels torn between returning home to the husband she loves or helping her pampered sister who must deal with the financial ruins of her life during the Depression.
As the story evolves, we wonder if there is any way to resolve the differing wants and needs, and to provide a satisfying ending. The path to happiness is not clear.
As a young adult book, this would be very entertaining for the intended audience. It may provide an eye-opening understanding of adult issues that young people might face as they get older; “how do my actions impact those around me”. It is also set in a historical time period that few books illuminate for younger generations. I think it would also be appreciated by many adults who enjoy books with great character development in an interesting setting.
I received this book as an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) on Reedsy Discovery. The original posting of my review is at this link on Reedsy -
View my Reedsy Review
August 22, 2021
~I'd like to thank the awesome author for sending me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!~
This book was amazing. I was totally immersed in the world, and I could relate to each of the characters, and they all stuck with me.
Horne wonderfully blends history with an immersive world, full of compelling characters.
I love how Millie was such a role model. Even though she was 14, she's very strong and stays true to her convictions.
The antagonist, he was tricky. (*rubs hands together with an evil smile*) Publicly, he's a great person. Sociable, caring, wealthy, etc. But, in private, he's rude, abusive, and only cares about money, money, and (you guessed it!) money.
All in all, this was a stellar book that sucked me in from the very first page and didn't let go. (Plus, who doesn't like to discover deeply buried secrets and come across countless plot twists?)
Definitely recommended for all!
~Full Review To Come~
This book was amazing. I was totally immersed in the world, and I could relate to each of the characters, and they all stuck with me.
Horne wonderfully blends history with an immersive world, full of compelling characters.
I love how Millie was such a role model. Even though she was 14, she's very strong and stays true to her convictions.
The antagonist, he was tricky. (*rubs hands together with an evil smile*) Publicly, he's a great person. Sociable, caring, wealthy, etc. But, in private, he's rude, abusive, and only cares about money, money, and (you guessed it!) money.
All in all, this was a stellar book that sucked me in from the very first page and didn't let go. (Plus, who doesn't like to discover deeply buried secrets and come across countless plot twists?)
Definitely recommended for all!
~Full Review To Come~
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews