The Readers met on June 21st to discuss The Whistling Season, by Ivan Doig. The novel centers on widower Oliver Milliron and the season in 1909 that he decides to hire a housekeeper. He is drawn to Rose Llewellyn by the ad she placed, offering the services of an "A-1 housekeeper" who "can't cook but doesn't bite." When Rose and her brother, Morris Morgan, step off the train in Marias Coulee, Montana, the lives of Oliver and his three rambunctious boys are forever changed.
The Readers really enjoyed The Whistling Season, giving it a 3.9 rating out of a possible 5 stars. Everyone felt that the book had a slow start, but was well worth it in the end. The author has a lyrical and intelligent way of writing. His descriptions of the events in the one-room school that the boys attended made the reader feel as if they were there, as if they were the ones dog-piling the bully who didn't realize he needed to wear glasses. The characters were brought to life in such a way that made the reader really care. If you missed the last few chapters of the book, you missed the climactic ending, which was an ending no one predicted. All in all, The Whistling Season was a feel good novel, and most of the members were going to read other stories by Ivan Doig.
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