"By providing her schoolteacher protagonist with a portable writing desk, the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the novels of George Eliot, and the notion that 'the observations of a woman [traveling west along the Missouri] should be no less interesting than those of Clark and Lewis,' novelist Diane Elliott has made Electa Bryan a credible narrator whose decision 'to record the whole of it' affords readers a new perspective on one of the most famous—or infamous— incidents in Montana history.
"Rich in the details of everyday living—riverboat travel in the midst of the Civil War, women's work on the Sun River Government Farm, married life in Bannock's Yankee Flats—and sprinkled with the comings and goings of such familiar figures as Granville Stuart, Johnny Grant, and Sidney Edgerton, Strength of Stone invites a willing suspension of dis belief and serves as a strong reminder that life, love—and even history— are all a matter of perspective." —Linda Peavy and Ursula Smith Women in Waiting in the Wesward Movement
"This novel brings us to the heart of one of the most intriguing mysteries of the Western frontier—the guilt or innocence of an early law man hanged by Montana vigilantes. This compelling story from America's past is beautifully written. The author's meticulous research has unearthed colorful details which re-create daily life during the gold- rush era. A delightful, rewarding read!" —R. E. Mather Hanging the Sheriff A Biography of Henry Plummer