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Using Cameron’s diaries, source material and her own deep understanding of the area and its people, the author has crafted a magnificent biographical work, which should appeal to readers of all ages. State of the Arts: About Books - Fall 2017 Read full review |
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Evelyn Cameron and her cat, Patchy. Source: Montana Historical Society
Synopsis
In 1889, a young spunky British woman of genteel upbringing set sail for the United States—against her family's wishes. She traveled with a friend, Ewen Cameron, the man who later became her husband. They were bound for eastern Montana to hunt big game along the Yellowstone River, only thirteen years after the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The next fall the Camerons returned to England, packed up, and moved to Montana, where they lived for the rest of their lives. They first rented a ranch on the Powder River, among other British expatriates, to raise polo ponies for export to England. After years of limited success in the pony trade, they bought a small herd of cattle, settling into a more dependable existence of ranching and market gardens.
In her first biography, author Lorna Milne uses diaries and letters to reconstruct how Evelyn lived in the harsh eastern Montana landscape and how she became an extraordinary photographer. Evelyn may have been born in England, but through heart and temperament, she was a Westerner. She was resourceful, hard working, observant, artistic, adaptable. According to her contemporary, a traveling Englishwoman, Evelyn was described as “one of the great wonders of Montana.” Evelyn Cameron: Photographer on the Western Prairie
By Lorna Milne Media: Paperback, Published May 2017 Young Adult / History ISBN: 978-0-87842-675-1 176 pp, 6 x 9, $14.00 Distributed by Mountain Press Publishing Company PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806 Also available at local bookstores and at Amazon.com. |
Montana Winner: 52 Great Reads!Lorna Milne’s biography of Evelyn Cameron has been selected by the Montana Center for the Book as our state’s entry in 52 Great Reads which will be featured at the National Book Festival September 1st. Evelyn Cameron: Photographer on the Western Prairie can be found at local book stores or contact Mountain Press.
What is 52 Great Reads? Every year, a list of books representing the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands is distributed by the Library of Congress's Center for the Book during the National Book Festival. Each book is selected by a Center for the Book state affiliate or state library and most are for children and young readers. Books may be written by authors from the state, take place in the state, or celebrate the state’s culture and heritage. Why not read the book suggested for your state or district and then learn, through these books, about the other places that interest you? Check out the interactive map. |
Praise for Evelyn Cameron ...
I want to express how much I enjoyed your book. The amount of research you undertook was amazing and all that you discovered you pulled together into a story of heartfelt insight into this unusual woman. You also infused Evelyn’s story with a glimpse of honesty into what it was like in eastern Montana in the late 1880s and early 1900s. I enjoyed reading that people would “pop over from Europe for a bit of hunting in the wilds of Montana.” The Camerons loved the people and animals of Eastern MT and it showed in your writing. You made me see the world through the eyes of early Montanans. What a wonderful legacy she left through not only her photos but her journals and letters as well. Thank you for writing this tribute to a true Montana pioneer. ~ Pam