Great Wyoming reads

by George W. Hufsmith

$13.95 in paperback

This is a fascinating piece of Wyoming history. I vaguely recall hearing about Cattle Kate, but I never explored her story until I ordered this book. Hufsmith does a great job of researching and setting forth both sides of the mystery. Did Cattle Kate (whose real name was Ellen Watson) really barter sex for calves, or did a wealthy rancher's desire for land and water rights push him to commit murder? You’ll also find out what happened to the witnesses, who mysteriously disappeared and died, and why the powerful cattleman who wanted Ellen’s property and committed the lynching was never punished. This is a very interesting book, especially for Wyomingites.

Ghosts of Wyoming

by Alyson Hagy

$15 in paperback

I was a little disappointed with Hagy’s latest short story collection. I expected tales of the supernatural in Wyoming, and while a couple of the stories do have a supernatural twist, most lean toward historical fiction and contemplation of conflict in Wyoming’s oil and gas, cattle and railroad industries. I enjoy Hagy’s writing style, and still found this new book well worth the read, even though I was expecting scary thrills and chills.

Staking Her Claim: Women Homesteading the West

by Marcia Meredith Hensley

$19.95 in paperback

My grandmother’s family homesteaded in North Dakota in the late 1800s and my grandmother was the only child in the family to be born in this country in 1900. I’ve heard a lot of her stories, and reading this book was almost like hearing my grandmother’s stories again. This book is filled with letters and articles of the time, telling the stories of women who seized the opportunity to become landowners by homesteading in the Wild West of the early 1900s. Reading these stories in the women’s words, through their diaries, was, at times, heartbreaking, educational and funny, but always interesting. This is a must-read book.

Tom Horn Blood on the Moon: Dark History of the Murderous Cattle Detective

by Chip Carlson

$19.95 in paperback

One of the greatest true crime mysteries in Wyoming’s history comes to life in this book by Chip Carlson. With findings never published before, Carlson does an admirable job of exploring the mystery of the murder of 14-year-old Willie Nickell. Tom Horn was convicted in what some believe to be a sham trial and, subsequently, hanged for the crime. The evidence showed that Horn surely could have been the culprit, but there was doubt. Lots of doubt. While the book was a little dry at times, overall, it was very interesting. Carlson provides all of the evidence and points to the probable killer of Willie Nickell. If you want to know who-done-it, you’ll have to read the book yourself.

Claiming Ground: A Memoir

by Laura Bell

$24.95 in hardcover

Leaving her home in Kentucky, Bell arrived in Wyoming in 1977 for the adventure of herding sheep in Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin. With a feel for prose that I’ve seldom seen, she describes Wyoming’s wilderness and her experiences as the only woman sheepherder among older men, many of whom were abusing alcohol. Her story of carving a niche for herself in Wyoming, and looking for love and acceptance in her chosen home, is one of a kind. As an animal lover, I especially liked the stories of the many animals for whom she cared that healed her heart and soul. As someone who is naturally suspect of memoirs, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

Lisa Craft, owner of Blue Heron Books and Espresso in Casper, is voracious reader and invites you in for a cup of your favorite beverage and a chat about your favorite books. www.blueheronwyoming.com.