Karen Wills’ memorable novel, All Too Human: A Saga of Deadly Deceptions and Dark Desires, takes place in 1905, Montana.
Rebecca Bryan is a lawyer in partnership with her beloved Uncle Max. Uncle Max has asked Rebecca to go to the home of an old friend, Lucinda Cale, recently deceased, to locate the woman’s last will and testament and to help Lucinda’s family sort out her estate. Rebecca travels from their home in Kalispell, Montana to Cale’s home, a rustic wilderness hunting lodge near the Montana boomtown of Jennings.
After a harrowing trip in a blizzard, she finally arrives to find a family not necessarily mourning the matriarch as much as one who seems relieved to be without the old woman’s demands. Except for Amy. Lucinda’s thirteen year-old granddaughter was close to her grandmother, but is distant and disdainful to others, especially to Rebecca. Lucinda Cale’s oldest son Damon is friendly to Rebecca and grateful that she would try to help them find his mother’s will. Claudia, Damon’s gentle, pregnant wife, welcomes Rebecca, as does their little son, Teddy. Also with the family is Bretton, Lucinda’s mysterious, moody second son, who is there only for the funeral.
In searching for the will, Rebecca comes across Lucinda’s hidden diaries, journals that cover many years, starting in 1866. They tell of a young woman finding freedom from family scandals and poverty when she marries dashing, wealthy Garrett Cale. She describes their journey from St. Louis to the Northwest mining country in Montana. But the young woman’s life becomes one of physical and emotional abuse and dark deceptions. Lucinda becomes a schemer using her beauty to control those around her, actions that eventually affect her children and grandchildren.
Author Karen Wills captures Montana’s wilderness with breath-taking prose. Her characters are believable in their strengths, weaknesses, vulnerability and violent actions. I thoroughly enjoyed All Too Human.
Mysterious and waiting for it to arrive. Thanks for another solid suggestion.
Oh, wow. This sounds like a great book! Montana is known for its horrid cold winters. Great place to set a book, especially in winter. Super review. Thanks, Mary!
This book sounds great. Will have to have it on my TBR list. Thanks, Mary, for the review, and Karen Wills for the book.
It is an intriguing story. Lots of good history, too.
I’ve done quite a bit of Montana reading lately. I really enjoyed this one and learning more about “early” Montana. Thanks for your comment, Carmen.