MONTANA MATRIMONIAL NEWS

In Simar’s historical novel, homesteaders in the Dakota Territories seek love and community in the changing landscape of late-19th-century America.

Digger Dancy is nearing the end of his time sitting on his claim in the Dakota Territories before winning the land from the government. He and his brother, George, suffer through their fifth winter on their neighboring claims living in their “sodd[ies].” This winter has been especially hard on George, whom Digger had to convince to leave their home (and their overbearing mother) back east in Iowa. Digger decides the two should put out an ad for a wife in the Montana Matrimonial News to cure George’s loneliness. The narrative also follows several other homesteaders who reside in the area surrounding the small town of Nickelbo; The text recalls John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row with its short-story-like structure charting the lives of various members of the small community. Olava Wick, whom the townspeople refer to as “Doctor Gamla,” is another significant character. Olava is an elderly midwife who takes on most of the medical needs of Nickelbo, aside from the occasional amputation performed by the barber, Civil War veteran Stubby. The townspeople (mostly) affectionately refer to Olava as a witch, an epithet she does little to shirk. Olava’s catchphrase—“My cures work if you can stand them”— is proven true each time she helps a homesteader with matters of health or the heart. One of the most engaging aspects of the novel is the characters’ interactions with major historical events, such as Prohibition and North Dakota achieving statehood. While Prohibition is mostly discussed by the men (who are typically opposed) in the story, the women who are pro-Prohibition are not looked down upon. The only unfortunate characterization in the book is that of Indigenous Americans, who are mostly absent from the narrative. When they are mentioned, it is disparagingly, such as when a child is described screaming “as if he were being scalped by Red Indians.” Apart from this, the novel is successful as an affirmation of the importance of community and connection in the human experience.

Touching vignettes of everyday life and romance on the American frontier.