Elena, Woman of Courage: Review and Giveaway

Ah, the good old days! Doctors made house calls, rode on horseback to remote areas, and stayed up all night with ailing patients if necessary, bringing patients and family members needed care, comfort, and relief. Although I know there have been tremendous medical advances since the 1920's, such as the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, sometimes I yearn for the days when doctors traveled to the homes of their patients, long before the days of health insurance and co-pays, crowded offices, congested hospitals, and confusing and costly medical bills.

However, the good old days really weren't so good for female doctors in the 1920's.

In the fifth and final book of this series by Linda Weaver Clarke, Elena, Woman of Courage: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho, the story focuses on the new doctor in town, Elena Yeates, who makes house calls, and also has an office for medical exams. She's seeking acceptance in the conservative western town of Paris, Idaho, in 1925. While Melinda Roberts wishes to switch from her old doctor to the new, female doctor, the menfolk are quite reluctant to. Elena is scoffed at and taunted, particularly by Mr. Anderson, who calls her a witch doctor and an old maid, because she's twenty-six, unmarried, and the wrong sex to be a doctor, and the other men are quite skeptical of her. That is, except for one. In the continuation of this historical fiction series, the Roberts' son, John, a "confirmed bachelor", is entranced by the new woman in town, who just happens to be the new doctor.

"As the men conversed, John watched Elena's every move and tried thinking of a way to get to know her. He had seldom been interested in a woman beyond the dance floor. He claimed to love the life of a bachelor and was too busy to court a woman, but for some reason, this woman fascinated him. There was only one problem; she did not seem to be interested in him."
~Elena, Woman of Courage, Linda Weaver Clarke

John feigns an illness and goes to see this lovely, half-Mexican, woman doctor with bobbed hair (a hairstyle some called disgraceful at the time) because of his interest in her. This story features members of the Roberts family and has many of the same elements I enjoyed in the author's previous books; it introduces a strong, independent protagonist, Dr. Elena Yeates, and includes an ardent romance between John and Elena. These books are enjoyable to read, and although they're wholesome, they're never boring. Linda Weaver Clarke is outstanding at presenting the characters' thoughts, especially when it comes to romance, and she captures the highs and lows of romantic life rather adeptly. The author also pays close attention to historical accuracy, enabling readers to learn about U.S. history in her novels. This book discusses the first female doctor in the U.S., Elizabeth Blackwell, who graduated at the top of her class in 1849, and set up her own clinic in NY because hospitals didn't hire women until years later. I enjoyed this story of adventure and romance set in the wild west, but I'm a bit saddened because this is the last book in the series, although the Author's Notes at the back of the book mentions that there's another series in the works.


And there's more good news! Linda Weaver Clarke is again generously offering an autographed copy of the first book in the series, Melinda and the Wild West, as a giveaway (US/Canada). To find out more about this book, here's my review.

-To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
-For an extra chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
-For yet another chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Sunday, March 7. The winner will be selected randomly, and announced on Monday, March 8. Good luck!

Special thanks to Linda Weaver Clarke for sending me this book. Without a doubt, Elena, Woman of Courage counts toward the Women Unbound Reading Challenge hosted by Aarti, Care, and Eva.

David and the Bear Lake Monster: Review and Giveaway

To be honest, I am not much of a fan of Western movies. John Wayne was a great actor, and there are some classic Western films, but I was never terribly interested in watching cowboys and bank robbers riding around on dusty old plains. That being said, though, I couldn't wait to continue my adventures in the "wild West" and read the fourth book in the historical fiction series by Linda Weaver Clarke, David and the Bear Lake Monster: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho, published in 2009. These books are so enjoyable to read! The characters come to life and keep me engaged and entertained. Once again, I ventured back in time, to the 1920's, when the land was vast and untamed, and life seemed full of promise and possibility. It was also the time of the Indian legend of the Bear Lake Monster.

"When the settlers arrived here in 1863, the Indians told them all about the Bear Lake Monster. It had captured and carried off two braves who were swimming. The monster was described as a serpent-like creature with legs about 18-inches long, and could crawl out of water, scurrying along on land. The Natives warned the pioneers to not go near the lake to swim. This legend still lives on today."
~David and the Bear Lake Monster, Linda Weaver Clarke


To David, the central character in this book, the monster sounds like a joke, but many people in town believe otherwise. As readers, we're not sure if the monster is fact or fiction. David's feelings for his deceased mother, however, are real and clear. He's upset and wishes he'd spent more time with her before she died, and regrets putting his freight business before his relationship with his mother. He comes back to visit the Roberts family in Paris, Idaho, to sort things out. While visiting, he becomes fascinated by a dainty and graceful dance teacher he meets at the town social, Sarah, and defends her honor a few times. Respect for women was very high in the West, and any man who hurt a woman could expect to be hunted down by other men. (Perhaps it's time to give Western movies another try!) But David holds back his true feelings for Sarah. The story also features other romance. While the marriage between Melinda and Gilbert Roberts is not perfect, their children are thriving and the couple's love endures.

Like the other books in this series, this novel is a lot of fun to read. But these books also have a serious side, and would help middle school and high school students learn about the history of the West, and the issues of the day, such as women's rights. These were the true pioneer days for women, when American women were slowly obtaining the right to vote, to attend college, and to become professionals. In David and the Bear Lake Monster, there's even a hint about the next book in the series, as Melinda wishes she could see a woman doctor. Please stay tuned for my review of the fifth and final book in this series, Elena, Woman of Courage, which features a woman doctor in the wild West.


Linda Weaver Clarke is once again generously offering an autographed copy of the first book in the series, Melinda and the Wild West, as a giveaway (US/Canada). To find out more about this book, here's my review.

-To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
-For an extra chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
-For yet another chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Sunday, January 24. The winner will be selected randomly, and announced on Monday, January 25. Good luck!



Special thanks to Linda Weaver Clarke for sending me this book.