Wild Life is a feral read!, 12 Feb 2001
Early in the 1900s Charlotte Bridger Drummond, a thoroughly modern woman & a writer of popular women's adventures, sets out with a search party to rescue a lost child in the wilderness between Oregon & Washington.

In the beginning, Wild Life is written in a dense & informative narrative style, reminiscent of the literature of that era & Molly Gloss has captured the transformation of a self-assured pioneer woman, confident in her knowledge of the local flora & fauna, until she becomes separated from the search party.

Then Wild Life changes to short entries of despair & longer ones when the observer, the scientist in Charlotte, overtakes the pampered housewife.

When Charlotte wanders into the territory of band of elusive, seemingly human creatures & is accepted as part of their extended family, she must re-think her modern, patronizing opinion of wild animals & learn the secrets to a contented life. Then the unthinkable happens: a battle between modern men & the wild creatures she has befriended & suddenly all the layers of that revered civilization are peeled away.

Wild Life is both a joy & a labor, a remarkably absorbing, thought-provoking & endearing read. Do check out my site for my full review.

Wild Life is a feral read!, 12 Feb 2001
Early in the 1900s Charlotte Bridger Drummond, a thoroughly modern woman & a writer of popular women's adventures, sets out with a search party to rescue a lost child in the wilderness between Oregon & Washington.

In the beginning, Wild Life is written in a dense & informative narrative style, reminiscent of the literature of that era & Molly Gloss has captured the transformation of a self-assured pioneer woman, confident in her knowledge of the local flora & fauna, until she becomes separated from the search party.

Then Wild Life changes to short entries of despair & longer ones when the observer, the scientist in Charlotte, overtakes the pampered housewife.

When Charlotte wanders into the territory of band of elusive, seemingly human creatures & is accepted as part of their extended family, she must re-think her modern, patronizing opinion of wild animals & learn the secrets to a contented life. Then the unthinkable happens: a battle between modern men & the wild creatures she has befriended & suddenly all the layers of that revered civilization are peeled away.

Wild Life is both a joy & a labor, a remarkably absorbing, thought-provoking & endearing read. Do check out my site for my full review.

A woman's portrayal of the harshness of the West., 17 Apr 1998
Molly Gloss' The Jump-Off Creek is a story about a woman's independence in Western society. It follows the lives of the three main characters; Lydia Sanderson, Tim Whiteaker, and Tim's Indian friend, Blue. Throughout the book, Gloss tells her story by using the different perspectives of her characters. These changes in points of view allow the reader to understand the main characters personalities and to watch them develop. Gloss uses the harshness of the West and its winters to strengthen her characters, and she tries to show her reader that life in the West was not as easy as it normally appears to be in typical western stories. The Jump-Off Creek demonstrates life through hardships and trials. But, through them all, the main characters are able to persevere and are made stronger. It is my opinion that her portrayal of the West was well done and will challenge the reader to think differently about how he or she conceives the West. Gloss' book is a western which shows the reader how a woman saw the West. No longer is the western only about cowboys and Indians. Now, the reader is allowed to see how a woman, and an independent one at that, perceived the West and the trials that she had to go through just in order to survive the first winter. Lydia Sanderson's husband had recently died and had left their farm land to her. With a restless soul and the need for transformation, Lydia is driven West to find a new life. However, Lydia does not go West to find a new husband. She does not need any help from a man, and is rather reluctant to accept any help from the opposite sex. She intends to make it on her own, and throughout the book, she does maintain her independence. She does not conform to the lifestyle of the other women in the West. Gloss uses to reflect women's position in today's society. Gloss intends to prove that a woman and survive without a man. And, what better way to prove this for the young women of today than through a story of the harsh West? Gloss keeps the theme of her abnormal depiction of the West in her portrayal of Tim Whiteaker. Mr. Whiteaker was not a typical cowboy. In fact, none of the men in this story are. The men in this book depend on each other a lot more than the men are allowed to in other westerns. Tim and Blue rely on each other so much that, in the end when Blue dies, Tim becomes so lonely that he begins to rely on Lydia's company. These men are also quite squeamish when it comes to blood and injuries. For example, after Blue is injured during a fight with a bear, Tim calls Lydia to stitch up Blue as he cannot stomach the thought of doing it himself. Tim even feels the need to step outside while she is working. Tim shows that he is not a typical cowboy in many other ways. He is a cook, and he even gets a job cooking at a ranch during part of the story. He never finishes a fight, at one time he falls off of his horse, and many times the reader sees that Tim has bad aim while shooting a gun. None of these are characteristics of a cowboy, and may make one wonder how he has been able to survive the harshness of the West. In her journal entries, Lydia constantly refers to Tim in childlike terms, as she often does while she speaks to him. Throughout The Jump-Off Creek, the weather plays a big part in the characters' lives. Especially during the winters, the reader is able to see how hard a settler had to work in able to get through an ice storm. A settler did not only have himself to worry about, but any animals that he might have, as they could not care for themselves during this weather. If the animals were to die, the settler would have a hard year to look forward to as his livelihood would be gone. The toughness of the land, and the weather that came with it, eventually drew the characters closer as they tried to band together in order to survive. I feel that Gloss's portrayal of the sexes in her book are quite beneficial to young women in today's society. So many times, in literature and other areas of life, women are called upon to take the "back seat," or a supporting role. In The Jump Off Creek, Gloss shows that this secondary role is not necessary. She shows her female readers that they should feel free to take the reigns and strike out on their own adventures. No longer must a woman need a man. Also, Gloss shows her male readers that it is "O.K." to ask for help. They need not "do it alone" as so many men feel they need to do in today's society. I enjoyed this book, and I believe that while it may challenge a person's traditional view of the West, it does so thoughtfully. Now, the reader is allowed to make their own decisions about "how the West was won," and to consider the role of the female. Could the West have survived without the woman? Gloss does not think that it would have. And, she challenges her reader to think the same.

Wild Life is a feral read!, 12 Feb 2001
Early in the 1900s Charlotte Bridger Drummond, a thoroughly modern woman & a writer of popular women's adventures, sets out with a search party to rescue a lost child in the wilderness between Oregon & Washington.

In the beginning, Wild Life is written in a dense & informative narrative style, reminiscent of the literature of that era & Molly Gloss has captured the transformation of a self-assured pioneer woman, confident in her knowledge of the local flora & fauna, until she becomes separated from the search party.

Then Wild Life changes to short entries of despair & longer ones when the observer, the scientist in Charlotte, overtakes the pampered housewife.

When Charlotte wanders into the territory of band of elusive, seemingly human creatures & is accepted as part of their extended family, she must re-think her modern, patronizing opinion of wild animals & learn the secrets to a contented life. Then the unthinkable happens: a battle between modern men & the wild creatures she has befriended & suddenly all the layers of that revered civilization are peeled away.

Wild Life is both a joy & a labor, a remarkably absorbing, thought-provoking & endearing read. Do check out my site for my full review.

A woman's portrayal of the harshness of the West., 17 Apr 1998
Molly Gloss' The Jump-Off Creek is a story about a woman's independence in Western society. It follows the lives of the three main characters; Lydia Sanderson, Tim Whiteaker, and Tim's Indian friend, Blue. Throughout the book, Gloss tells her story by using the different perspectives of her characters. These changes in points of view allow the reader to understand the main characters personalities and to watch them develop. Gloss uses the harshness of the West and its winters to strengthen her characters, and she tries to show her reader that life in the West was not as easy as it normally appears to be in typical western stories. The Jump-Off Creek demonstrates life through hardships and trials. But, through them all, the main characters are able to persevere and are made stronger. It is my opinion that her portrayal of the West was well done and will challenge the reader to think differently about how he or she conceives the West. Gloss' book is a western which shows the reader how a woman saw the West. No longer is the western only about cowboys and Indians. Now, the reader is allowed to see how a woman, and an independent one at that, perceived the West and the trials that she had to go through just in order to survive the first winter. Lydia Sanderson's husband had recently died and had left their farm land to her. With a restless soul and the need for transformation, Lydia is driven West to find a new life. However, Lydia does not go West to find a new husband. She does not need any help from a man, and is rather reluctant to accept any help from the opposite sex. She intends to make it on her own, and throughout the book, she does maintain her independence. She does not conform to the lifestyle of the other women in the West. Gloss uses to reflect women's position in today's society. Gloss intends to prove that a woman and survive without a man. And, what better way to prove this for the young women of today than through a story of the harsh West? Gloss keeps the theme of her abnormal depiction of the West in her portrayal of Tim Whiteaker. Mr. Whiteaker was not a typical cowboy. In fact, none of the men in this story are. The men in this book depend on each other a lot more than the men are allowed to in other westerns. Tim and Blue rely on each other so much that, in the end when Blue dies, Tim becomes so lonely that he begins to rely on Lydia's company. These men are also quite squeamish when it comes to blood and injuries. For example, after Blue is injured during a fight with a bear, Tim calls Lydia to stitch up Blue as he cannot stomach the thought of doing it himself. Tim even feels the need to step outside while she is working. Tim shows that he is not a typical cowboy in many other ways. He is a cook, and he even gets a job cooking at a ranch during part of the story. He never finishes a fight, at one time he falls off of his horse, and many times the reader sees that Tim has bad aim while shooting a gun. None of these are characteristics of a cowboy, and may make one wonder how he has been able to survive the harshness of the West. In her journal entries, Lydia constantly refers to Tim in childlike terms, as she often does while she speaks to him. Throughout The Jump-Off Creek, the weather plays a big part in the characters' lives. Especially during the winters, the reader is able to see how hard a settler had to work in able to get through an ice storm. A settler did not only have himself to worry about, but any animals that he might have, as they could not care for themselves during this weather. If the animals were to die, the settler would have a hard year to look forward to as his livelihood would be gone. The toughness of the land, and the weather that came with it, eventually drew the characters closer as they tried to band together in order to survive. I feel that Gloss's portrayal of the sexes in her book are quite beneficial to young women in today's society. So many times, in literature and other areas of life, women are called upon to take the "back seat," or a supporting role. In The Jump Off Creek, Gloss shows that this secondary role is not necessary. She shows her female readers that they should feel free to take the reigns and strike out on their own adventures. No longer must a woman need a man. Also, Gloss shows her male readers that it is "O.K." to ask for help. They need not "do it alone" as so many men feel they need to do in today's society. I enjoyed this book, and I believe that while it may challenge a person's traditional view of the West, it does so thoughtfully. Now, the reader is allowed to make their own decisions about "how the West was won," and to consider the role of the female. Could the West have survived without the woman? Gloss does not think that it would have. And, she challenges her reader to think the same.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 04 Dec 2008
It is the winter of 1917, and the United States has finally aligned itself with the allies of World War I. Times are hard. Young men are being shipped overseas at an alarming rate. Ranchers and farmers are scrambling to find adequate help. They must settle for older hired hands and young women looking for work.

Nineteen-year-old Martha Lessen has left her family in search of such work; specifically, horses that need "gentling." She makes her way to Eastern Oregon territory and sets up a circle with several horses that need breaking. During her stay in Elwha County, Martha becomes a part of the ranchers and farmers lives. She learns their secrets and listens to their stories. The female broncobuster who wished only to tame horses becomes a part of their community.

THE HEARTS OF HORSES has a quiet profoundness about it. Readers will not find anything flashy about this story, and in this time of thirty-second sound bytes and fast-food media, that sounds just fine. Gloss' main character is a worthy protagonist. A sturdily built young woman who has dreamed of the places mentioned in Western romance novels, she only wishes to roam free amongst her horses. It is a beautiful, poignant story that many people will enjoy reading.

Horse lovers will be especially drawn to the novel because of the care that Gloss takes while describing each animal and his/her temperament. Take the time to read this tale of a female horse whisperer - it will not disappoint.

Reviewed by: LadyJay