Review: Mud Creek
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 16, 2014
This is a good read.  It shows how hard it was to homestead in the Dakota's and the northern plains.  Two sisters lived with their family in the East.  Their father owned the merchantile store.  They had servants.  The oldest graduated HS at 16 and declined an offer of marriage to go to college.  She wanted to be a teacher.  Her sister had bouts of melancholy and mania and was nursed by her sister.  A few years later both their parents were killed in a road accident leaving the girls with no family.  Helen soon received a letter from Albert, the former neighbor who had proposed and he again proposed.  He told her of his ranch in the West and his they had fields, horses and cows and he had built a house for them and her sister would marry his brother.  Helen had no place to go.  Her father had lost money in the stock market and he had taken mortgages to cover expenses but there was nothing.  Albert wired the money for them to go.Helen and a reluctant Violet left on the train with all the belongings they could take but other than a pianoforte they had to leave all the furniture.When the girls arrived at the ranch it was not as Albert described it.  It was run down, situated wrong for the severe weather and her MIL was worn down from the constant Work and bad weather.  Violet was selfish and mentally ill.  She refused to work and did n' know how to cook and wouldn't'  learn.  Helen learned from Albert' s mother.  It was a rough winter.  Yet this is a love story of a woman who had loyalty and who cared for others but eventually had to save herself.  She had the courage to do that. It is an excellent book.  It provides a good picture of the times and the harsh country before the industrialized age.  Helen expanded her love and small family and had self respect.  You may get irritated over some of the patriarchal attitudes of arrogant incompetent men who were in over their heads.  But there is also success.