I loved this book because it gave such a good and very accurate description of how the "old west" used to be. Very good book club discussion...actually, one of the best we've had since our group started. Then again, we live in VERY VERY rural SD and can relate a lot to it!

This book is a delightful read. It is full of surprises, keeping it a page turner. The Whistling Season is narrated by the 12 year old son of the widower. This boy is brilliant and makes observations about all the characters in a way that makes the reader feel that he/she is right there in the scene. Being a retired teacher, my favorite parts were about the one room school and its eccentric, gifted teacher.

Those words alone made me want to meet this character! This was a great read. I loved the characters and enjoyed the story line. It dragged in a few spots and then picked up with a vengenance. Enjoyed this very much!

This book made me yearn for a simpler time...until the ending when I realized no time is ever simple!

What a delightful book with so many wonderful characters. I felt like I knew every character's personality. The twisting and turning of the story kept me reading almost non-stop until the surprise ending. The writer's poetic and melodious words were a joy to read.

Through his wonderful prose, the writer was able to bring me back to a time and place where technology hadn't yet gotten its hold on society. A quiet, lovely time, when people spoke to each other engaging in real conversation. A time when courtesy and manners was expected and given without question. Rose and Morrie brought a beautiful spirit to the Milliron family, bringing out the best in everyone.

The story engaged the reader and somehow made me long for the days of the one room schoolhouse and all that that entails.

A mix of To Kill a Mockingbird and Lonesome Dove. Great characters, interesting subject matter, with a surprise at the end! Narrated by a 12-year old boy who, along with his two younger brothers, is being raised by his recently widowed father. The story is set in Montana in the early 1900s, with much of it taking place in a one-roomed schoolhouse.

A slow-paced but beautifully written story of a hard scrabble life in rural Montana at the turn of the 20th century. Two people come into the lives of a motherless family and impact them in their own unique ways. The prose is a marvel. The wonderful use of language in describing landscape, framing dialogue & action alike is worth reading this book for alone!

Ivan Doig takes us, through his spare but truly beautiful and informative words, to Montana's historical times when The Big Ditch was being dug. Mostly it is a story of three motherless boys, and their one room schoolhouse which becomes a learning experience that lasts a lifetime for many reasons and a wonderful teacher. Also, Halley's Comet, whether to stay or move on, whether to close the one room schools later, what a wonderful story! And it will stay with you long after reading!

A very evocative and beautifully written novel, the book takes the reader back to a simplier time when life's important elements such as love, friendship, family, the joy in learning, and the awe over the natural world and its movements as well as other values are clear. This coming-of-age work resonates with every reader and provides for a weath of discussion.