Crested Butte: : A Novel

I found this book while searching for works on Crested Butte and bought it not knowing what I would find. Having fallen on love with the Town of Crested Butte and the surrounding wilderness I have tried to learn about the area. As a enter the book, I found myself walking the town through her characterizations. Having spent many days in town, I could feel the places and people of the old town and the lives of the early settlers. I could walk the Elk Avenue of old, envision the miners housing, the whistle of the train and the danger of the mines. Her research of Crested Butte brings life to her story. Although her characters are fictional the lifes they lived were real and can be seen even today in the twon. For anyone who has been to Crested Butte, the book is a great read about a special place and for those that have yet to see the jewel of Crested Butte, the book will give you the feel of the type of people that clung to a life in the hard times of the novel. After reading the novel, if you visit Crested Butte you can sense the history in seeing the CB Cemetary, the Old Town, the Forest Queen, The Company Store, the old Catholic Church and Donita's restaurant (built in the first floor of the original Elk Mountain Lodge). Read the book, visit the town, and fall in love with the beauty of both.

Growing up, my Father and Step-Mother lived in Crested Butte and I would visit every summer and winter. Even though this novel takes place in the late 1800's (when Crested Butte became a town), it brought me back. I remember seeing the old mines, the Elk Mountain Lodge, the cemetary - and Main Street. It felt like I was there again in a warm cabin on a quiet snowy winter night or, a cool summer afternoon with the bluest sky with the 'Red Lady' - Crested Butte Mountain - towering over the quaint and romantic little town. The town is unique and special - has obviously changed over the years - and makes a great backdrop for this historically congruent novel. I happened upon this novel and I was very surprised at how instantly it gripped me. I loved the characters, the plot was interesting and unpredictable, and the historical accuracy was a nice bonus. I highly recommend it.

Crested Butte is a novel that not only entertains, but educates. History comes alive and the reader is there, living it right along with Oden's characters. The main character, Vini, takes up residence instantly in the reader's heart. You can't help but love her and cheer her on. You cry with her. You laugh with her. And, you grow to love Crested Butte right along with her. Vini's life in Crested Butte keeps one turning pages. You can't put this novel down! Oden is a master with her pen--or nowadays, I should say with her keyboard. It's obvious she's researched this town and knows its history inside and out. Trust me, this novel will not disappoint. Buy it, read it and cherish it.Diane Meholick, author of A SWITCH IN TIME

What a talent Marilyn Brown has for taking historical facts and weaving them into a novel you're glad you have waiting for you. Living part-time in Crested Butte for almost ten years I have come to know many people whose ancestors probably lived many aspects of the novel.I read it while I was in Atlanta and each time I picked it up I was transported back to Crested Butte.You'll like it even if you've never been to CB. And after you read it, you'll probably find a way to get there someday.

This first novel by accomplished non-fiction writer Marilyn Oden is a winner. As historical fiction it captures both the time and place of 19th Century Colorado, and Ms. Oden has a way of making you care deeply about her characters. She successfully captures the drama of the lives of ordinary men and women who are caught in a struggle for survival and dignity. Historical fiction not your cup of tea? Don't put this book down. She weaves an increasingly intricate tale with plots and sub-plots, and provides a surprise ending which is worthy of the mystery genre. By the time you get to the final chapters, you will be devouring every paragraph in order to discover the great secrets of Crested Butte, and the finale will bring a smile to your face, if not a tear.