Come along on a cattle drive through the historic Brink ranch. Lay out your bedroll under a pine tree beneath the starry skies of Montana, as coyotes howl from the rimrocks, cattle graze nearby, and horses nicker softly and stamp their feet in the darkness.
The spirit of the west comes alive in a unique new book, Montana Stirrups, Sage and Shenanigans:Western Ranch Life in a Forgotten Era, in stories of working cattle, horses, wildlife and western humor. In this old west epic with a modern touch, sisters Francie Brink Berg, Anne Brink Krickel and Jeanie Brink Thiessen write of ranch life through a legacy of pioneer values and traditions.
In many ways it is the story of young ranching families all across the west during a time that demanded resourcefulness, hard work and courage. Dozens of events take the reader from hard times of the Depression, to fighting World War II on the home front, to embracing post-war recovery. Difficult times, yet a remarkable sense of humor prevailed and there was time for pranks, jokes and the fun of creating them.
But it is the personal stories that make this modern western classic a delight to readers; stunning tales of trailing cattle in a blizzard, branding, overcoming emergencies of accident and fire, anxiously watching as Nazi POWs work the fields.
Montana Stirrups, Sage and Shenanigans is a social history as well, of the uncommon people of the west who practiced tolerance and respect, extended warm hospitality to strangers and knew the close ties of family and community. The authors’ own mother came west by covered wagon and their father ran wild horses out of the Missouri River Breaks, both before 1910.
This book speaks to readers of all ages who enjoy the west: from young people who envision themselves in engaging scenarios to old-timers who were there and want to share with friends and families. This is a truly enjoyable book that is equally at home on the coffee table and in the library. Ideal for a gift book.
The new 408-page volume is packed with lively stories and attractively laid out with dozens of black-and-white images and over 260 historic photographs from the Brink family collection. Available in both softcover ($29.95) and hardcover ($39.95) in bookstores and gift shops, and online at http://www.MontanaStirrupsandSage.com. It also may be ordered from Flying Diamond Books, 402 S. 14th St., Hettinger ND 58639 (605-347-1806), [email protected].
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