A prologue describes the location and beautiful physical setting of the story and sets the western theme of self-reliance and willingness to fight for survival in a hostile world. Colorado Palmer-Winston is the attractive young Mayor of a small city struggling for prosperity in the rural backwater of the Cowboy State. The success of her ranch, her city, her marriage and even her physical safety are threatened by the criminal activities of aggressive strangers who flood into the area in search of mineral riches. The laid ...
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A prologue describes the location and beautiful physical setting of the story and sets the western theme of self-reliance and willingness to fight for survival in a hostile world. Colorado Palmer-Winston is the attractive young Mayor of a small city struggling for prosperity in the rural backwater of the Cowboy State. The success of her ranch, her city, her marriage and even her physical safety are threatened by the criminal activities of aggressive strangers who flood into the area in search of mineral riches. The laid-back, friendly cattle culture is contrasted with competitive amoral ambitions of mining industry newcomers. Crime appears, along with environmental degradation of rivers, prairie and ranchlands that change the landscape of the new mining region. Social and political issues of the Korean War period impact everyone affected by the uranium discovery and many lives are changed forever. The story of Milo Harris, a black cowboy, and his love affair with a white businesswoman explores racial bias of the pre-Rosa Parks era. You may have been born too late remember the days before color television, computers and cell phones but there was a rich culture and technology that foreshadowed the rapid progress of the latter half of the century.
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Add this copy of Sheila's Tree to cart. $11.29, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2004 by iUniverse.
Add this copy of Sheila's Tree to cart. $26.29, new condition, Sold by Booksplease rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Southport, MERSEYSIDE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2004 by iUniverse.
Add this copy of Sheilaŭs Tree to cart. $34.96, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by iUniverse.
Add this copy of Sheilaŭs Tree to cart. $65.00, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by iUniverse.
When I began to read this book, I was told that other readers found it to be fabulous. I was not disappointed. This book of historical fiction invents its own folklore, blending that old west into the modern age. The prose is finely crafted--reading it is like eating chocolate. To me, the times of the 1950s became real again, along with all of the limitations of technologies, transportation, communications, and prejudices of the time. For a while I wondered if I was reading a Steinbeck novel, where personal prejudice and character flaws logically produce a downward spin of calamities, resulting the demise of most of the protagonists. And yes, there are several protagonists, further enriching the reading experience. Somehow, Crawford manages to pull the various threads together into a logical, but satisfying conclusion. Enjoy.
