Helpful Score: 10
I was swept up from the first page, as eager as the boys in the story to meet their new housekeeper that "doesn't bite"....and I fell in love with Rose and her brother just as quickly as the family does in a story that will surprise you with the twists it takes. A new look at the definitions of family and loyalty set quite believably at the dawn of the century in rural Montana.
Helpful Score: 6
A coming of age novel on the Montana plains at the beginning of the 20th century and the role of the one room school house in the community. His characters, dialog, language and plot are enchanting. I can't wait to read more of his books.
Helpful Score: 5
Wonderfully evocative ode to the one-room schoolhouses of early twentieth-century Montana. I fell in love with the Milliron family, dry-land farmers trying to make it after the death of their mother and the always whistling Rose Llewellyn who rescues them from the squalor of their all-male farmhouse and her brother Morris, who rescues their minds from the limitations of their country school.
Helpful Score: 5
Paul Milliron is a seemingly insignificant child. Living with his father and 2 younger brothers on the plains of Montana in 1909, the motherless family knows hardship and good times in equal measure.
When Pauls father takes it upon himself to hire a housekeep from Minneapolis, Paul and his younger brothers are in for the treat of their life when Rose Llewellyn and her brother Morrie Morgan show up on their front steps.
Gradually the relationship between Mr. Milliron and Rose grows to be something more and the boys begin to see her and Morrie as irreplaceable parts of their lives. Morrie and Rose are harboring a secret however, one that could either break, or make the family.
I had mixed reactions to The Whistling Season. Overall I liked it. The writing is superb and descriptive and the characters are people I can relate to and want to know more about. On the flip side, there really was no solid plotline. Yes, there was a growing relationship between the characters and minor happenings that will happen in 1909 Montana, but besides that it was like an ongoing episode of The Waltons.
Thats really all I have to say about it. It was good, I liked it. Would I read a sequel? meh. Maybe, if I couldnt find anything more interesting to pick up.
I give The Whistling Season 4 stars for the quality of writing and the characters, 3 for the overall plotline. Overall it was unremarkable through a haze of slightly peaked interest.
When Pauls father takes it upon himself to hire a housekeep from Minneapolis, Paul and his younger brothers are in for the treat of their life when Rose Llewellyn and her brother Morrie Morgan show up on their front steps.
Gradually the relationship between Mr. Milliron and Rose grows to be something more and the boys begin to see her and Morrie as irreplaceable parts of their lives. Morrie and Rose are harboring a secret however, one that could either break, or make the family.
I had mixed reactions to The Whistling Season. Overall I liked it. The writing is superb and descriptive and the characters are people I can relate to and want to know more about. On the flip side, there really was no solid plotline. Yes, there was a growing relationship between the characters and minor happenings that will happen in 1909 Montana, but besides that it was like an ongoing episode of The Waltons.
Thats really all I have to say about it. It was good, I liked it. Would I read a sequel? meh. Maybe, if I couldnt find anything more interesting to pick up.
I give The Whistling Season 4 stars for the quality of writing and the characters, 3 for the overall plotline. Overall it was unremarkable through a haze of slightly peaked interest.
Helpful Score: 3
A wonderfully written book filled with humor and believable characters. A plot that doesn't rely on sex and/or violence - what a refreshing change! This is a book I would have read outloud to my children had I known about it earlier, but don't let that recommendation keep you from reading it - a great and fun read for all ages.
Helpful Score: 3
When I was finished with this book, I went and revised my top 10 to add it - it's that good. Told from a boy's perspective, it's the story of a somewhat shady brother and sister who come to live in a small town in rural Montana in 1909. The effect these two have on the boy, his widowed father, and the rest of the town is best summed up by the synopsis on the publisher's website - this glimpse into a vanished way of life and eccentric characters is an unforgettable, charming tale of love and loss, truth and lies, and educationconventional and otherwise.
I wasn't familiar with Ivan Doig until this book, but look forward to reading more of his stuff. My husband, an ardent scifi reader, was equally charmed by this book, which is really saying something.
I wasn't familiar with Ivan Doig until this book, but look forward to reading more of his stuff. My husband, an ardent scifi reader, was equally charmed by this book, which is really saying something.
Helpful Score: 3
Extremely well written; funny and entertaining. "The West's preeminent literary novelist...Doig's characters, new and old, are unforgettable...they are becoming a part of the American mindscape." Doig pulls you into this book with writing magic.
Helpful Score: 2
I kept thinking about the characters long after I finished the book. This book is a great opportunity to sit back and know you are in the hands of a good storyteller.
This is not a novel for the impatient reader. It is a quiet, well-written, snapshot of life in Montana in 1909. It is about brothers and their father, all still in the shadow of their mother's death. It is about a whistling visitor. And it is about quality education. My guess is that the author was not seeking to entertain, but rather to create.
If I were to always read page-turners, my family would never see me3 ½ starsEnjoy!
If I were to always read page-turners, my family would never see me3 ½ starsEnjoy!
Helpful Score: 1
This is the story of a widower raising his 3 sons, struggling mightily to cook and feed them in rural Montana in the early 1900s. In breezes their new housekeeper, Rose, who can't cook but doesn't bite. The one-room schoolhouse and life therein plays a big part of this story. A very good read.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a pretty good book. Written as a slice of life about a widower and his three sons. It is written from the view point of the eldest so in early 19th century. Father sees an advertisement in the paper for a housekeeper position which his family desperately needs.
When Rose arrives she brings her brother along. She cannot cook but is a very good housekeeper. Her brother is very bright and becomes the school teacher at the one room school Just when I had given up that the story was going one way, the whole story changed and became even more interesting.
I recommend the book to anyone who likes a good secret that is kept for a lifetime and the dynamics of family life.
When Rose arrives she brings her brother along. She cannot cook but is a very good housekeeper. Her brother is very bright and becomes the school teacher at the one room school Just when I had given up that the story was going one way, the whole story changed and became even more interesting.
I recommend the book to anyone who likes a good secret that is kept for a lifetime and the dynamics of family life.
Helpful Score: 1
A good book, but you need to be patient. It's not fast paced. It doesn't grab you right away. The story unfolds quietly, subtly and without much fanfare. Your reward for your patience is a lovely story about the power of secrets, loyalty, and life in the rural west. The author, Doig, has a way with words. He paints a vivid picture of rural Montana. I haven't been to this part of the West, but his descriptions of the land and people made me feel as though I were there. I could imagine myself in Big Sky Country with nothing to look at but miles and miles of sky and land.
Helpful Score: 1
A washington Post Book World "Best Book of the Year 2006". A New York Times "editor's choice."
I selected it based on awards and was not disappointed. A rich story of family and community life in the early 1900's in Montana. A family of four applies for a housekeeper after the death of the mother. The person who arrives with her brother, changes their lives forever. The story is told in the first person by one of the sons. Much of the story revolves around a one-room school house, but there are sub-plots and a surprise ending. Cpeyton
I selected it based on awards and was not disappointed. A rich story of family and community life in the early 1900's in Montana. A family of four applies for a housekeeper after the death of the mother. The person who arrives with her brother, changes their lives forever. The story is told in the first person by one of the sons. Much of the story revolves around a one-room school house, but there are sub-plots and a surprise ending. Cpeyton
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was beautiful, the characters well-developed and a good solid story.
Have you ever wanted to read a 13-year-old schoolboy's diary? Me neither, which is why I didn't find this book enjoyable at all. It's pretty much a record of farm chores, schoolyard fights, and homework. The two characters that are supposed to add interest to the story - Rose and Morrie - are dead weight for most of the book, and then turn into morally bankrupt con-artists in the last twenty or so pages, roping the children in with them. It was an absolute mess.
I have no idea why the narrator kept mentioning his current job sporadically throughout the book. It made no sense and was never tied up. Another reviewer mentioned this book reading like a Botched Version of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books and that's a very good comparison.
Also, it seems like the author wrote this just so he could show off as much of his knowledge as possible, quoting famous literature or mentioning Copernicus and Kepler at every turn. It really got old after a while. And if I ever have to read about spit shaking again, I just might start tearing my hair out.
What's funny about all this is Doig is not a bad writer. His prose is descriptive and he's often delightfully witty. The writing isn't the problem - the content is.
I have no idea why the narrator kept mentioning his current job sporadically throughout the book. It made no sense and was never tied up. Another reviewer mentioned this book reading like a Botched Version of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books and that's a very good comparison.
Also, it seems like the author wrote this just so he could show off as much of his knowledge as possible, quoting famous literature or mentioning Copernicus and Kepler at every turn. It really got old after a while. And if I ever have to read about spit shaking again, I just might start tearing my hair out.
What's funny about all this is Doig is not a bad writer. His prose is descriptive and he's often delightfully witty. The writing isn't the problem - the content is.
When the widowed father of three boys decides to import a housekeeper to their Montana homestead, it brings big changes, but not quite in the way anyone expected. This coming-of-age tale rings true in every line.
Wow, I loved this book by Ivan Doig. I have read several of his and I think this is my favorite , so far. The one room schoolhouse, the housekeeper who doesn't bite and her brother are fascinating characters. And of course there is a terrible villain. Beautifully written and told, and won't be forgotten soon. And I learned some Latin, and a lot about Halley's Comet and astronomy.Highly recommend!
Compelling story beautifully written! About growing up in rural Montana around 1910.... Dry land farming, one-room schoolhouse, irrigation channel construction and climate change, and a unique and wonderful collection of characters.
A great story! Loved the plot line and how it kept my attention right to the end!
Ivan Doig is a talented writer, and this is wonderful, evocative book.
I love this author and his stories of the west.
A beautiful book, which tells the story of a family wounded by the mother's passing. There are three boys, the oldest in Seventh Grade, and a father on a farm in Montana in 1910. The father decides to hire a housekeeper, who comes from Minnesota and brings along her brother as a surprise. The brother eventually becomes the schoolteacher of the local one-room schoolhouse, bringing intellectual magic into the school and a secret to the family, which could have a tremendous impact on their future. The oldest son is the narrator, looking back as a school official much affected by his time in that one-room school.
All told in wonderful prose by a true master of the English language. Enjoy!
All told in wonderful prose by a true master of the English language. Enjoy!
This is great story. I just wanted it to go and on and on, and relished every word. It is a story that was written from the heart.
Yes, but will they be able to maximize their potential by passing standardized tests?
