Seven Montanas: A Journey in Search of the Soul of the Treasure State

by Ednor Therriault

The vast space of the American West that has been designated as the state of Montana is such a diverse and varied landscape that it’s been said it could easily be sliced up into several smaller states. And with its smorgasbord of industry, history, culture and the various worldviews held by its residents, getting a bead on Montana’s personality is a challenge. That may be because Montana, in fact, has several fairly distinct personalities. This book examines those personalities, through the lens of seven geographic and cultural regions commonly recognized in the state. While Montanans share a few attitudes and love of the land that attracts them to Big Sky country, it’s the differences between the regions that truly give the state its unique flavor. Through interviews, photos, history and personal observations, Therriault profiles each region and in the process gives a more complete view of the state as a whole. Along the way the reader will learn why some people choose to live where they do, how they view the rest of the state, and what some of the factors are that give each region its singularity.

208 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2019

About the author

Ednor Therriault is a writer and musician with deep Montana roots. His first book, Montana Curiosities, was published by Globe Pequot Press in 2010, and went on to become the best seller in the publisher’s Curiosities series. The second edition was released in 2016 on TwoDot Press. He also revised the latest two editions of Montana Off the Beaten Path. In 2018 he explored the history and folklore of Yellowstone National Park in Myths and Legends of Yellowstone. His first hardback, Seven Montanas: A Journey In Search of the Soul of the Treasure State, was released in October 2019. Ednor’s latest effort, Haunted Montana, a collection of Big Sky ghost stories, come out summer 2020.
Working under the nom de guerre Bob Wire, Ednor has written and recorded five albums of original material, including an irreverent holiday collaboration with Chip Whitson entitled Off White Christmas. Bob Wire has performed all over the West since 1995, and was named Missoula’s Entertainer of the Year in 2007.
Ednor’s writing can be seen in Missoula Valley Lifestyle, Montana Magazine, Mountain Outlaw, Distinctly Montana and other regional publications. In his travels, he always has his eyes peeled for the offbeat and interesting, never knowing if it will turn up in a story or a song. He is currently seeking a publisher for his debut novel, Stealing Motown. Ednor lives with his wife in Missoula.

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book for anyone interested in the state of Montana; whether you live here, want to live her or just love the lore of this big state. There have been many book written about Montana – it is a very diverse state geologically from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the plains of the east. In fact as the title of the book offers, there are seven Montanas; Missouri River Country, Custer Country, Yellowstone Country, Russell Country, Gold West Country, and Glacier Country.

Each “country” is presented through stories from people past and present to showcase what makes the area special and what is special about each area. Montana rightly claims Glacier National Park and also claims Yellowstone even though the bulk of the park resides in Wyoming.

I have said and continue to say that Montana is the most scenic place I have ever seen and I have been some pretty beautiful places. There is also a lot of history in this state that covers so much area it goes from time zone to time zone. It is also one of the more sparsely populated states – it’s only been within the last 8 years or so that the population has crested one million. It’s a land of mountains, trees, rivers and plains.

The book illustrates the stories with some beautiful and evocative black and white photos. I will admit that I first paged through to just look through the photos before I even started reading. It is an interesting look at a widely diverse state with a rich history.

4.5