Letters from a Lady Rancher

by Monica Hopkins

A spirit of adventure, a great sense of fun, an observant eye, and enthusiasm for everything new--that's the kind of woman Monica Hopkins was, and that's what led her to leave the comforts of her English family home in 1909 to homestead on the prairies. Hopkins was a young bride who had finally married her childhood sweetheart, an Irish lad who'd wandered the world, then settled down to the life of a rancher in the foothills of Alberta. Through her eyes we get a unique view of the early days of Western Canada, that of an observant woman who took note of every detail of landscape and personality. Her letters sparkle with delights, enthusiasms, occasional troubles and tragedies. In Letters from a Lady Rancher, Monica Hopkins brings to life the experiences of the women--and men--who settled the Canadian West.
This edition replaces the Goodread title, ISBN 0-88780-115-3.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Elinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

In another life Monica Hopkins would have been a professional comedy writer because this compilation of letters reveals her to have such a great sense of humor. That’s why I have read this book three times!
An English gentlewoman with no clue how to cook, clean, or do laundry (servants always performed these tasks at home) she started life in a log cabin in Alberta with her new husband and proceeded to make the best of things. She laughed at her own ineptitude and wrote the most amusing letters describing her efforts.
This memoir highlights how humor can go a long way when coping with hardship. And having a good man by your side, of course. Altogether, she was a happy, optimistic young woman who loved her new life, however difficult and frightening it was at times.

[Jacquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica Hopkins had an incredible way with words! I would have loved to be on the other side of her letters. They have great insight into life in the Wild West but I think it was a look with rose tinted glasses. She seemed to be part of an “elite” group of settlers (which she says herself) who were well off and hardships few. I can’t help but think her life experience was the exception not the norm as alluded to by her through writing snippets that included news of her neighbours and irregular employees.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable to read about life around Priddis, Alberta and Calgary in the early 1900’s.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed, reminded me of my grandparents.