Montana 1948 post 1

Being from Berg County NJ, i assumed a story taking place in Montana in 1948 would be bland filled with simpletons who lead boring lives. When david described his father as "a man who tried to turn tow ways at once- toward my grandfather who wanted his son to continue the hayden rule of Mercer County and toward my mother, who wanted her husband to be merely himself not a Hayden" (21) I realized that their was way more to these characters and this plot. 

Wes Hayden's father was the sheriff of Bentrock for quite some time. He was a power-hungry man. When Wes became sheriff he did not show these same qualities as his father. Wes never showed off his badge, always keeping it in his pocket. He also did not carry around a fancy gun. This is where the book first portrays a theme that is obvious throughout the novel (well at least up to where I've read). This theme is of course Family Pride. Also, the fact that he is a lawyer and this is what he does defeats ones expectations of a typical Western lawyer. 

The author does a great job colorfully depicting the characters as well as the land. Growing up in North Dakota, Watson really good knowledge of the North Dakota - Montana area. That makes it interesting that he chose Bentrock to stand right on the boundry of North Dakota and Montana