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Her Prairie Knight
Bertha Muzzy Bower/ Mrs. Sinclair/ Mrs. Cowan (1871-1940) was an author of western fiction. Among her works Chip, of the Flying U (1904), The Happy Family (1907), The Range Dwellers (1907), The Lure of the Dim Trails (1907), The Long Shadow (1909), The Lonesome Trail and Other Stories (1909), Good Indian (1912), Lonesome Land (1912), The Gringos (1913), The Uphill Climb (1913), Flying U Ranch (1914), Jean of the Lazy A (1915), The Flying U's Last Stand (1915), The Heritage of the Sioux (1916), The Phantom Herd (1916), The Lookout Man (1917), Starr, of the Desert (1917), Skyrider (1918), Cabin Fever (1918), The Thunder Bird (1919), The Quirt (1920), Cow-Country (1921), Casey Ryan (1921), The Trail of the White Mule (1922), The Parrowan Bonanza (1923), The Voice at Johnnywater (1923), The Bellehelen Mine (1924), The Eagle's Wing (1924), Meadowlark Basin (1925), Desert Brew (1925), and Van Patten (1926).
108 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
About the author
B.M. Bower
520 books25 followersBertha Muzzy Sinclair or Sinclair-Cowan, née Muzzy, best known by her pseudonym B. M. Bower, was an American author who wrote novels, fictional short stories, and screenplays about the American Old West. Her works, featuring cowboys and cows of the Flying R Ranch in Montana, reflected "an interest in ranch life, the use of working cowboys as main characters (even in romantic plots), the occasional appearance of eastern types for the sake of contrast, a sense of western geography as simultaneously harsh and grand, and a good deal of factual attention to such matters as cattle branding and bronc busting.
Born Bertha Muzzy in Otter Tail County, MN and living her early years in Big Sandy, Montana, she was married three times: to Clayton Bower, in 1890; to Bertrand William Sinclair,(also a Western author) in 1912; and to Robert Elsworth Cowan, in 1921. Bower's 1912 novel Lonesome Land was praised in The Bookman magazine for its characterization. She wrote 57 Western novels, several of which were turned into films.
Born Bertha Muzzy in Otter Tail County, MN and living her early years in Big Sandy, Montana, she was married three times: to Clayton Bower, in 1890; to Bertrand William Sinclair,(also a Western author) in 1912; and to Robert Elsworth Cowan, in 1921. Bower's 1912 novel Lonesome Land was praised in The Bookman magazine for its characterization. She wrote 57 Western novels, several of which were turned into films.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 25, 2017
I needed a quiet, easy to focus on book and this one, the sixth in my list of B. M. Bower titles, fit perfectly. Another Eastern girl goes west to Montana, but this time she is accompanied by her beau, an Englishman who is very much in love and expects to convince our Miss Beatrice to marry him. She is not sure she wants to do that, despite (or maybe because of) the pressure from Mom to snag that Lord's title before it gets away.
But Beatrice's brother Dick has invited the whole clan out to the ranch for the summer and you just never know what might happen in all those wide open spaces in Big Sky Country. Well, if you have read a few Bower books, you actually do know what will happen, but it is still great fun to see everything come out just the way it should!
I was a bit annoyed by some aspects of this book, though. There was a young boy here who was so spoiled I wanted to smack him myself, since no one else seemed able to do it. And he talked quite a bit. I don't like reading 'child speak' more than is absolutely necessary. But it was cute for him to say he wanted 'little wheels' for his feet like all the cowboys had.
I also wanted more focus on the cowboy hero Keith. In the other Bower titles I've read, the cowboy was king of the story. Here Miss Beatrice was queen, and frankly she was a bit stuck-up and snooty at first. Keith was around, but sort of in the background except for a few dramatic moments here and there. But he definitely made up for it later. I loved the way he declared himself at last. So romantic....sigh....I fell a little bit in love with him myself just then.
But Beatrice's brother Dick has invited the whole clan out to the ranch for the summer and you just never know what might happen in all those wide open spaces in Big Sky Country. Well, if you have read a few Bower books, you actually do know what will happen, but it is still great fun to see everything come out just the way it should!
I was a bit annoyed by some aspects of this book, though. There was a young boy here who was so spoiled I wanted to smack him myself, since no one else seemed able to do it. And he talked quite a bit. I don't like reading 'child speak' more than is absolutely necessary. But it was cute for him to say he wanted 'little wheels' for his feet like all the cowboys had.
I also wanted more focus on the cowboy hero Keith. In the other Bower titles I've read, the cowboy was king of the story. Here Miss Beatrice was queen, and frankly she was a bit stuck-up and snooty at first. Keith was around, but sort of in the background except for a few dramatic moments here and there. But he definitely made up for it later. I loved the way he declared himself at last. So romantic....sigh....I fell a little bit in love with him myself just then.
November 15, 2023
4 stars. Having read B.M. Bower before (
Chip of the Flying U
), I was pretty sure I should expect a rollicking old-fashioned cowboy rom-com… and I was not disappointed.
The setting, of course, was majestic, and made me want to take a jaunt through the prairies. But the characters were the cream of the cake. I didn’t appreciate Beatrice’s disobedience, but I was not fond of her mama either. I often admired Trix’s courage and strength, and she added a great deal of humour to the page. Dick was a nice boy and a great brother; Master Dorman Hayes was a hilarious addition… and there there's Sir Redmond. I loved him at first… then gradually grew a little cool towards him (he was really a jerk sometimes??). Finally, Keith—such a great and hilarious guy.
The plot was slow, but it was a quick story with plenty of action. The romance was cute, and I wasn’t sure until the very end how the triangle would end. The interaction with Mr. Kelly was also epic. :D And the scene with Redcloud + Keith + Dorman was THE SWEETEST!! <3
In short, it was a fun, fluffy book, the perfect summer relaxation read.
Content: some language.
A Favourite Quote: But it demanded such a lot in return! More, perhaps, than she could give. A love like that—a love that gives everything—demands everything in return. Anything less insults it.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “He has the look of a criminal,” declared Mrs. Lansell, in the positive tone of one who speaks from intimate knowledge of the subject under discussion. “I only hope he isn't going to murder—”
“They're coming back, mama,” interrupted Beatrice, who had been watching closely the hilltop. “No, it's that man, and he is driving the horses.”
“He's chasing them,” corrected her mother testily. “A horse thief, no doubt. He's going to catch them with his snare—”
“Lasso, mama.”
“Well, lasso. Where can Richard be? To think the fellow should be so bold! But out here, with miles upon miles of open, and no police protection anything is possible. We might all be murdered, and no one be the wiser for days—perhaps weeks. There, he has caught them.” She leaned back and clasped her hands, ready to meet with fortitude whatever fate might have in store.
“He's bringing them out to us, mama. Can't you see the man is only trying to help us?”
Mrs. Lansell, beginning herself to suspect him of honest intentions, sniffed dissentingly and let it go at that. The fellow was certainly leading the horses toward them, and Sir Redmond and Dick, appearing over the hill just then, proved beyond doubt that neither had been murdered in cold blood, or in any other unpleasant manner.
The setting, of course, was majestic, and made me want to take a jaunt through the prairies. But the characters were the cream of the cake. I didn’t appreciate Beatrice’s disobedience, but I was not fond of her mama either. I often admired Trix’s courage and strength, and she added a great deal of humour to the page. Dick was a nice boy and a great brother; Master Dorman Hayes was a hilarious addition… and there there's Sir Redmond. I loved him at first… then gradually grew a little cool towards him (he was really a jerk sometimes??). Finally, Keith—such a great and hilarious guy.
The plot was slow, but it was a quick story with plenty of action. The romance was cute, and I wasn’t sure until the very end how the triangle would end. The interaction with Mr. Kelly was also epic. :D And the scene with Redcloud + Keith + Dorman was THE SWEETEST!! <3
In short, it was a fun, fluffy book, the perfect summer relaxation read.
Content: some language.
A Favourite Quote: But it demanded such a lot in return! More, perhaps, than she could give. A love like that—a love that gives everything—demands everything in return. Anything less insults it.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “He has the look of a criminal,” declared Mrs. Lansell, in the positive tone of one who speaks from intimate knowledge of the subject under discussion. “I only hope he isn't going to murder—”
“They're coming back, mama,” interrupted Beatrice, who had been watching closely the hilltop. “No, it's that man, and he is driving the horses.”
“He's chasing them,” corrected her mother testily. “A horse thief, no doubt. He's going to catch them with his snare—”
“Lasso, mama.”
“Well, lasso. Where can Richard be? To think the fellow should be so bold! But out here, with miles upon miles of open, and no police protection anything is possible. We might all be murdered, and no one be the wiser for days—perhaps weeks. There, he has caught them.” She leaned back and clasped her hands, ready to meet with fortitude whatever fate might have in store.
“He's bringing them out to us, mama. Can't you see the man is only trying to help us?”
Mrs. Lansell, beginning herself to suspect him of honest intentions, sniffed dissentingly and let it go at that. The fellow was certainly leading the horses toward them, and Sir Redmond and Dick, appearing over the hill just then, proved beyond doubt that neither had been murdered in cold blood, or in any other unpleasant manner.
June 12, 2018
Okay, I used to own this on my shelf of vintage books because it's a really good romance title right? And the embossed picture of the two leads riding a horse together was also pretty romantic looking. (When I moved, I gave many books away, including this one--totally regret that, but when your books make a moving van tip despite all appliances and an 800lb toolbox on the other side, you sort of have to admit you have a problem and give some away....) Anyway, I didn't read this one before I donated it and I saw in my GR's feed a review claiming it could hold its own with modern romances and thought, I'll just go get the public domain free version. Because the title. How could it not be great?
.......The heroine. Not likeable. At all. She purposely played with men. When you root for the couple not to get together, that's not good. And at first, I was totally not for the HEA because I thought the nice hero shouldn't be saddled with the heroine....then he fell in love with the heroine, and unlike what usually happens when the hero falls in love, I was then done with him too. She's mean, selfish, totally plays games, and he knows that. But she just suddenly becomes "His Heart's Desire" as in, that's what he calls her in his thoughts from then on out. Who cares about her name or learning anything real about her. I won't do a spoiler, but in the last chapter, you learn even more of how/when he decided to claim her. Nothing but looks alone could have instigated this claim. His "Heart's" Desire? I'm not thinking it was his heart.
The proposal. Well. If you like the kind where the hero basically gives her no choice but to say yes. (Though I admit, he had a good reason to do so, since any other way, this woman was going to lead men on until her death) but still. Not romantic.
Every thing else was boring. But it's short, which kept me going and cut down on how much I had to skim to reach the end, so I finished.
.......The heroine. Not likeable. At all. She purposely played with men. When you root for the couple not to get together, that's not good. And at first, I was totally not for the HEA because I thought the nice hero shouldn't be saddled with the heroine....then he fell in love with the heroine, and unlike what usually happens when the hero falls in love, I was then done with him too. She's mean, selfish, totally plays games, and he knows that. But she just suddenly becomes "His Heart's Desire" as in, that's what he calls her in his thoughts from then on out. Who cares about her name or learning anything real about her. I won't do a spoiler, but in the last chapter, you learn even more of how/when he decided to claim her. Nothing but looks alone could have instigated this claim. His "Heart's" Desire? I'm not thinking it was his heart.
The proposal. Well. If you like the kind where the hero basically gives her no choice but to say yes. (Though I admit, he had a good reason to do so, since any other way, this woman was going to lead men on until her death) but still. Not romantic.
Every thing else was boring. But it's short, which kept me going and cut down on how much I had to skim to reach the end, so I finished.
June 14, 2012
I selected this title for the collection after one of our wonderful readers, Elisabeth Grace Foley, recommended it to us. I just fell in love with Bower's sassy dialogue, rich characters, and gorgeous poetic narrative. Bower lived in Montana at the turn of the 20th century, and she used her real life experiences to craft authentic novels that the Western-loving public couldn't get enough of. And Her Prairie Knight can still hold its own with today's Western romances: There's plenty of conflict as corporations start buying up the free range, plenty of excitement and danger from the elements and criminals, and of course, plenty of romance as a New York socialite and a ruggedly noble cowpuncher fall in love. Saddle up for a good read, ya'll!
May 8, 2018
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this short novel as I don't really consider myself a fan of Westerns. Yet, I really enjoyed being transported to early 1900s Montana to experience some of the rugged beauty of the (primarily) unspoiled land, and a taste of the excitement, dangers and struggles of ranch life. The description of the prairie fire is particularly vivid and I appreciated how our heroine experiences myriad emotions, from first feeling a thrill at the awesome beauty and power of Mother Nature, to feeling completely beat-up and tired from fighting Her. Besides the historical aspect, this is primarily a romance and it's a surprisingly sexy one! It's very tame compared to today's romances, with nary a kiss until proposal time, but you can really feel the chemistry between Trish and Keith and I can see how cowboy romance novels became popular! ;-) I might have rated this higher except that I really didn't like the last chapter.
***
When she had settled [her little nephew] in a likely place, and the rapt patience of the born angler had folded him close, she disposed herself comfortably in the thick grass, her back against a tree, and took up the shuttle of fancy to weave a wonderful daydream, as beautiful, intangible as the lacy, summer clouds over her head.
A man rode quietly over the grass and stopped two rods away, that he might fill his hungry eyes with the delicious loveliness of his Heart's Desire.
“Got a bite yet?”
Dorman turned and wrinkled his nose, by way of welcome, and shook his head vaguely, as though he might tell of several unimportant nibbles, if it were worth the effort.
Beatrice sat a bit straighter, and dexterously whisked some pink ruffles down over two distracting ankles, and hoped Keith had not taken notice of them. He had, though; trust a man for that!
Keith dismounted, dropped the reins to the ground, and came and laid himself down in the grass beside his Heart's Desire, and Beatrice noticed how tall he was, and slim and strong.
“How did you know we were here?” she wanted to know, with lifted eyebrows.
Keith wondered if there was a welcome behind that sweet, indifferent face. He never could be sure of anything in Beatrice's face, because it never was alike twice, it seemed to him—and if it spoke welcome for a second, the next there was only raillery, or something equally unsatisfying.
“I saw you from the trail,” he answered promptly, evidently not thinking it wise to mention the fieldglass. And then: “Is Dick at home?” Not that he wanted Dick—but a fellow, even when he is in the last stages of love, feels need of an excuse sometimes.
“No—we women are alone to-day. ..."
Dorman squirmed around till he could look at the two, and his eyebrows were tied in a knot. “I wish, Be'trice, you wouldn't talk, 'less you whisper. De fishes won't bite a bit.”
“All right, honey—we won't.”
Dorman turned back to his fishing with a long breath of relief. His divinity never broke a promise, if she could help it.
If Dorman Hayes had been Cupid himself, he could not have hit upon a more impish arrangement than that. To place a girl like Beatrice beside a fellow like Keith—a fellow who is tall, and browned, and extremely good-looking, and who has hazel eyes with a laugh in them always—a fellow, moreover, who is very much in love and very much in earnest about it—and condemn him to silence, or to whispers!
Keith took advantage of the edict, and moved closer, so that he could whisper in comfort—and be nearer his Heart's Desire. He lay with his head propped upon his hand, and his elbow digging into the sod and getting grass-stains on his shirt sleeve, for the day was too warm for a coat.
“I haven't had a glimpse of you for a week—not since I met you down by the river. Where have you been?” he whispered.
***
"But—you see, Trix, it's this way: A man goes somewhere and buys a ranch—or locates on a claim—and starts into the cattle business. He may not own more than a few hundred acres of land, but if he has much stock he needs miles of prairie country, with water, for them to range on. It's an absolute necessity, you see. He takes care to locate where there is plenty of public land that is free to anybody's cattle.
“Take the Pool outfit, for instance. We don't own land enough to feed one-third of our cattle. We depend on government land for range for them. The Cross outfit is the same, only Keith's is on a smaller scale. He's got to have range outside his own land, which is mostly hay land. This part of the State is getting pretty well settled up with small ranchers, and then the sheep men keep crowding in wherever they can get a show—and sheep will starve cattle to death; they leave a range as bare as a prairie-dog town. So there's only one good bit of range left around here, and that's the Pine Ridge country, as it's called. That's our main dependence for winter range; and now when this drought has struck us, and everything is drying up, we've had to turn all our cattle down there on account of water.
“Ever since I took charge of the Pool, Keith and I threw in together and used the same range, worked our crews together, and fought the sheepmen together. There was a time when they tried to gobble the Pine Ridge range, but it didn't go. Keith and I made up our minds that we needed it worse than they did—and we got it. Our punchers had every sheep herder bluffed out till there wasn't a mutton-chewer could keep a bunch of sheep on that range over-night.
“Now, this lease law was made by stockmen, for stockmen. They can lease land from the government, fence it—and they've got a cinch on it as long as the lease lasts. A cow outfit can corral a heap of range that way. There's the trick of leasing every other section or so, and then running a fence around the whole chunk; and that's what the Pool has done to the Pine Ridge. But you mustn't repeat that, Trix.
***
***
When she had settled [her little nephew] in a likely place, and the rapt patience of the born angler had folded him close, she disposed herself comfortably in the thick grass, her back against a tree, and took up the shuttle of fancy to weave a wonderful daydream, as beautiful, intangible as the lacy, summer clouds over her head.
A man rode quietly over the grass and stopped two rods away, that he might fill his hungry eyes with the delicious loveliness of his Heart's Desire.
“Got a bite yet?”
Dorman turned and wrinkled his nose, by way of welcome, and shook his head vaguely, as though he might tell of several unimportant nibbles, if it were worth the effort.
Beatrice sat a bit straighter, and dexterously whisked some pink ruffles down over two distracting ankles, and hoped Keith had not taken notice of them. He had, though; trust a man for that!
Keith dismounted, dropped the reins to the ground, and came and laid himself down in the grass beside his Heart's Desire, and Beatrice noticed how tall he was, and slim and strong.
“How did you know we were here?” she wanted to know, with lifted eyebrows.
Keith wondered if there was a welcome behind that sweet, indifferent face. He never could be sure of anything in Beatrice's face, because it never was alike twice, it seemed to him—and if it spoke welcome for a second, the next there was only raillery, or something equally unsatisfying.
“I saw you from the trail,” he answered promptly, evidently not thinking it wise to mention the fieldglass. And then: “Is Dick at home?” Not that he wanted Dick—but a fellow, even when he is in the last stages of love, feels need of an excuse sometimes.
“No—we women are alone to-day. ..."
Dorman squirmed around till he could look at the two, and his eyebrows were tied in a knot. “I wish, Be'trice, you wouldn't talk, 'less you whisper. De fishes won't bite a bit.”
“All right, honey—we won't.”
Dorman turned back to his fishing with a long breath of relief. His divinity never broke a promise, if she could help it.
If Dorman Hayes had been Cupid himself, he could not have hit upon a more impish arrangement than that. To place a girl like Beatrice beside a fellow like Keith—a fellow who is tall, and browned, and extremely good-looking, and who has hazel eyes with a laugh in them always—a fellow, moreover, who is very much in love and very much in earnest about it—and condemn him to silence, or to whispers!
Keith took advantage of the edict, and moved closer, so that he could whisper in comfort—and be nearer his Heart's Desire. He lay with his head propped upon his hand, and his elbow digging into the sod and getting grass-stains on his shirt sleeve, for the day was too warm for a coat.
“I haven't had a glimpse of you for a week—not since I met you down by the river. Where have you been?” he whispered.
***
"But—you see, Trix, it's this way: A man goes somewhere and buys a ranch—or locates on a claim—and starts into the cattle business. He may not own more than a few hundred acres of land, but if he has much stock he needs miles of prairie country, with water, for them to range on. It's an absolute necessity, you see. He takes care to locate where there is plenty of public land that is free to anybody's cattle.
“Take the Pool outfit, for instance. We don't own land enough to feed one-third of our cattle. We depend on government land for range for them. The Cross outfit is the same, only Keith's is on a smaller scale. He's got to have range outside his own land, which is mostly hay land. This part of the State is getting pretty well settled up with small ranchers, and then the sheep men keep crowding in wherever they can get a show—and sheep will starve cattle to death; they leave a range as bare as a prairie-dog town. So there's only one good bit of range left around here, and that's the Pine Ridge country, as it's called. That's our main dependence for winter range; and now when this drought has struck us, and everything is drying up, we've had to turn all our cattle down there on account of water.
“Ever since I took charge of the Pool, Keith and I threw in together and used the same range, worked our crews together, and fought the sheepmen together. There was a time when they tried to gobble the Pine Ridge range, but it didn't go. Keith and I made up our minds that we needed it worse than they did—and we got it. Our punchers had every sheep herder bluffed out till there wasn't a mutton-chewer could keep a bunch of sheep on that range over-night.
“Now, this lease law was made by stockmen, for stockmen. They can lease land from the government, fence it—and they've got a cinch on it as long as the lease lasts. A cow outfit can corral a heap of range that way. There's the trick of leasing every other section or so, and then running a fence around the whole chunk; and that's what the Pool has done to the Pine Ridge. But you mustn't repeat that, Trix.
***
October 16, 2020
Non avevo mai sentito nominare Bertha M. Bower fino a quando un'amica non me ne ha parlato... e ho trovato questa nuova edizione italiana: ho trovato la storia fresca, piacevole e con un taglio moderno, oltre che in una ambientazione da "selvaggio west".
Inutile dire che l'Introduzione è stata utilissima a capire meglio l'autrice e inquadrare correttamente il periodo storico (si tratta di un periodo di cambiamenti che andavano verso l'industria a discapito della vita "selvaggia" dei primi coloni).
Inutile dire che l'Introduzione è stata utilissima a capire meglio l'autrice e inquadrare correttamente il periodo storico (si tratta di un periodo di cambiamenti che andavano verso l'industria a discapito della vita "selvaggia" dei primi coloni).
June 9, 2019
Re-read, June 2019.
An old-fashioned Western romance, short, sweet and charming. Eastern society girl Beatrice Lansell, on a visit to her brother's Montana ranch, is being pressured by her social-climbing mother to accept her English nobleman suitor, Sir Redmond Hayes. Beatrice, not sure yet whether she cares for Sir Redmond enough to marry him, finds her situation complicated by the presence of a handsome cowboy neighbor, Keith Cameron. Our heroine, who is admittedly a bit of a flirt, is oddly irritated by Keith, and feels called upon to "teach him a lesson." Further complication is added when the English cattle company Sir Redmond represents leases range land on which Keith's ranch depends, and when a suspicious fire breaks out on the land in question, matters become even more strained between the two rivals.
The opening chapter requires some close attention until you've figured out the identities of everyone in the buggy and exactly how they're all related to each other. The book really comes alive during the beautifully described prairie-fire sequence, one of the best-written parts. There's some witty banter between Beatrice and her two suitors, some Western excitement involving a runaway horse and even a stray outlaw—plus the presence of Beatrice's somewhat spoiled little nephew, who is mischief itself.
Romance featured with varying degrees of prominence in all of B.M. Bower's books, but this one is probably closest to being classified as a romance first and foremost. I get the sense that Bower, just a few years into her nearly forty-year writing career, may have been still finding her stride a little bit when she wrote Her Prairie Knight, but it's nevertheless a delightful little book.
An old-fashioned Western romance, short, sweet and charming. Eastern society girl Beatrice Lansell, on a visit to her brother's Montana ranch, is being pressured by her social-climbing mother to accept her English nobleman suitor, Sir Redmond Hayes. Beatrice, not sure yet whether she cares for Sir Redmond enough to marry him, finds her situation complicated by the presence of a handsome cowboy neighbor, Keith Cameron. Our heroine, who is admittedly a bit of a flirt, is oddly irritated by Keith, and feels called upon to "teach him a lesson." Further complication is added when the English cattle company Sir Redmond represents leases range land on which Keith's ranch depends, and when a suspicious fire breaks out on the land in question, matters become even more strained between the two rivals.
The opening chapter requires some close attention until you've figured out the identities of everyone in the buggy and exactly how they're all related to each other. The book really comes alive during the beautifully described prairie-fire sequence, one of the best-written parts. There's some witty banter between Beatrice and her two suitors, some Western excitement involving a runaway horse and even a stray outlaw—plus the presence of Beatrice's somewhat spoiled little nephew, who is mischief itself.
Romance featured with varying degrees of prominence in all of B.M. Bower's books, but this one is probably closest to being classified as a romance first and foremost. I get the sense that Bower, just a few years into her nearly forty-year writing career, may have been still finding her stride a little bit when she wrote Her Prairie Knight, but it's nevertheless a delightful little book.
October 15, 2021
La trama è quella di un romanzo rosa, ma la novità (per lo meno per il periodo in cui è stato scritto) è che sia a tinte Western. Il paesaggio in cui è immersa la vicenda è meraviglioso: terre che si estendono a perdita d’occhio con ampie praterie, boschi, fiumi e cieli infiniti. Sicuramente la vita nel Montana era spartana, piena di disagi e imprevisti ai quali adattarsi. Tuttavia, non si può non essere d'accordo con la protagonista, che viene dalla più civilizzata e mondana east coast, quando dice che “qualsiasi cosa è meglio della noia mortale di Newport.”
Ho trovato sorprendente che questo romanzo sia stato scritto agli inizi del Novecento perché in molti aspetti l'ho sentito incredibilmente moderno. Mi ha colpito, ad esempio, che la protagonista scatti foto ai paesaggi con la sua Kodak, perché non credevo che fossero già così diffuse. Ma soprattutto ho apprezzato il suo temperamento schietto, la sua voglia di avventura, libertà ed emancipazione da una vita statica e noiosa.
La protagonista somiglia molto a Bertha M. Bower, l'autrice, che ha vissuto nell'Ovest. E d'altronde da una terra di pionieri com’era il vecchio West non poteva che venir fuori una scrittrice come lei: audace, volitiva, spartana, libera. Avrà ben tre mariti, scriverà più di sessanta romanzi e Hollywood la chiamerà per collaborare alla scrittura di film Western. La sua prosa è semplice e ariosa come i territori dai quali è scaturita e le sue storie raccontano un mondo che già all’epoca era destinato a tramontare.
Tuttavia, è proprio grazie a scrittori come lei e all'industria cinematografica se gli americani hanno la loro epica nazionale fatta di indiani e cowboy, banditi e sceriffi, cercatori d’oro e mountain men. L’affascinanante e intramontabile mito della frontiera.
Ho trovato sorprendente che questo romanzo sia stato scritto agli inizi del Novecento perché in molti aspetti l'ho sentito incredibilmente moderno. Mi ha colpito, ad esempio, che la protagonista scatti foto ai paesaggi con la sua Kodak, perché non credevo che fossero già così diffuse. Ma soprattutto ho apprezzato il suo temperamento schietto, la sua voglia di avventura, libertà ed emancipazione da una vita statica e noiosa.
La protagonista somiglia molto a Bertha M. Bower, l'autrice, che ha vissuto nell'Ovest. E d'altronde da una terra di pionieri com’era il vecchio West non poteva che venir fuori una scrittrice come lei: audace, volitiva, spartana, libera. Avrà ben tre mariti, scriverà più di sessanta romanzi e Hollywood la chiamerà per collaborare alla scrittura di film Western. La sua prosa è semplice e ariosa come i territori dai quali è scaturita e le sue storie raccontano un mondo che già all’epoca era destinato a tramontare.
Tuttavia, è proprio grazie a scrittori come lei e all'industria cinematografica se gli americani hanno la loro epica nazionale fatta di indiani e cowboy, banditi e sceriffi, cercatori d’oro e mountain men. L’affascinanante e intramontabile mito della frontiera.
December 24, 2021
This was surprisingly good for a Western romance written a century ago! Definitely so compared to some that are published nowadays. It's short and compact, with plenty of action for the length, a compelling hero and a strong heroine.
May 26, 2016
A pretty good read, but it took me quite a while to warm up to the heroine. She just isn't very likable in the first half of the book.... Eventually as the ending unfolded I liked her a bit more, so it wasn't a total loss. ;)
November 16, 2022
I wonder why I am one of the very few people who didn't like this book? Because I didn't, not at all. Not only did I not like anyone in the book, but it took me some time to figure out who everybody was. I should have given the title more thought than I did. The "Her" meant the book had a woman as the main character. That was true, I just had to figure out which one she was. The next word was "prairie" which did not fit in at all with the last word "knight". If this book was about a woman living out west somewhere, a place with plenty of prairies - I don't know of any in Pennsylvania - a woman on the prarie falls in love with a man wearing a long sword and a metal suit, if that was what it was about I would have passed on the whole experience. Thankfully I was wrong with a man wearing a metal suit and a sword. He did ride a horse, everyone did, but I didn't see any swords, not that I remember anyway.
The book starts with a whole bunch of people in a wagon or carriage, I forget which, travelling to the ranch of the driver of this vehicle. The man is Dick, well he is called Dick by everyone in the book except the lady in the back seat who never calls him anything but Richard. That's his mother, she hates not being proper and how they got her to Montana I'm not sure. Then there is Dorman, I can't stand this little boy, he goes from one temper tantrum after another, usually getting his way. He is whining to his "auntie" that he wants to get there soon, he wants to see lightning, and wants to pray without kneeling down. On and on. Also aboard is Uncle Redman, known to the adults as Sir Redmond Hayes, he likes the prarie about as much as the mother of all these people does. But there is another "auntie" in the back seat, this is Trix, called Beatrice by her mother of course. Oh, Dick is an uncle to this kid too. As far as I could tell everyone in the book is related to Dorman, I notice when everyone goes home again, the people still left on the prarie don't offer to keep Dorman with them. Dorman's mother and father died in an accident. I don't know what the accident was or if we are ever told. Dorman's mother was the sister of Trix and Dick (I think) and his father was the brother of Sir Redmon and Auntie I don't know her name. How the American mother met the English father I have no idea. Then there is the knight, Keith Cameron. Otherwise known as the guy who lives on the ranch next to the one this entire group of people are heading to.
Okay, I didn't like this book and don't want to keep writing about it, so I will just copy the Amazon description and add in my own comments. Here it goes:
As a beautiful prairie summer stretches out before her, Trix is determined to experience everything life on the range has to offer. Amidst a glorious season of hard work and play, Trix finds herself falling in love with the land . . . and with Keith Cameron. Piqued by her growing attraction to him and his continued indifference, and despite the disapproval of her mother and a would-be suitor, (that's Sir Redman, he's crazy about her for some reason, she's just mean to him.) Trix becomes determined to make Keith fall in love with her and teach him a lesson about women in the process. (She wants to teach him a lesson about women? I missed the lesson, unless the lesson is women can be jerks) But Keith has plans of his own—to teach Trix a lesson about life, and what it really means to love someone . . . (I missed the what it really means to love someone part, at least I didn't learn anything.)
And there, that's all I feel like saying about the book. It's short thankfully and I would have liked it much better without Dorman and Trix, but I guess we would have had to find another woman to take her place and I was already losing track of how many people were in the book. I wonder how many people there are named Dorman. Happy Reading.
The book starts with a whole bunch of people in a wagon or carriage, I forget which, travelling to the ranch of the driver of this vehicle. The man is Dick, well he is called Dick by everyone in the book except the lady in the back seat who never calls him anything but Richard. That's his mother, she hates not being proper and how they got her to Montana I'm not sure. Then there is Dorman, I can't stand this little boy, he goes from one temper tantrum after another, usually getting his way. He is whining to his "auntie" that he wants to get there soon, he wants to see lightning, and wants to pray without kneeling down. On and on. Also aboard is Uncle Redman, known to the adults as Sir Redmond Hayes, he likes the prarie about as much as the mother of all these people does. But there is another "auntie" in the back seat, this is Trix, called Beatrice by her mother of course. Oh, Dick is an uncle to this kid too. As far as I could tell everyone in the book is related to Dorman, I notice when everyone goes home again, the people still left on the prarie don't offer to keep Dorman with them. Dorman's mother and father died in an accident. I don't know what the accident was or if we are ever told. Dorman's mother was the sister of Trix and Dick (I think) and his father was the brother of Sir Redmon and Auntie I don't know her name. How the American mother met the English father I have no idea. Then there is the knight, Keith Cameron. Otherwise known as the guy who lives on the ranch next to the one this entire group of people are heading to.
Okay, I didn't like this book and don't want to keep writing about it, so I will just copy the Amazon description and add in my own comments. Here it goes:
As a beautiful prairie summer stretches out before her, Trix is determined to experience everything life on the range has to offer. Amidst a glorious season of hard work and play, Trix finds herself falling in love with the land . . . and with Keith Cameron. Piqued by her growing attraction to him and his continued indifference, and despite the disapproval of her mother and a would-be suitor, (that's Sir Redman, he's crazy about her for some reason, she's just mean to him.) Trix becomes determined to make Keith fall in love with her and teach him a lesson about women in the process. (She wants to teach him a lesson about women? I missed the lesson, unless the lesson is women can be jerks) But Keith has plans of his own—to teach Trix a lesson about life, and what it really means to love someone . . . (I missed the what it really means to love someone part, at least I didn't learn anything.)
And there, that's all I feel like saying about the book. It's short thankfully and I would have liked it much better without Dorman and Trix, but I guess we would have had to find another woman to take her place and I was already losing track of how many people were in the book. I wonder how many people there are named Dorman. Happy Reading.
August 7, 2021
Non avevo mai letto una storia ambientata nel West, ma con Un’incantevole estate in Montana di Bertha M. Bower ho scoperto un’ambientazione decisamente di mio gusto! La storia racconta l’estate In Montana della giovane Beatrice Lansell, finalmente lontana dall’ambiente perbenista e compassato dell’alta società di New York. La ragazza arriva in questo Stato dell’Ovest insieme alla madre, un nipotino capriccioso, Sir Redmond (inglese dall’aplomb impeccabile e innamorato di lei), altri familiari e persone della servitù. Il motivo del viaggio è andare a trovare Richard, chiamato Dick, ovvero il fratello maggiore della protagonista, ormai stabilitosi nelle terre lontane e selvagge del West per costruire un business basato sul bestiame. Beatrice è la sola ad essere felice di essere approdata in un mondo in cui può cavalcare libera, sentire l’aria calda sul viso e osservare la luna rossa sulle montagne al tramonto. La madre la vorrebbe in sposa a Sir Redmond che, oltre ad essere bello ed educato, ha pure un titolo. Lei invece non fa altro che sfuggirgli. La conoscenza di Keith Cameron, amico del fratello e cowboy bello e abbronzato, scombinerà ulteriormente i piani. Sebbene Beatrice non ammetta, neppure con se stessa, di essere attratta dal bel 28enne. Leggere questo romanzo è stato come guardare un film western: ci sono gli spazi immensi e la natura incontaminata, il linguaggio del West tanto diverso da quello dell’Est (viene spiegato, per esempio, che con il termine “trail” si intendono i percorsi intrapresi dai cowboy per condurre le mandrie al pascolo), gli incendi improvvisi, i briganti sulle montagne, i salvataggi estremi, le colline da cui osservare un paesaggio sterminato e il fiume Missouri. La storia, seppur breve, è coinvolgente e molto ironica. Inoltre, lo stile dell’autrice risulta scorrevole e composto principalmente da dialoghi divertenti. Consiglio la lettura di questo romanzo a chiunque voglia immergersi in una realtà lontana e affascinante.
July 18, 2019
Recensione completa sul blog https://romanceealtririmedi.wordpress...
(...)(...)È stata un’esperienza di lettura decisamente piacevole e spero di leggere altre opere di questa autrice che con il suo stile ricco e dettagliato è riuscita a conquistarmi. Il libro è poco corposo e può essere letto anche in tempi veloci, ma io consiglio di leggerlo senza troppa fretta per assaporare al meglio le atmosfere che fanno da scenario alla storia.
Se siete delle amanti dei romance non rimarrete deluse! Un’incantevole estate in Montana saprà emozionarvi al punto giusto.
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La Liberty Bell si è posta l’obiettivo di portare nel nostro Paese molti romanzi storici un po’ meno noti della storia americana. Non posso che essere felice di questa loro missione e spero di poter leggere altre loro pubblicazioni.
Se amate le storie romantiche e se il fascino del Far West stuzzica la vostra fantasia, leggete questo libro!
(...)(...)È stata un’esperienza di lettura decisamente piacevole e spero di leggere altre opere di questa autrice che con il suo stile ricco e dettagliato è riuscita a conquistarmi. Il libro è poco corposo e può essere letto anche in tempi veloci, ma io consiglio di leggerlo senza troppa fretta per assaporare al meglio le atmosfere che fanno da scenario alla storia.
Se siete delle amanti dei romance non rimarrete deluse! Un’incantevole estate in Montana saprà emozionarvi al punto giusto.
.
La Liberty Bell si è posta l’obiettivo di portare nel nostro Paese molti romanzi storici un po’ meno noti della storia americana. Non posso che essere felice di questa loro missione e spero di poter leggere altre loro pubblicazioni.
Se amate le storie romantiche e se il fascino del Far West stuzzica la vostra fantasia, leggete questo libro!
August 24, 2023
Her Prairie Knight was different than I expected. It almost felt modern in some of its approach to romance, at least compared to other authors I’ve read from that era. There was also some more language—mostly using the Lord’s name in vain—that I didn’t expect. Those things made it a little sappy, cheesy, or off putting at times.
But, I loved the humor. The story was easy and quick to read. I could feel the author’s personal experience with the west through the setting and plot. The characters were each unique and all had their own comical points. I’d read another of Bower’s books, but she’s also not the first author I’d reach for.
But, I loved the humor. The story was easy and quick to read. I could feel the author’s personal experience with the west through the setting and plot. The characters were each unique and all had their own comical points. I’d read another of Bower’s books, but she’s also not the first author I’d reach for.
August 14, 2014
This book is simply marvelous! Written by Ms. Bower in 1906, the writing is crisp, entertaining, and at times surprisingly sly.
Read full review in the 2012 September issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2012 September issue of InD’tale Magazine.
February 26, 2016
Simply lovely... such a feel good story, which is all a good romance needs to be
March 9, 2016
What a lovely book! I loved it... People don't write like this anymore. :)
March 5, 2018
B.m. bower book
Um a very funny book rather strange and mysterious fun for adults and humerus for kids good to read in the wimter
Um a very funny book rather strange and mysterious fun for adults and humerus for kids good to read in the wimter
February 16, 2023
Fluff with a side of wry narration. Not bad but probably won't be rereading it either.
January 29, 2025
I am glad I found about this author. One of the first women to attrmpt writing westerns and succeeding.
September 8, 2012
4 stars. Reviewed for www.indtale.com, September issue
January 11, 2013
I wanted to give it 2 1/2 star but cannot do it. The story remind too much of the summer reading list from school in junior high.
August 17, 2014
not bad for a freeby
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