MacGregor's Lantern

Rating:
Summary: ...a compelling story ... a novel for all times
Review: In this debut novel by Colorado writer and historian Corinne Joy Brown, the life of cattlemen in 1870's Colorado and Wyoming, formerly earned by nothing more and nothing less than sweat and blood-comes to face with big business-dealings with Scottish investors who conquer their worlds with prestige and money.
Margaret Dowling, the daughter of a Philadelphia bank president, finds herself in the middle of this venture when she weds a Scot investor, Kerr McKennon. Though this marriage is not one based on the true romantic natures one would expect, Maggie welcomes the opportunity to go west and start a new life, and develops an instant and everlasting fondness to the landscape and wildlife of the American West.
Maggie McKennon comes face to face with her destiny when her husband is killed, and rather than leave a country and lifestyle that she has come to love, she vows to take his place in the partnership he had formed with Hugh MacGregor and see his dream through. This challenge would be tremendous for any man who on a daily basis deals with the rugged and violent nature of their adversaries, but Maggie McKennon proves herself capable of surviving such a world that can be as ruthless as it is beautiful.
Corinne Joy Brown is a welcomed voice to Western literature, one that captures her readers with a clear, concise prose, and a compelling story reminiscent of the great historical author John Jakes. MacGregor's Lantern is a novel for all times, and Corinne Joy Brown a treasure to the new millennium. -Steven Law, ReadWest Online Magazine

Rating:
Summary: Macgregor's Lantern Review
Review: My book club read this book and we were in general agreement that this was a very good read, especially realizing that it is the author's first novel. Being from Denver, I found myself being transported back in time to the 1880s making the trip from Denver to Como, Colo, where much of the action takes place. The historical research that went into producing the novel was accurate, yet it is a history of the west that most westerners aren't even aware of: How Scottish cattle barons became influential ranchers in Colorado and Wyoming.
The Scottish broage dialect was delightful, bringing another flair of authenticity to the novel. It's an Hisorical novel, a romance, a women's rights book (for which it must be read and recommended by Oprah) and a western adventure story all rolled into one. I highly recommend this book!