Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

             Larry Watson was born the year before that in the the title of his book, in Ruby, North Dakota. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degree from the University of North Dakota and his PHD from the University of Utah. Watson has also received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Watson has published eight books, three of which were with Milkweed Editions. Montana 1984 was published in 1993 and was a fast success. The novel helped Milkweed establish itself as a premier press.
            The setting of Montana 1948 is self-explanatory. However the plot is not so obvious. The novel is kind of a historical, mystery, drama set in the iconic western landscape. The narrative is in the perspective of David a young boy without any siblings. His uncle Frank is beloved by all townsfolk as the handsome, veteran doctor. David's family calls him when their maid is sick. From her they hear that the seemingly perfect Frank, has molested numerous Native American women during doctor's visits. Soon after revealing this, she dies. David's father has no choice but to arrest his brother, not only for sexual harassment, but possibly for murder.
            Watson is deft at exploring this family's dynamic under a crisis. The reader learns much about David's parents and David himself from how he perceives them. Montana 1948 poses an essential question; is one's family above the law? This is a question that David's father , the town sheriff , must grapple with. He is the true hero of the story. A man who against his father's wishes arrests his own brother because he knows that it's the right thing to do. The novel also explores racism against the Native American community, something very foreign to me because there are few reservations on the east coast (where I'm from). But in the prairie states and especially in decades past Native American culture has been  more pervasive. I also know very little about Montana, but the text beautifully describes the grassy plains and small town nuances of the state. It was a fast and engaging read. I highly recommend it