It was published in 1952 and was very successful. The Literary Guild chose it as a main selection. Reader's Digest condensed it. It appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, and was translated into 27 languages. Everyone was eager for a sequel, but they didn't write one for 50 years. Instead they had a family, traveled, taught, and became grandparents. Their second book was published in 2002. I'm debating about getting it.
Mrs. Mike is the story of a 16 year old girl (based on a true story) that marries a Canadian Mountie and lives with the Indians, trappers, and miners in the far north of Alberta. It takes place right at the beginning of the 1900s and lasts through the 1st World War and the flu epidemic. It was so interesting to see how the people lived and survived in that environment, and that they loved it!
One of the big take-aways for me was when the main character moved to a new village and met another white women who told her all of the trials and misfortunes in her life. The woman had lived a very tragic life and lost several children. She said, "You'll see, you'll come to understand. These big things, these terrible things, are not the important ones. If they were, how could one go on living? No, it is the small, little things that make up a day, that bring fullness and happiness to a life. Your Sergeant coming home, a good dinner, your little Mary laughing, the smell of the woods--oh, so many things, you know them yourself." That's the part that I want to remember each day. It's the little things that are important.
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