Rating: 
Summary: GREAT BOOK!!
Review: I read this book for a class at school, and I must say that I loved every second of it. I am not a big reader, but I sat down to read Montana 1948 one night and thought I will only read the first 25 pages or so. I read the entire book in a couple of days. I could not put it down. This is a great book and everyone should read it. Montana 1948 will be on my shelf for the rest of my life
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: This book caught my attention from the start. Watson introduces the story through dramatic clips from the movie reel of David Hayden's mind; memories from the year he'd rather forget. His father, Wesley, is the sheriff of the small town they live in, but rarely has much work in his town... until Marie gets sick. Marie is a young Sioux girl who lives with the Hayden's to take care of David. When she becomes ill, she refuses to see David's uncle Frank who is a doctor. From that point the story begins to unravel. Marie reveals that Frank has been molesting young Indian women for some time. Being the sheriff of the city, Wesley has an important, and difficult job on his hands. It is his duty to turn in his brother, and bring him before the law, but Frank is family, and well-liked around their small town. When Marie dies suddenly, and David confesses to seeing Frank at the house earlier the same day, Wesley knows he must to do something. Under his father's controlling hand, and his brother's charm, Wesley finds himself in a bind over which should comes first; his job and the law, or loyalty to family? Without much planning, he decides to take his brother into his own home as prisoner, and locks him in the basement, but this does not solve his problems, because his wife won't allow it. Throughout all this, David has managed to pick up the entire story by eavesdropping. His young mind is having a difficult time accepting the news about his uncle Frank, and although he is young, he realizes that his family will never be the same. Already, David is unable to look at his family member the way he used to. Watson describes in vivid and clear detail the war waging between justice and loyalty at the heart of this family. Wesley's father believes that loyalty is far more important in this case, although he used to be the one with the badge. Wesley on the other hand, although torn, believes that the law is the law, and as sheriff, he can't just look the other way even if it is his own brother. This book is as intriguing and exciting as it is thought provoking.
Rating:
Summary: Montana:1948
Review: Montana 1948 was a very well written book. The author, Larry Watson showed a clear plot in portraying his story. Montana 1948 is shown through the narrator: a twelve-year-old boy named David Hayden. It tells of one tragic summer when this boy's life was changed completely. Upon finding out that the father's brother (a doctor) is molesting young Sioux girls during medical visits, the father, Wesley is forced to make a decision. Should he let him go on his promise to stop, or does he follow through with his role as sheriff and arrest his own brother? Well, the brother, Frank answers the question for him when he kills a sick Sioux woman who knew the truth. The things David went through and the feelings he felt are shown throughout the entire book. To me, this is a five-star book. I would highly recommend it to anyone. The New York Times reported that, yes the book was "strong on plot," but went on to say that it was a "shallow yet overwrought tale." Upon reading this, I was shocked. There was swearing and sexual language in the book, but because of the story line there had to be to be at all effective. When David's mother confesses the truth to her husband, she tells him that "when he examines Indian girls he [Frank] does things to them," (47) and then goes on to explain. She tells him that he "makes some of his patients undress completely and get into indecent positions." (47) Although this is one of the more un-descriptive statements, I feel that I don't need to go on to get my point across. If the author had simply stated that he molests these girls and left it at that, he wouldn't have gotten into the reader's head as well as he did. This book causes the reader to feel and think as they read the book. Barbara Hoffert from the Library Journal said that in the book "Watson builds a simple but powerful tale." Montana 1948 does have a simple plot, but it goes into great amounts of detail. Through out the book, the reader will often feel what David is feeling. After learning that his uncle molests these young women David found himself looking at his father, and he couldn't stand it. "[He] didn't want to notice the way he combed his hair straight back. [He] didn't want to see the little mound of flesh between his eyebrows...[He] didn't want to see any of the ways that he resembled his brother." (52) As the reader reads this, his heart goes out to the young boy because he can feel what he's going through. We may not know what it's like to go through that, but because of the way it's narrated, we can feel just what David is feeling. Hoffert went on to say that "the moral issues, and the consequences of following one's own conscience, are made painfully evident [in the book]." After arresting Frank, Wesley kept him in the basement of his home because Frank "didn't want to go to jail. Not...in town."(109) Wesley willingly agreed to this for a while. When he changed his mind, he went down to get Frank only to find he had killed himself with the glass of broken jars. In a way, the family was relieved for now nobody had to go through the pain and shame of having their well-respected relative in prison. But, it was also a very tragic ending. The family's life was forever changed that summer of 1948. Montana 1948 was a very moving piece of literature. I would recommend this book in a hearbeat. It's short length, but great depth are two qualities many people like, including me.
Rating:
Summary: Justice with an unexpected twist.
Review: Twelve-year-old David Hayden is about to watch three generations of his family enter into a maelstrom of events that will rip a family apart, leaving a gapping wound that time will never repair. This is the story of two brothers, one the favored son of a rich landowner, a doctor, and war hero, while the other is a father's disappointment.Marie Little Soldier reveals a dark secret that sets Sheriff Hayden off on an investigation that turns up much more than is expected. Add murder to the formula, and you have a page turning thriller that will leave you aghast at the direction it takes. Watson's writing flows along effortlessly as you catapult to an ending of cataclysmic proportion for this family. A family that has not only thrived on the justice of their time, but also has held it like a scepter to which there were no reprisals. This author writes with a western flare of youth lost to an irrepressible end, quite similar to "All the Pretty Horses". I am looking forward to "Justice" which is a prequel to "Montana 1948". It gives an added glimpse into the lives of the characters before the winds of change turn their world on end. Watson is a keen storyteller that is certainly worth reading. 12/28/00
Rating: 
Summary: Montana 1948
Review: A good book, but disappointing. It was so depressing! It focused on rape and child molestation which is uncomfortable to read about. It did have a good inspirational tone though. He looked over that fact that it was his brother commiting the crime and tried to handle the situation as if it was a stranger.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking, compelling!!
Review: Our American history is rife with bigotry and racism, and Larry Watson's beautifully written novel,"Montana 1948," is a thought-provoking story of how a family can be torn apart because of it. I read it in one sitting; once I started, I simply couldn't stop. Hours later, I find myself still thinking about it. It's rare that I read a novel that a screenplay could do justice to, but in this case, perhaps so. Because the message and the lesson is so compelling, maybe a movie would be the best way to get it to the masses.
Rating:
Summary: A local author in Stevens Point
Review: I live in Stevens Point, Wisconsin where Larry Watson is from. Of course, I did have to read this book in my high school English class. Everyone enjoyed the book, including me. It's been awhile since I've read it, but I've never forgetten it. I do recognize him every so often grocery shopping with his wife. I heard him speak at my sister's high school graduation and found him to be interesting yet simple. I think that this book would be wonderful for Oprah's book club.
Rating:
Summary: Montana 1948
Review: "What do you know son, what did you see?" Wesley, a loyal father, and local sherriff asks of his son. He continues, "I mean earlier, this afternoon, arround 3." "What did you see?" Yes, what was it that David Hayden, a twelve year old boy growing up in sparcely populated town of Bentrock, Montana really saw? In this well written, but sadly moving novel,Milkweed National Fiction Prize winner Watson(In A Dark Time,Leaving Dakota) takes us through the life of a family about to be torn apart from a longtime, well kept secret.
Rating:
Summary: Little Big Sky
Review: I lived in Bozeman, Montana the summer I was eight and I still have a lot of fond memories of the time my family spent there. I know I must talk about it a lot, because one day my girlfriend brought me this book and said, "I found something you have to read." From the cover and the write-up on the back, "Montana 1948" looked like it might be a nostalgic, bittersweet coming-of-age tale set in the Big Sky state. It is all of those things, but it's more. Larry Watson spins a poignant, compelling narrative that deals with family, secrecy, innocence and corruption in a very moving way. The book's opening section gives a longish description of the setting. Soon after, drama unfolds and the plot becomes as thick as that of a mystery novel. As I was reading the book, I thought that I would probably give it a four star rating. But the ending was so beautifully moving that it bumped itself up. The story is interesting and thought-provoking and the writing is lean but never pretentious. What I liked most about this book, though, was the rich characterization and the great pleasure I took in reading a well-told story. You'll enjoy this short, great novel, even if you've never thought twice about Montana.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: This is a powerful story of racism and sexual abuse told from the viewpoint of a 12 year old boy. The characters and their relationships to each other are beautifully drawn and developed. I look forward to reading other books by this author.
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