Original sentence: In Lyman's interaction with (and rantings about) 1960s culture, we get yet another historical dimension to the story (Lyman's son teaches at Berkeley and a counterculture daughter of a neighbor helps transcribe the tapes).It is as if he picked up the disappointment from his ancestors or, perhaps, is drawn to focus more closely on his own mortality and what he can accomplish himself.It is clear we are reading Lyman's interpretation of the story, a literary device that encourages readers to be more skeptical of what they are told.It seems to describe the loose wandering of the Ward family as they try to carve a civilized existence in the west and, hopefully, return to the east as successes.Stegner's use of Mary Hallock Foote's historical letters gives the novel's locations—Leadville, New Almaden, Idaho, and Mexico—an authentic feel one doesn't usually find in westerns; the letters also give the Wards' struggles with the environment, shady businessmen, politicians and other dangers a human feel.The book is given more complexity by having Lyman Ward narrate from his wheelchair a century after the fact.The story is a series of Oliver's hopeful struggles on various mining, hydrology and construction engineering jobs, and Susan's adaptation and struggle to support him
Edited sentence: In Lyman's interaction with and rantings about 1970 culture, we get yet another historical dimension to the story (Lyman's son teaches at Berkeley and a hippy daughter of a neighbor helps transcribe his tape-recorded notes).It seems to describe the loose wandering of the Ward family as they try to carve a civilized existence in the west and, Susan hopes, to return to the east as successes.Lyman Ward narrates from his wheelchair a century after the fact.Lyman interprets the story at times and leaves gaps that he points out at other times.Stegner's use of Mary Hallock Foote's historical letters gives the novel's locations—Leadville, New Almaden, Idaho, and Mexico—an authentic feel; the letters also add vividness to the Wards' struggles with the environment, shady businessmen, and politicians.The story details Oliver's  struggles on various mining, hydrology, and construction engineering jobs, and Susan's adaptation to a hard life