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Prairie Fever
"Michael Parker has captured a time, place, and sisterhood so perfectly it hurts to turn the last page. A riveting, atmospheric dream of a novel.” --Dominic Smith, author of The Last Painting of Sara de Vos
Set in the hardscrabble landscape of early 1900s Oklahoma, but timeless in its sensibility, Prairie Fever traces the intense dynamic between the Stewart sisters: the pragmatic Lorena and the chimerical Elise. The two are bound together not only by their isolation on the prairie but also by their deep emotional reliance on each other. That connection supersedes all else until the arrival of Gus McQueen.
When Gus arrives in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, as a first time teacher, his inexperience is challenged by the wit and ingenuity of the Stewart sisters. Then one impulsive decision and a cataclysmic blizzard trap Elise and her horse on the prairie and forever change the balance of everything between the sisters, and with Gus McQueen. With honesty and poetic intensity and the deadpan humor of Paulette Jiles and Charles Portis, Parker reminds us of the consequences of our choices. Expansive and intimate, this novel tells the story of characters tested as much by life on the prairie as they are by their own churning hearts.
Set in the hardscrabble landscape of early 1900s Oklahoma, but timeless in its sensibility, Prairie Fever traces the intense dynamic between the Stewart sisters: the pragmatic Lorena and the chimerical Elise. The two are bound together not only by their isolation on the prairie but also by their deep emotional reliance on each other. That connection supersedes all else until the arrival of Gus McQueen.
When Gus arrives in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, as a first time teacher, his inexperience is challenged by the wit and ingenuity of the Stewart sisters. Then one impulsive decision and a cataclysmic blizzard trap Elise and her horse on the prairie and forever change the balance of everything between the sisters, and with Gus McQueen. With honesty and poetic intensity and the deadpan humor of Paulette Jiles and Charles Portis, Parker reminds us of the consequences of our choices. Expansive and intimate, this novel tells the story of characters tested as much by life on the prairie as they are by their own churning hearts.
311 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2019
133 people are currently reading
3150 people want to read
About the author
Michael Parker
11 books69 followersMICHAEL PARKER is the author of five novels – Hello Down There, Towns Without Rivers, Virginia Lovers, If You Want Me To Stay, The Watery Part of the World and two collections of stories, The Geographical Cure and Don’t Make Me Stop Now. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in various journals including Five Points, the Georgia Review, The Idaho Review, the Washington Post, the New York Times Magazine, Oxford American, Shenandoah, The Black Warrior Review, Trail Runner and Runner’s World. He has received fellowships in fiction from the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Hobson Award for Arts and Letters, and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His work has been anthologized in the Pushcart, New Stories from the South and O. Henry Prize Stories anthologies. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia, he is a Professor in the MFA Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His website is www.michaelfparker.com
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January 14, 2023
“Time was an element that fell like snow from the sky. The sky was stitched together with safety pins, but sometimes the pins worked loose and out came the elements and one of them was time…People could not hear time. They could not hear wind and they could not recognize the true cries of others. They talked it over and heard only some great strange gargle. In the distance, like a coyote wind, it murmured, this muted lament of love and of time. Love and time fell from the sky like snow, or floated across it, like clouds, and people washed their socks or nibbled corn on the cob, their chins shiny with butter…”
- Michael Parker, Prairie Fever
Michael Parker’s Prairie Fever is a consistently weird and consistently beautiful book that is tough to explain and even tougher to sell. If you were to reduce the plot to a brief summary, you would say Prairie Fever is about two sisters who love the same man, which sounds like a familiar kind of tale. But this is also a book in which one character is fanatically obsessed with the placement of prepositions at the end of sentences, while another writes letters to a dead horse. Such a description does not make much sense and is more than a little unfair, but like I said, this is a tough one to explain.
Prairie Fever is a slim whisper of a book that is just over 300 pages long. Nevertheless, it is rather sweeping in its scope, covering decades in the lives of its characters.
Things begin in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, in 1917, a place not far removed from lawless frontier days; a place that is hard on dreams and hard on lives. We are introduced to two sisters, Lorena and Elise Stewart. Lorena is beautiful and proper and an unrelenting grammar pedant. Elise is flighty and imaginative, with an eidetic memory, a habit of repeating stories verbatim from the Kiowa County News, and a propensity to credit her horse Sandy with an active, animal-transcending life.
Their lives change when Elise, for no good reason (though a reason keeping with her personality), wanders away from school one day and nearly dies in a blizzard. She is rescued by her sister and by a young school teacher named Gus McQueen, whom both sisters will come to love. There are ramifications to this development, as you might expect, but you can be assured that it is not the usual love-triangle hijinks found in any number of romantic comedies.
Prairie Fever utilizes an interesting structure. The book is divided into viewpoint chapters featuring Lorena, Elise, and Gus. Gus’s and Elise’s chapters are mostly told from the third-person point of view, while Lorena’s are in the first-person. Later on, a lengthy section of the novel is told in epistolary fashion, in a series of letters. In the early going, Parker remains sharply focused on individual scenes, often describing a single occurrence from two different perspectives. Eventually, though, there are big temporal leaps, as whole years are dispensed in a sentence or two.
This is not a novel where a lot of things happen. Beyond the blizzard that sets the dramatic stage, there are no real set pieces. Despite its setting on the rough edge of the frontier, there is no violence or mayhem. (World War I is raging in the background, over in Europe, but it is hardly remarked upon). You should know this going in; even then, this is the kind of book that really has to catch you at the right time. (For me, this was a necessary deviation from my slog through Les Miserables, presenting a nice counterpoint to Victor Hugo's prolix and endlessly digressing narrative).
Instead of creating points of conflict, Parker is content to sit back and watch his characters as they grow, sometimes closer, sometimes apart. Through Lorena, Elise, and Gus, he meditates poignantly on loss (lost dreams, lost children, lost siblings) and the passage of time.
Parker’s writing is lyrical, his descriptions precise. He establishes a strong and unique voice for each of leads. Lorena, Elise, and Gus do not always act in the way that I wanted or expected, but they always acted in accordance with their fictional natures. This, to me, is the mark of a good character. The dialogue is stylized rather than naturalistic, and is often quite clever. The humor might not be of the laughing-out-loud variety, but I will acknowledge a snort or two.
As I read, I tried to come up with comparable works of fiction in order to better frame a response. I initially had a notion that Parker might attempt to do for Oklahoma what Cather did for Nebraska. However, this did not turn out to be the case. There is certainly a strain of Larry McMurtry running through Prairie Fever, which Parker underlines by naming characters Lorena, Gus, and Newt (who all starred in McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. More than anything, this put me in the mind of an early Cohen brother’s movie, with its celebration of peculiar men and women.
At times, though, the quirkiness threatened to become cloying. One of the issues I have with literary fiction is that it often seems idiosyncratic for idiosyncrasy’s sake. There were moments here when Parker went right up to the border of tweeness and came really close to stepping over. (He might, in fact, have slid a toe over the line once or twice).
There is a quietness to Prairie Fever that I found immensely appealing. With that said, it also makes it tough to recommend. Prairie Fever is not a summer beach read, filled with guilty-pleasure chases and escapes, with white-hatted sheriffs chasing black-hatted bandits. It is not a romance or a comedy, though there are flashes of both, after a fashion. Parker does not build towards a shattering conclusion or attempt to answer any of the big questions of life. Mostly, this is a novel of observations.
Men and women who populate novels are usually extraordinary in some way, even if they start out as ordinary. This is a fact found in the natural order of drama. After all, you need a reason to keep turning the pages. While fascinating, Lorena, Elise, and Gus are not exceptional. To the contrary, they are rather ordinary in most ways, with the occasional exception of a letter written to a horse. Still, I found my time with them to be worthwhile. It was sometimes funny and sometimes sad; sometimes triumphant and often not; it was, in the end, a lot like life itself, in a somewhat offbeat way.
- Michael Parker, Prairie Fever
Michael Parker’s Prairie Fever is a consistently weird and consistently beautiful book that is tough to explain and even tougher to sell. If you were to reduce the plot to a brief summary, you would say Prairie Fever is about two sisters who love the same man, which sounds like a familiar kind of tale. But this is also a book in which one character is fanatically obsessed with the placement of prepositions at the end of sentences, while another writes letters to a dead horse. Such a description does not make much sense and is more than a little unfair, but like I said, this is a tough one to explain.
Prairie Fever is a slim whisper of a book that is just over 300 pages long. Nevertheless, it is rather sweeping in its scope, covering decades in the lives of its characters.
Things begin in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, in 1917, a place not far removed from lawless frontier days; a place that is hard on dreams and hard on lives. We are introduced to two sisters, Lorena and Elise Stewart. Lorena is beautiful and proper and an unrelenting grammar pedant. Elise is flighty and imaginative, with an eidetic memory, a habit of repeating stories verbatim from the Kiowa County News, and a propensity to credit her horse Sandy with an active, animal-transcending life.
Their lives change when Elise, for no good reason (though a reason keeping with her personality), wanders away from school one day and nearly dies in a blizzard. She is rescued by her sister and by a young school teacher named Gus McQueen, whom both sisters will come to love. There are ramifications to this development, as you might expect, but you can be assured that it is not the usual love-triangle hijinks found in any number of romantic comedies.
Prairie Fever utilizes an interesting structure. The book is divided into viewpoint chapters featuring Lorena, Elise, and Gus. Gus’s and Elise’s chapters are mostly told from the third-person point of view, while Lorena’s are in the first-person. Later on, a lengthy section of the novel is told in epistolary fashion, in a series of letters. In the early going, Parker remains sharply focused on individual scenes, often describing a single occurrence from two different perspectives. Eventually, though, there are big temporal leaps, as whole years are dispensed in a sentence or two.
This is not a novel where a lot of things happen. Beyond the blizzard that sets the dramatic stage, there are no real set pieces. Despite its setting on the rough edge of the frontier, there is no violence or mayhem. (World War I is raging in the background, over in Europe, but it is hardly remarked upon). You should know this going in; even then, this is the kind of book that really has to catch you at the right time. (For me, this was a necessary deviation from my slog through Les Miserables, presenting a nice counterpoint to Victor Hugo's prolix and endlessly digressing narrative).
Instead of creating points of conflict, Parker is content to sit back and watch his characters as they grow, sometimes closer, sometimes apart. Through Lorena, Elise, and Gus, he meditates poignantly on loss (lost dreams, lost children, lost siblings) and the passage of time.
For years, the day would come to [Elise] from faraway, like watching a storm approaching across the prairie: streaks of lightning followed by wild thunder followed by nothing. It was the nothingness that held her, not the sonic booms or the dramatic forks of lightning. The nothing parts when you are waiting for the next lightning bolt are the point of life…
Parker’s writing is lyrical, his descriptions precise. He establishes a strong and unique voice for each of leads. Lorena, Elise, and Gus do not always act in the way that I wanted or expected, but they always acted in accordance with their fictional natures. This, to me, is the mark of a good character. The dialogue is stylized rather than naturalistic, and is often quite clever. The humor might not be of the laughing-out-loud variety, but I will acknowledge a snort or two.
As I read, I tried to come up with comparable works of fiction in order to better frame a response. I initially had a notion that Parker might attempt to do for Oklahoma what Cather did for Nebraska. However, this did not turn out to be the case. There is certainly a strain of Larry McMurtry running through Prairie Fever, which Parker underlines by naming characters Lorena, Gus, and Newt (who all starred in McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. More than anything, this put me in the mind of an early Cohen brother’s movie, with its celebration of peculiar men and women.
At times, though, the quirkiness threatened to become cloying. One of the issues I have with literary fiction is that it often seems idiosyncratic for idiosyncrasy’s sake. There were moments here when Parker went right up to the border of tweeness and came really close to stepping over. (He might, in fact, have slid a toe over the line once or twice).
There is a quietness to Prairie Fever that I found immensely appealing. With that said, it also makes it tough to recommend. Prairie Fever is not a summer beach read, filled with guilty-pleasure chases and escapes, with white-hatted sheriffs chasing black-hatted bandits. It is not a romance or a comedy, though there are flashes of both, after a fashion. Parker does not build towards a shattering conclusion or attempt to answer any of the big questions of life. Mostly, this is a novel of observations.
Men and women who populate novels are usually extraordinary in some way, even if they start out as ordinary. This is a fact found in the natural order of drama. After all, you need a reason to keep turning the pages. While fascinating, Lorena, Elise, and Gus are not exceptional. To the contrary, they are rather ordinary in most ways, with the occasional exception of a letter written to a horse. Still, I found my time with them to be worthwhile. It was sometimes funny and sometimes sad; sometimes triumphant and often not; it was, in the end, a lot like life itself, in a somewhat offbeat way.
don-t-want-to-finish
March 20, 2019I was sent an advance copy of this by Algonquin Books for an honest review. I read 4 chapters and am too bored and unimpressed to go on. There are way too many great books waiting. No rating. DNF
June 28, 2019
I read Parker's short story collection Everything, Then and Since a couple of years ago and was astounded that I had not heard of this author before. And I'm still astounded that more don't seem to read him. However, when I picked up this book, I did not link it to the story collection. Perhaps his name is not distinctive enough. In any case, I struggled at the start with the way he uses language. He has his own rhythm. I began to skim, and I'm glad I did. Because I eventually became completely immersed in this otherworldly prairie setting full of coyote winds and traveling horses and words that turn to ice and women who stand apart.
It wasn't till near the end that it suddenly dawned on me who the author was, and I said OHHHH, that's why I am loving this book! THAT Michael Parker.
Parker creates one of the most memorable female characters I've ever read, Elise. If at first she puts you off or you can't follow her, keep with the book. You will grow to understand and love her and root for her as she struggles with a major compulsion/event in her life. I don't want to give too much away. But this is some of the best dialog I've ever read. She is one of the most original characters I've ever encountered.
This book is about words, how they affect us, what they mean or don't mean, the power they have over us, the control we do or don't have over them. It's about the universal drive to feel less alone. Elise, the main character, wise beyond her teenage years, says: "I never feel either completed or depleted. There is always some part of us lost, Gus McQueen. There is always more to lose." This from a young woman who loses her toes, fingers, and tip of her nose to frostbite.
This book is about growth and change and how relationships flow together or apart like the creek beds that run through the landscape. "You never know what aspects of your youth will change you."
Parker is a tad experimental, which won't sit well with readers used to traditional historical fiction. But I absolutely ate up all the shifts and changes and overlaps in chapters in wonder (perhaps my flash background makes me more attuned to reading between lines). I want more readers who love words and literary fiction to read this author!
[note I said I skimmed at the beginning. well I went back and reread to see what I had missed, which was a lot.]
It wasn't till near the end that it suddenly dawned on me who the author was, and I said OHHHH, that's why I am loving this book! THAT Michael Parker.
Parker creates one of the most memorable female characters I've ever read, Elise. If at first she puts you off or you can't follow her, keep with the book. You will grow to understand and love her and root for her as she struggles with a major compulsion/event in her life. I don't want to give too much away. But this is some of the best dialog I've ever read. She is one of the most original characters I've ever encountered.
This book is about words, how they affect us, what they mean or don't mean, the power they have over us, the control we do or don't have over them. It's about the universal drive to feel less alone. Elise, the main character, wise beyond her teenage years, says: "I never feel either completed or depleted. There is always some part of us lost, Gus McQueen. There is always more to lose." This from a young woman who loses her toes, fingers, and tip of her nose to frostbite.
This book is about growth and change and how relationships flow together or apart like the creek beds that run through the landscape. "You never know what aspects of your youth will change you."
Parker is a tad experimental, which won't sit well with readers used to traditional historical fiction. But I absolutely ate up all the shifts and changes and overlaps in chapters in wonder (perhaps my flash background makes me more attuned to reading between lines). I want more readers who love words and literary fiction to read this author!
[note I said I skimmed at the beginning. well I went back and reread to see what I had missed, which was a lot.]
March 24, 2019
It would be easy enough to pigeonhole Prairie Fever into a familiar genre: “a tale of the harsh American frontier”, for example, or “the estrangement of two intimately connected sisters over the love of a man.”
But after settling into the rhythm and pull of Michael Parker’s story, which admittedly took me several pages, I quickly fell under its spell and bowed to its power. By the end of the book, I felt I had been sprinkled with prairie dust.
There are three main characters and entire chapters are devoted to each: younger sister Elise who is imaginative, flighty and dreamy, with a mind that is frighteningly lush and fragile. Lorena, the older sister, is more precise, pragmatic and pedantic, with her feet grounded firmly in reality. Into their lives steps the schoolteacher Gus, just a few years older than they are, who vacillates between the poles that the sisters represent.
Michael Parker has a graceful writing style all his own, punctuated with sheer lyricism and a wry humor that causes the reader not to guffaw but to chuckle. Interspersed with the third-person narratives are snippets of articles directly lifted from newspapers of western Oklahoma and west Texas between 1900 and 1920. An entire section is composed of posted letters between Elise and Lorena, and those are so beautifully written that they took my breath away.
This is a book that reveals how there is always part of us lost in the business of everyday living, and there is always more to lose. But at the end of the day, it is a “true cry” – that which is authentic – that breaks through and survives. I received an early reader’s copy from the publisher, Algonquin, in exchange for an honest review and I can honestly say this bewitching book will be in the running for one of my best of the year books.
But after settling into the rhythm and pull of Michael Parker’s story, which admittedly took me several pages, I quickly fell under its spell and bowed to its power. By the end of the book, I felt I had been sprinkled with prairie dust.
There are three main characters and entire chapters are devoted to each: younger sister Elise who is imaginative, flighty and dreamy, with a mind that is frighteningly lush and fragile. Lorena, the older sister, is more precise, pragmatic and pedantic, with her feet grounded firmly in reality. Into their lives steps the schoolteacher Gus, just a few years older than they are, who vacillates between the poles that the sisters represent.
Michael Parker has a graceful writing style all his own, punctuated with sheer lyricism and a wry humor that causes the reader not to guffaw but to chuckle. Interspersed with the third-person narratives are snippets of articles directly lifted from newspapers of western Oklahoma and west Texas between 1900 and 1920. An entire section is composed of posted letters between Elise and Lorena, and those are so beautifully written that they took my breath away.
This is a book that reveals how there is always part of us lost in the business of everyday living, and there is always more to lose. But at the end of the day, it is a “true cry” – that which is authentic – that breaks through and survives. I received an early reader’s copy from the publisher, Algonquin, in exchange for an honest review and I can honestly say this bewitching book will be in the running for one of my best of the year books.
June 1, 2019
Why had I never heard of Michael Parker before? PRAIRIE FEVER is one of the most fierce, fearless, open-hearted, and radiant novels written this century, about the earlier part of the last one. It takes place primarily in the rural prairie stretch of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, the 1920s, where the “coyote wind” is icy and menacing, and the hardscrabble land is punishing, unforgiving. The wordsmith author writes about love, land, language, loyalty, and two sisters bound together, even when apart. It was a slow start—but don’t give up, because soon enough it will rip through you like the prairie wind.
Elise Stewart, 15, and her 17-year-old sister, Lorena, are devoted to each other, despite their different natures. Elise is fanciful, flighty, a free spirit with “notions” that she follows. Lorena has restraint, is down-to-earth, logical, practical. Both are stubborn as mules. Every winter morning, their mother pins them under a blanket on their horse, Sandy, who knows the way to the school. They recite memorized tidbits from the Kiowa County News to each other to pass the time (many of the newspaper quotes were actually lifted from West Texas and Oklahoma between 1900-1920).
There’s an early tragedy in the book-- original, visceral and visually stunning. It’s catastrophic, and yet fueled with dry wit, even comedy, and it brought me to my knees. Like the other adversities rendered in this novel, Parker portrays it with a keen hand and generous heart.
An example of his gorgeous writing: “Sandy. Everywhere you go, you leave that place all the wiser…With each wave it sends millions of shells to entice you…The shells tinkle like frozen words falling from the unpinned blankets of yore. You bore us gallantly and selflessly through winds icy and coyote. You kept intact, always and overhead, the blanket of sky. Not everyone---certainly not I—can say they always know the way.” What a skilled chef does with essential food ingredients, Parker does with words-—serves us up a noble treat that you want to gobble up and savor simultaneously.
At the heart of the story is a crushing conflict between the sisters that drives a wedge that I felt in my marrow. “…our lives changed the moment she held fast to her facts.” The author’s locus is that everyone must find his or her own “true cry”—“She put her head down on the top of the piano and attempted to find, in a trill of high flats and sharps, the music of her true cry.” This motif threads through the story and most major characters. For example, Elise and Lorena’s mother is permanently addled since the death of her little boys from “prairie fever” (typhoid). But despite the sorrow we carry, our true cry is what saves us from the facts of our lives, and carries our hearts home.
This will surely make my top five this year. I plan to read all Parker’s books. Thank you to Andrew at Algonquin for sending me an early copy.
Elise Stewart, 15, and her 17-year-old sister, Lorena, are devoted to each other, despite their different natures. Elise is fanciful, flighty, a free spirit with “notions” that she follows. Lorena has restraint, is down-to-earth, logical, practical. Both are stubborn as mules. Every winter morning, their mother pins them under a blanket on their horse, Sandy, who knows the way to the school. They recite memorized tidbits from the Kiowa County News to each other to pass the time (many of the newspaper quotes were actually lifted from West Texas and Oklahoma between 1900-1920).
There’s an early tragedy in the book-- original, visceral and visually stunning. It’s catastrophic, and yet fueled with dry wit, even comedy, and it brought me to my knees. Like the other adversities rendered in this novel, Parker portrays it with a keen hand and generous heart.
An example of his gorgeous writing: “Sandy. Everywhere you go, you leave that place all the wiser…With each wave it sends millions of shells to entice you…The shells tinkle like frozen words falling from the unpinned blankets of yore. You bore us gallantly and selflessly through winds icy and coyote. You kept intact, always and overhead, the blanket of sky. Not everyone---certainly not I—can say they always know the way.” What a skilled chef does with essential food ingredients, Parker does with words-—serves us up a noble treat that you want to gobble up and savor simultaneously.
At the heart of the story is a crushing conflict between the sisters that drives a wedge that I felt in my marrow. “…our lives changed the moment she held fast to her facts.” The author’s locus is that everyone must find his or her own “true cry”—“She put her head down on the top of the piano and attempted to find, in a trill of high flats and sharps, the music of her true cry.” This motif threads through the story and most major characters. For example, Elise and Lorena’s mother is permanently addled since the death of her little boys from “prairie fever” (typhoid). But despite the sorrow we carry, our true cry is what saves us from the facts of our lives, and carries our hearts home.
This will surely make my top five this year. I plan to read all Parker’s books. Thank you to Andrew at Algonquin for sending me an early copy.
June 23, 2020
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!
This great character-driven story was very hard to put down. I enjoyed every word of this book, and this beautiful and original historical fiction by Michael Parker really touched my heart deep into my core.
This will land in one of my favorite books of the year for the exquisite prose, unforgettable characters, and visually stunning Oklahoma prairie.
This great character-driven story was very hard to put down. I enjoyed every word of this book, and this beautiful and original historical fiction by Michael Parker really touched my heart deep into my core.
This will land in one of my favorite books of the year for the exquisite prose, unforgettable characters, and visually stunning Oklahoma prairie.
April 2, 2019
"SOILER ALERT' Lone Wolf, Oklahoma 1917
Elise and her sister Lorena attended a one room school. They traveled to school in a horse cart pulled by Sandy, Elise's horse.
Their teacher Mr. McQueen was not much older than the sisters. They both had their eye on Mr. McQueen.
Poor Sandy met his demise due to freezing temperatures. Elise lost a finger and four toes. Elise would write letters telling about Sandy's adventures in the sky and joining the circus.
Since both sisters were in love with their teacher, he had to make a choice. It was Elise. Then Lorena left college and went to teach school in Wyoming. She met her future husband there.
After many years had passed the two sisters, their husbands and children met and there was a sort of healing.
I received this book from Algonquin books for my honest review.
Elise and her sister Lorena attended a one room school. They traveled to school in a horse cart pulled by Sandy, Elise's horse.
Their teacher Mr. McQueen was not much older than the sisters. They both had their eye on Mr. McQueen.
Poor Sandy met his demise due to freezing temperatures. Elise lost a finger and four toes. Elise would write letters telling about Sandy's adventures in the sky and joining the circus.
Since both sisters were in love with their teacher, he had to make a choice. It was Elise. Then Lorena left college and went to teach school in Wyoming. She met her future husband there.
After many years had passed the two sisters, their husbands and children met and there was a sort of healing.
I received this book from Algonquin books for my honest review.
June 22, 2020
This book was hard for me because I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and it was difficult to read because I didn’t have any idea what the story was about.
It’s hard to give a rating. It’s not a DNF.
It’s hard to give a rating. It’s not a DNF.
April 29, 2019
“Prairie Fever”, by Michael Parker, has ALL THE THINGS you could want in a novel; it’s historically interesting, has a simple but compelling plot spanning 30 years, unique characters who stick with you, romance, poignancy, humor, and a captivating story-telling style. I was fortunate to have this novel with me on a long trans-Atlantic flight, and it was so engrossing and entertaining that the monotony and discomfort melted away as I became enamored with and enmeshed in, the town of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma and lives of sisters Lorena and Elise, and the new teacher in town, Gus.
Parker introduced me to a character, in Elise, who defies description; you’ll have to meet her in these pages yourself, I’ve never read about anyone like her (or her horse, Sandy). There is so much quirkiness and humor in this lovely story, but pathos and heartbreak, as well. Yes, it has ALL THE THINGS, and it also made me feel ALL THE FEELINGS, and it quickly became one of the best books I’ve read this year.
Parker introduced me to a character, in Elise, who defies description; you’ll have to meet her in these pages yourself, I’ve never read about anyone like her (or her horse, Sandy). There is so much quirkiness and humor in this lovely story, but pathos and heartbreak, as well. Yes, it has ALL THE THINGS, and it also made me feel ALL THE FEELINGS, and it quickly became one of the best books I’ve read this year.
April 17, 2019
Although the description on the book jacket had me intrigued, I had a hard time getting into the rhythm of the narrative. The book's structure and dialogue seemed modern -- a discordant juxtaposition with its historical early 1900s setting. Others have liked it, so I'd encourage interested readers to take a look at more positive reviews if this seems like a book they'd enjoy.
Thank you to Algonquin Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Algonquin Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2019
If you are looking for a book full of riveting adventure, this quiet story of two sisters in the 1900’s Oklahoma prairie who have a unique bond that comes completely unraveled because of a schoolteacher they both take a fancy to, is perhaps not the read for you.
If however you like a lyrically written character study containing a generous sprinkling of deadpan humor this is one you may enjoy.
Having been raised with mostly sisters, having mostly daughters, and then mostly granddaughters, I was a good fit for enjoying the book.
Advance copy read. 3.5 stars
If however you like a lyrically written character study containing a generous sprinkling of deadpan humor this is one you may enjoy.
Having been raised with mostly sisters, having mostly daughters, and then mostly granddaughters, I was a good fit for enjoying the book.
Advance copy read. 3.5 stars
June 23, 2020
Thank you Algonquin for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Prairie Fever
By: Michael Parker
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
Michael Parker is a new to me author, so I didn't know what to expect from Prairie Fever. In Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, early 1900's, the story takes shape. The land is vast, harsh, desolate and unyielding, but two sisters find a sense of contentment despite their surroundings-reciting newspaper articles and riding to school together on their horse, Sunny. Lenora and Elise are inseparable, yet they are completely apart in personalities. Lenora is oldest, restrained, proper, smart, pretty, as girls should be. Elise is the wild child, impetuous, rash, untamed, inconsiderate and heedless of consequences. One day, a handsome new teacher, Mr. McQueen arrives, and the tiniest crack opens between Lenora and Elise. Both are interested in this man, but one bad decision with tragic consequences unknowingly seals the fate of the sisters' divergent paths. I felt such heartache over what might have been and never would be for them now. The story is told by Lenora, Elise and Mr. McQueen with varying points of view. It is not a love triangle. The book is more about their choices and journeys, finding yourself and finding the way back home. The sisters are many years estranged, but there is always a chance for reconciliation. The story is beautifully written with a stunning atmosphere and a sharp divide that gives the reader much to consider. The era is vividly portrayed, and at times, I thought I was there. While my overall impression is favorable, I did feel melancholy when the reading was done. Still, I do recommend this book!
Prairie Fever
By: Michael Parker
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
Michael Parker is a new to me author, so I didn't know what to expect from Prairie Fever. In Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, early 1900's, the story takes shape. The land is vast, harsh, desolate and unyielding, but two sisters find a sense of contentment despite their surroundings-reciting newspaper articles and riding to school together on their horse, Sunny. Lenora and Elise are inseparable, yet they are completely apart in personalities. Lenora is oldest, restrained, proper, smart, pretty, as girls should be. Elise is the wild child, impetuous, rash, untamed, inconsiderate and heedless of consequences. One day, a handsome new teacher, Mr. McQueen arrives, and the tiniest crack opens between Lenora and Elise. Both are interested in this man, but one bad decision with tragic consequences unknowingly seals the fate of the sisters' divergent paths. I felt such heartache over what might have been and never would be for them now. The story is told by Lenora, Elise and Mr. McQueen with varying points of view. It is not a love triangle. The book is more about their choices and journeys, finding yourself and finding the way back home. The sisters are many years estranged, but there is always a chance for reconciliation. The story is beautifully written with a stunning atmosphere and a sharp divide that gives the reader much to consider. The era is vividly portrayed, and at times, I thought I was there. While my overall impression is favorable, I did feel melancholy when the reading was done. Still, I do recommend this book!
March 26, 2020
RATING: 3 STARS
2019; Algonquin Books
Michael Parker's novel, Prairie Fever is beautifully written. His descriptions allow the reader to see the 1900s Oklahoma in this book as another character. The characters are also well written and realistic. I rated this novel three stars because I just could not get into the story itself. I am not a huge fan of love triangles, especially when it is sisters. I was not fan of any of the characters, but was invested in them because they were realistic and interesting. This was a fair book, and has me interested in reading more by Parker.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2019; Algonquin Books
Michael Parker's novel, Prairie Fever is beautifully written. His descriptions allow the reader to see the 1900s Oklahoma in this book as another character. The characters are also well written and realistic. I rated this novel three stars because I just could not get into the story itself. I am not a huge fan of love triangles, especially when it is sisters. I was not fan of any of the characters, but was invested in them because they were realistic and interesting. This was a fair book, and has me interested in reading more by Parker.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
July 12, 2019
This book sounded like I would like it, but I was bored from the beginning and after 50 pages it didn't change, so I stopped. Too many good books to read :)
May 27, 2019
This book is sure to make my top ten list for this year. Michael Parker has such an astute perception of human nature that the characters not only came alive for me while I was reading but I thought about them throughout the day until I finished the book, and afterwards.
The first 40 pages went slowly and I want to return to them now that I've finished the book. I think I'll understand them better. The book came alive for me after those pages. This story takes place on the great plains of the United States in the early 1900's. Basically, it is the story of two sisters. Lorena, 17 years old, is rational, grammatical, and cares a lot about her appearance. She is very bright and does well in their one room school house on the plains of Oklahoma. Elise's 15 year old world is on the verge of delusional. Certainly, it is chimerical. She often sees her life via her imagination, especially through what she imagines is the inner life of her beloved horse, Sandy. Elise is musical and has a gift for playing the piano.
The sisters live on a would-be farm with a father who is an 'idea' man who never does anything concrete with his ideas except talk to his friends about them or use these ideas as an excuse for the family to move somewhere new. Lorena is sick of her father and has stopped speaking to him. Their mother seems to be depressed and withdrawn. The two sisters do everything together and often act out ideas inspired by Elise's imagination. "We lived in our world, you and I. A blanket was our sky and we were a giggly bag of bones."
A new teacher is hired, 18 year old Gus McQueen, and this is the start of dissension between Elise and Lorena. It begins with Elise and Lorena arguing about a folk myth. Elise wants to prove she is right so she takes her horse Sandy out in a blizzard to find out the truth. She is heading to Hobart, the nearest town, that is many miles away. Elise mistakenly believes that Sandy knows the way. Meanwhile, Gus and Lorena go looking for her. What transpires during and after this search will impact all three of their lives for their duration. As Elise states, "The three of us were one too many. It's not right or wrong. It may involve numbers, but it is not arithmetic."
The writing is poetic and beautiful. It is also humorous and down to earth. Elise talks to Sandy, sometimes through letters, and in one letter she states "I first heard the grass sing atop you, Sandy. I first saw the grasshoppers spring out of the way of your hooves and knew that the earth was teeming with life, that dirt was alive, and the prairie lived even in winter when buried beneath snow."
This novel is also an homage to the prairie and a time long gone. "The prairie grass sings in the evening wind. Free from the impediment of forest or mountains, light lingers long of an evening, and the sun appears to lower itself beneath the lip of earth itself, instead of behind tree line or hill."
Prairie Fever is nothing less than spellbinding, a story of love between people and of land. It is a great gift from author Michael Parker.
The first 40 pages went slowly and I want to return to them now that I've finished the book. I think I'll understand them better. The book came alive for me after those pages. This story takes place on the great plains of the United States in the early 1900's. Basically, it is the story of two sisters. Lorena, 17 years old, is rational, grammatical, and cares a lot about her appearance. She is very bright and does well in their one room school house on the plains of Oklahoma. Elise's 15 year old world is on the verge of delusional. Certainly, it is chimerical. She often sees her life via her imagination, especially through what she imagines is the inner life of her beloved horse, Sandy. Elise is musical and has a gift for playing the piano.
The sisters live on a would-be farm with a father who is an 'idea' man who never does anything concrete with his ideas except talk to his friends about them or use these ideas as an excuse for the family to move somewhere new. Lorena is sick of her father and has stopped speaking to him. Their mother seems to be depressed and withdrawn. The two sisters do everything together and often act out ideas inspired by Elise's imagination. "We lived in our world, you and I. A blanket was our sky and we were a giggly bag of bones."
A new teacher is hired, 18 year old Gus McQueen, and this is the start of dissension between Elise and Lorena. It begins with Elise and Lorena arguing about a folk myth. Elise wants to prove she is right so she takes her horse Sandy out in a blizzard to find out the truth. She is heading to Hobart, the nearest town, that is many miles away. Elise mistakenly believes that Sandy knows the way. Meanwhile, Gus and Lorena go looking for her. What transpires during and after this search will impact all three of their lives for their duration. As Elise states, "The three of us were one too many. It's not right or wrong. It may involve numbers, but it is not arithmetic."
The writing is poetic and beautiful. It is also humorous and down to earth. Elise talks to Sandy, sometimes through letters, and in one letter she states "I first heard the grass sing atop you, Sandy. I first saw the grasshoppers spring out of the way of your hooves and knew that the earth was teeming with life, that dirt was alive, and the prairie lived even in winter when buried beneath snow."
This novel is also an homage to the prairie and a time long gone. "The prairie grass sings in the evening wind. Free from the impediment of forest or mountains, light lingers long of an evening, and the sun appears to lower itself beneath the lip of earth itself, instead of behind tree line or hill."
Prairie Fever is nothing less than spellbinding, a story of love between people and of land. It is a great gift from author Michael Parker.
August 28, 2020
Prairie Fever is one of those quiet books that draws the reader in with lyrical, atmospheric prose. I loved every page of it. Set in the desolate outpost of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma in the early 1900's, the novel tells the story of the Stewart sisters, sensible Lorena and mercurial Elise. The sisters are inseparable...until the arrival of a new schoolteacher and a single impulsive decision that changes the trajectories of their lives.
While the plot is compelling, it is not the driving force behind this story. Prairie Fever is more an exploration of sisterhood, forgiveness and the consequences of our decisions. Michael Parker does a wonderful job developing his characters (including a horse named Sandy); they are quirky, yet believable, and convincingly real. This book is strange and lovely and poignant and funny. I was sad for it to end.
While the plot is compelling, it is not the driving force behind this story. Prairie Fever is more an exploration of sisterhood, forgiveness and the consequences of our decisions. Michael Parker does a wonderful job developing his characters (including a horse named Sandy); they are quirky, yet believable, and convincingly real. This book is strange and lovely and poignant and funny. I was sad for it to end.
July 26, 2021
I got to page 27 of this book which sounded very interesting to me-2 sisters living on the prairie and attending a one-room schoolhouse. I’ve read some reviews saying this writer is very poetic and maybe that’s why I couldn’t get into this book. I didn’t understand what was happening or what the girls were talking about most of the time. They memorized newspaper articles and then quoted them back to each other, that was their special thing together. It was just bizarre when reading, like jumping into a conversation about people you don’t know halfway through. Finally, I just decided I’d had enough of piecing things together myself and decided to stop reading.
June 23, 2020
Book: Prairie Fever
Author: Michael Parker
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank the publisher, Algonquin Books, for providing me with ARC.
I have honestly never heard of this book until the publisher reached out. I must say that it was kind of hard to get into a first, but once I got through the first chapter, I found myself really enjoying it. I love all of the feels I got and just how I was pulled in. Like I said, it wasn’t really until I got through the first chapter that I actually felt anything for this book. It is a very atmospheric read and the plot is mostly focused on the characters. If this isn’t something that you enjoy, then I would not pick it up.
The description of the book makes this sound like romance and a story that has been told before. It is about two sisters who fall in love with the same man, but that really isn’t the focus of the book. This book follows the sisters over the decades. We see them start out as young girls in Oklahoma and watch them grow through middle age.
Elise and Lorena could not be any different. Lorena is pretty, serious, and proper. Elise, on the other hand, is imaginative, has a good memory, likes repeating stories from the local newspaper, and talks about her horse like he’s a real person. The sisters could not be anymore different. Then, one day, Elise takes off from school in the middle of blizzard-once you read the book and get to know her, you will see that this actually fits her character well. She is saved by Lorena and the schoolteacher, Gus McQueen. This causes both sisters to fall in love with him. I know, I know, I said that the romance wasn’t a big part of the book and it’s not. The love triangle is not the focus of the story and it isn’t like the ones you see in rom-com either. Instead, the author has decided to focus on the lives of the characters than the romance, which was a welcome relief.
The layout of the book is kind of on the strange side. Lorena, Elise, and Gus all have point of view chapters. I personally enjoyed Elise’s chapters the most; there is just something about the way that she is presented that I really enjoyed. We get a mix of first and third person point of view, which is something that I normally don’t enjoy. However, I feel that it worked for this book. There is also a mix of traditional pose and letter form. If you really don’t like the change, then it may not be the book for you.
This book is just really hard to explain and I probably didn’t really help anymore on deciding whether or not to pick this up. This is a hard book to explain, but if you are looking for something a little different, then pick this up.
Youtube: https://youtu.be/W72Dp72Lnqo
Author: Michael Parker
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank the publisher, Algonquin Books, for providing me with ARC.
I have honestly never heard of this book until the publisher reached out. I must say that it was kind of hard to get into a first, but once I got through the first chapter, I found myself really enjoying it. I love all of the feels I got and just how I was pulled in. Like I said, it wasn’t really until I got through the first chapter that I actually felt anything for this book. It is a very atmospheric read and the plot is mostly focused on the characters. If this isn’t something that you enjoy, then I would not pick it up.
The description of the book makes this sound like romance and a story that has been told before. It is about two sisters who fall in love with the same man, but that really isn’t the focus of the book. This book follows the sisters over the decades. We see them start out as young girls in Oklahoma and watch them grow through middle age.
Elise and Lorena could not be any different. Lorena is pretty, serious, and proper. Elise, on the other hand, is imaginative, has a good memory, likes repeating stories from the local newspaper, and talks about her horse like he’s a real person. The sisters could not be anymore different. Then, one day, Elise takes off from school in the middle of blizzard-once you read the book and get to know her, you will see that this actually fits her character well. She is saved by Lorena and the schoolteacher, Gus McQueen. This causes both sisters to fall in love with him. I know, I know, I said that the romance wasn’t a big part of the book and it’s not. The love triangle is not the focus of the story and it isn’t like the ones you see in rom-com either. Instead, the author has decided to focus on the lives of the characters than the romance, which was a welcome relief.
The layout of the book is kind of on the strange side. Lorena, Elise, and Gus all have point of view chapters. I personally enjoyed Elise’s chapters the most; there is just something about the way that she is presented that I really enjoyed. We get a mix of first and third person point of view, which is something that I normally don’t enjoy. However, I feel that it worked for this book. There is also a mix of traditional pose and letter form. If you really don’t like the change, then it may not be the book for you.
This book is just really hard to explain and I probably didn’t really help anymore on deciding whether or not to pick this up. This is a hard book to explain, but if you are looking for something a little different, then pick this up.
Youtube: https://youtu.be/W72Dp72Lnqo
June 14, 2020
Disclaimer: I received an arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Prairie Fever
Author: Michael Parker
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: May 21, 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, sexual content, slight gore)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Set in the hardscrabble landscape of early 1900s Oklahoma, but timeless in its sensibility, Prairie Fever traces the intense dynamic between the Stewart sisters: the pragmatic Lorena and the chimerical Elise. The two are bound together not only by their isolation on the prairie but also by their deep emotional reliance on each other. That connection supersedes all else until the arrival of Gus McQueen.
When Gus arrives in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, as a first time teacher, his inexperience is challenged by the wit and ingenuity of the Stewart sisters. Then one impulsive decision and a cataclysmic blizzard trap Elise and her horse on the prairie and forever change the balance of everything between the sisters, and with Gus McQueen. With honesty and poetic intensity and the deadpan humor of Paulette Jiles and Charles Portis, Parker reminds us of the consequences of our choices. Expansive and intimate, this novel tells the story of characters tested as much by life on the prairie as they are by their own churning hearts.
Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The world building was fantastic and I loved the setting it took place in. The writing was very well done and easy to follow along with and the plot was intriguing.
However, I didn’t like the love triangle between the two sisters. One, I don’t like love triangles at all and two, I thought it was really kinda creepy. The book was also a bit too slow for me.
Verdict: It was a well done novel!
Book: Prairie Fever
Author: Michael Parker
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: May 21, 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, sexual content, slight gore)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Set in the hardscrabble landscape of early 1900s Oklahoma, but timeless in its sensibility, Prairie Fever traces the intense dynamic between the Stewart sisters: the pragmatic Lorena and the chimerical Elise. The two are bound together not only by their isolation on the prairie but also by their deep emotional reliance on each other. That connection supersedes all else until the arrival of Gus McQueen.
When Gus arrives in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, as a first time teacher, his inexperience is challenged by the wit and ingenuity of the Stewart sisters. Then one impulsive decision and a cataclysmic blizzard trap Elise and her horse on the prairie and forever change the balance of everything between the sisters, and with Gus McQueen. With honesty and poetic intensity and the deadpan humor of Paulette Jiles and Charles Portis, Parker reminds us of the consequences of our choices. Expansive and intimate, this novel tells the story of characters tested as much by life on the prairie as they are by their own churning hearts.
Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The world building was fantastic and I loved the setting it took place in. The writing was very well done and easy to follow along with and the plot was intriguing.
However, I didn’t like the love triangle between the two sisters. One, I don’t like love triangles at all and two, I thought it was really kinda creepy. The book was also a bit too slow for me.
Verdict: It was a well done novel!
May 28, 2019
Review galley courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
During the harsh winter of 1916 the Stewart sisters (Elise, 15, and Lorena, 17) ride their faithful horse to school no matter the weather. Their young teacher, Mr. McQueen, meets them and helps them off the horse and into the school room every day. The three are the central characters of the novel and we’ll see how their lives intertwine and go off in different directions according to the choices they make. I was drawn in by Michael Parker’s storytelling – the humor he injected in the day-to-day as well as the brutality of life on the prairie that many didn’t survive. I laughed when the sisters recited stories from the local newspaper. It reminded me of my own small, hometown newspaper that often had a younger me rolling my eyes at the headlines and articles considered newsworthy. Overall, an enjoyable read. Recommended to fans of the author and historical fiction.
3.5 stars rounded up
During the harsh winter of 1916 the Stewart sisters (Elise, 15, and Lorena, 17) ride their faithful horse to school no matter the weather. Their young teacher, Mr. McQueen, meets them and helps them off the horse and into the school room every day. The three are the central characters of the novel and we’ll see how their lives intertwine and go off in different directions according to the choices they make. I was drawn in by Michael Parker’s storytelling – the humor he injected in the day-to-day as well as the brutality of life on the prairie that many didn’t survive. I laughed when the sisters recited stories from the local newspaper. It reminded me of my own small, hometown newspaper that often had a younger me rolling my eyes at the headlines and articles considered newsworthy. Overall, an enjoyable read. Recommended to fans of the author and historical fiction.
3.5 stars rounded up
March 22, 2019
Life is hard in the 1900's Oklahoma plains but you won't hear complaints from Elise and Lorena. They recite the local paper to bide their time pinned into a blanket on their trusty stead, Sandy who trudges off to school in weather that even the hardiest ranchers would cringe at. Elise possesses a rare wit while Lorena tries to be the model of decorum. The sisters are their own best friends until a young schoolteacher tears an unjumpable divide between them. This refreshing western does not read like a typical western but appeals to a much broader audience and is a must for lovers of Larry McMurtry and NEWS OF THE WORLD. Sweet, funny and completely Southwestern area tough, its delightful characters will worm their way into your heart forever. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
January 25, 2020
This was a great book by Michael Parker. It is the story of two sisters that live in a remote, cold place. They ride their horse to school with a blanket over their heads. The horse, Sandy, knows the way. Gus McGuire, the young teacher takes the blanket off of them when they get to the school barn. The sisters grow up and much more happens. I loved the dialect of the characters. It was a very subtlily funny book.
December 5, 2019
Loved this book so much--the setting is so richly drawn, and the characters completely realistic. I adored the relationship between the sisters, a sort of a historical, Okie, Gilmore Girls vibe, but completely in context to the period. Very moving with flashes of humor. One of my favorites this year.
August 2, 2020
This is such an interesting book! But, not so easy to review. The short story is, I liked it. But, I can't leave my review at that, so here I go....
Prairie Fever is set in 1917 in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma. The story centers around two sisters, Lorena, (more serious, particular, enjoys correcting grammar) and Elise (imaginative, unusual, frequently recites newspaper quotes out of the blue) and new schoolteacher Gus McQueen, only 2 years Lorena's senior. One day Elise mounts her horse and leaves school during a severe blizzard. Gus and Lorena set out to find Elise and the events of that day change the relationship of the sisters for the rest of their lives. There may also be a love triangle in this one, but it's honestly not even that important. The story is really about Elise and Lorena.
The writing style is also very interesting. It is mostly conversation throughout. In the beginning I honestly thought that Elise and Lorena were maybe 10 and 12 based on what they talked about, but they are 15 and 17. Do 15 year olds say they want to "play" in the barn? Maybe this was to highlight their unual character. It threw me off a bit at first, but then I got used to them and grew fond of them.
The way the girls speak is rather peculiar too. There's a certain banter and wit. They'll often circle back around to certain phrases or anecdotes from earlier in the book. It actually reminded me of Gilmore Girls a bit. The girls are silly and imaginative, but they're contemplative too. They'll often speak about "the point of life" or their "true cry."
I'm having a hard time explaining this book, but basically, Elise and Lorena draw you in with their honesty, purity, wit, and imagination to the extent that the plot hardly matters. I don't think I've read a book in similar style before, and that is absolutely a compliment!
Prairie Fever is set in 1917 in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma. The story centers around two sisters, Lorena, (more serious, particular, enjoys correcting grammar) and Elise (imaginative, unusual, frequently recites newspaper quotes out of the blue) and new schoolteacher Gus McQueen, only 2 years Lorena's senior. One day Elise mounts her horse and leaves school during a severe blizzard. Gus and Lorena set out to find Elise and the events of that day change the relationship of the sisters for the rest of their lives. There may also be a love triangle in this one, but it's honestly not even that important. The story is really about Elise and Lorena.
The writing style is also very interesting. It is mostly conversation throughout. In the beginning I honestly thought that Elise and Lorena were maybe 10 and 12 based on what they talked about, but they are 15 and 17. Do 15 year olds say they want to "play" in the barn? Maybe this was to highlight their unual character. It threw me off a bit at first, but then I got used to them and grew fond of them.
The way the girls speak is rather peculiar too. There's a certain banter and wit. They'll often circle back around to certain phrases or anecdotes from earlier in the book. It actually reminded me of Gilmore Girls a bit. The girls are silly and imaginative, but they're contemplative too. They'll often speak about "the point of life" or their "true cry."
I'm having a hard time explaining this book, but basically, Elise and Lorena draw you in with their honesty, purity, wit, and imagination to the extent that the plot hardly matters. I don't think I've read a book in similar style before, and that is absolutely a compliment!
January 24, 2020
3.5 stars.
Definitely started off slow and then picked up, then slowed down again.
**Spoiler alert: I was so happy to see Lorena find someone better than that jerk Gus. She seemed to be truly happy with Isaac.
I was hoping to see some more drama happen when Gus was told he was going to have to pay back the loan for Lorena's school. Not to mention he ended up choosing the sister who was "touched" and I thought-cool. He is going to have to deal with that and he will get what he deserves. But he seemed to get off quite easy considering how he treated Lorena.
Somewhat recommended.
Definitely started off slow and then picked up, then slowed down again.
**Spoiler alert: I was so happy to see Lorena find someone better than that jerk Gus. She seemed to be truly happy with Isaac.
I was hoping to see some more drama happen when Gus was told he was going to have to pay back the loan for Lorena's school. Not to mention he ended up choosing the sister who was "touched" and I thought-cool. He is going to have to deal with that and he will get what he deserves. But he seemed to get off quite easy considering how he treated Lorena.
Somewhat recommended.
April 11, 2019
Review to come.
July 25, 2019
As a North Carolinian, I'm always happy to find and read a fellow North Carolinian. Michael Parker is superb
March 17, 2020
Powerful writing and great characters in this lovely novel about love and yearning.
August 19, 2024
This is a beautiful book, a quirky story, and so atmospheric. I loved all the characters. It is a story of survival on the prairie, but not a typical one. I was pleasantly surprised.
June 26, 2019
Never heard of this author before. I will be reading more.
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