by Janet Dailey
The year is 1909; the location is Montana (which has been a state for 20 years). Janet Dailey’s readers are familiar with the surname Calder. The setting is two Dollarhide brothers, same father, different mothers. Cattle are the main “crop” in fictitious Blue Moon, Montana. Until emigrant farmers began homesteading. The ranchers are unhappy. One family, in particular the Anderson’s, are poor but determined to create a farm that will one day be run by their son.
Blake Dollarhide runs the Blue Moon sawmill; his half-brother supposedly is a rancher, but Mason is a spoiled rotten brat who does what he wants. Handsome and smooth-talking, Hanna, the oldest Anderson daughter, is enamored by his sweet talk and sadly finds out too late the kind of man Mason really is.
There are two plots that run through Calder Grit: 1) the pitting of rancher vs. homesteader (called honyockers) and 2) Blake Dollarhide who marries Hanna to give the child a name as well as protection. Add in an oily banker, Mason’s vicious mother, and a gang of troublemakers. Take note that the Calders are not mentioned.
Calder Grit should be called “Dollarhide Grit“. The Calders play a low role in this book; the Dollarhide family shines. Without them, there would be no book. The romance between Blake and Hanna is sweet and nicely done. The actions of the side characters are important to the story. The two plots are balanced and interwoven; the pacing is good. It’s a nice read.
Having read several of Janet Dailey’s “Calder” books some years ago including those with Chase Benteen Calder, the patriarch, I found the actions of these same Calders to not fit the tough Calder family. However, if you enjoy “chick-lit” stories, you will like Calder Grit.
HOWEVER, I can only give the book three stars due to the above statement and the book isn’t about the Calders but the Dollarhides.
#CalderGrit #NetGalley #JanetDailey
* Janet Dailey was a prolific author who died in 2013 at age 69. Authors make comprehensive notes about plots and characters, especially on “families” like the Calders. The Dailey family, working with an associate of Janet Dailey, has completed novels such as this one based on her notes.
Updated: 1/20/2022 – corrected spelling, changed color on dropcap.
