Montana native Blunt makes a strong debut with this memoir of life on a cattle ranch during the 1950s and ’60s. Raised in a rural area with no running water, the author was early initiated into the harsh realities of ranching, tackling chores and attending a one-room school. Unwillingly, she adhered to established gender roles, marrying a man from a neighboring homestead and trying to be a suitable wife. But after 12 years of marriage and the birth of three children, Blunt decided to follow her dream of becoming a writer. She said goodbye to the farm, enrolled in college and began composing award-winning verse. Her memoir reflects her penchant for the poetic. It’s beautifully written, full of unforgettable anecdotes about the severity of Montana living and the constraints of being a female in a man’s world. It’s also proof that you can’t keep a good woman down. A reading group guide is available in print and online at www.vintagebooks.com/read.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
