Wyoming Summer

by Mary O'Hara

I can't remember how I came across this book, but I'm certainly glad I did. Mary O'Hara's books about a Wyoming horse ranch- My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead and Green Grass of Wyoming have long been favorites of mine. So I was thrilled to find this fourth volume. I thought it was a continuation of the Goose Bar Ranch story, but I was wrong. It's a semi-autobiographical novel based on O'Hara's diary. I was surprised to learn that long before writing novels, Mary O'Hara worked on screenplays for Hollywood, and composed music for the piano. Her descriptions of the Wyoming land and ranch life are pleasant, and the way she writes about music is simply wonderful. It's usually difficult for me to imagine hearing music by reading about it, but O'Hara's words bring the music vividly to my ears. Wyoming Summer traces the path she took from composer of music to writer of beloved novels. This book is a real jewel and one I hope I can add to my personal library someday.

Rating: 4/5 ........ 286 pages, 1963