Montana 1948

by Larry Watson

 

 

       Historical fiction brings a sense of time and place to its readers.  Good historical fiction also offers insight into the people living in that time and place, and their similarities to us.  I found Montana 1948 to be a great work of 1900s historical fiction.

        Larry Watson crafts this compact story of events in a twelve-year-old boy’s life without a single spare word.  He evokes a picture of life in a small town in Montana following World War II.  People ride horses into town, but most inhabitants drive pickups.  Some mothers stay at home, but some work at jobs around town.  Sioux citizens struggle against prejudice and dismissal, except when they compete exceptionally in sports.

The Adults

        The story in this 1900s historical fiction focuses on the relationships between the adults in his life and how they have evolved.  His father, the County Sheriff, dislikes his job and wishes he could be the lawyer he was trained to be, as does his wife.  But David’s grandfather has retired from the sheriff job and has bequeathed it to his son.  He expects his son to hold the position off and on for the rest of his life.

        David’s uncle has been a golden boy all his life – a great athlete, a war hero, his father’s favorite, and now a doctor in the small town.  But there are stories about him among the Sioux.

        Marie Little Soldier, the family’s housekeeper, has taken care of David since he was quite young.  Then Marie catches pneumonia and dies, which sets into motion a series of events that change all of them forever.

The Dilemma

        Young David loves his parents, grandparents, uncle and aunt, and his Sioux caregiver.  But the adults act in ways that make him reassess them as individuals.  He questions their actions, reactions, and inactions, and tries to figure out his own place in the events that swirl around Marie Little Soldier.  Adulthood claims him.

        I loved this book – so readable and so relatable!  We all know people who only find their courage when hard-pressed.  Some people, despite all the advantages they’ve always received, have used their positions for ill purposes.  In America (and in most places), some groups of people have been mistreated and have to fight for every good thing in their lives.  And all of us have been young folks who have to learn these truths for the first time.

 

5/5 stars