Roadside History of Idaho (Roadside History)

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful exploration
Review: Betty Derig's book, A Roadside History of Idaho, travels the entire state, giving useful, interesting, and often rarely known facts and stories about Idaho. Without sounding too academic, the book is authoritative. Without being fluffy, it is light and enjoyable. Perhaps the most enjoyable element of the guide is that by cataloguing the history, the people, and the out-of-the-way places of Idaho, Derig successfully conveys a sense of mythology about the state. The reader, while enjoying the interesting and entertaining facts, gets the sense that Idaho has texture and history and a culture all its own - that the state is more than some sparsely populated, out of the way state that is only good for producing potatos. Betty Derig's book reveals Idaho for the enchanting, enchanted place that it is.