Mrs. Mike

by Benedict and Nancy Freedman

I love stories about the invincible women who lived during the early frontier days, mostly because it makes me appreciate all the wonderful things I have like electricity, running water, clean clothes that don't involve petticoats or bloomers, and no hard manual labor.  But those trials made for some tough, independent, amazing women.  Mrs. Mike is no exception.  She falls in love with a mounty and then faces trial, hardship and tragedy in the wilderness of the Canadian north.  It is a wonderful and realistic love story as well as a tale of survival, based on Kathy O'Fallen's real life experiences.

The descriptions of the scenery and characters are well-written and puts you very much into the moment.  The writing does not gloss over the hardships they face, or make the tragedies any less heart-wrenching than they might have felt at the time.  I also appreciate seeing their young romance blossom into a strong marriage.  Read this book and then do some research on your own ancestors and find out about the strong women who brought you to where you are today.