LETTERS OF A WOMAN HOMESTEADER

Author: Elinore Pruitt Stewart

Genre: True History

Setting: Colorado’s Eastern Rocky Mountain Front

Both are based on one woman’s experience in the Colorado Rockies during the prior century. I believe Elinor's

book may have been ‘adapted’ a bit, but if so, it still brings forth the flavor of the letters written by the author.

While not as riveting as Incident At Big Sky nor as beautifully written as the other book , Elinore’s tale is very interesting. Of course, the story does not take place anywhere near the

Centennial Valley. So, why read it? Because Elinor experienced life not so different from what I expect many

homesteaders in Southwest Montana experienced.

Elinore’s story intrigued me because, like Lillian Hackett Hanson Culver (a very local homesteader) Elinore

made the drastic decision to move not only herself but her young child west - at a time when the west wasn’t

friendly to men, let alone women and children. Furthermore, like Lillian Culver, Elinore Stewart moved west to

keep house - in Elinore’s case, for a bachelor rancher. And, like Lillian, Elinore had a lot of backbone - and a

healthy independent streak. I admire these women and thus recommend Elinor's story to you.