Mrs. Mike

De: Benedict Freedman, Nancy Freedman

Narrado por: Kirsten Potter

Recently arrived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, after a long, hard journey from Boston, 16-year-old Katherine Mary O'Fallon never imagined that she could lose her heart so easily or so completely. Standing over six feet tall, with "eyes so blue you could swim in them", Mike Flannigan is a well respected sergeant in the Canadian Mounted Police and a man of great courage, kindness, and humor. Together, he and his beloved Kathy manage to live a good, honest life in this harsh, unforgiving land and to find strength in a love as beautiful and compelling as the wilderness around them.©2002 Benedict and Nancy Freedman (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Only once in a long while does the lover of books come across a novel like this one. Mrs. Mike is an unforgettable story." ( Boston Herald)
"It is the personality of Sgt. Mike blowing through this account like a clear breeze that gives it a refreshing quality. Everyone's dream of a cop, he was also a romantic and understanding husband, the fondest of fathers, a man of honor and humor." ( The New York Times)

Great love story

A young girl leaves Boston at the turn of the century because of her pleurisy to go stay with her uncle in Canada. There she finds love, happiness and hardship. This was a very moving love story and gives you a glimpse into life in Canada at the turn of the century. Just be sure to have some tissue handy.

The narrator did an excellent job of bringing the story to life.

Wonderful!!

A breath of fresh air! I enjoyed both the story and the narration. I laughed and I cried throughout this touching coming of age tale of a young girl who finds herself making a life in the wilderness of the Canadian frontier.

Love This Book!

Beautifully written, it was like poetry to me. The story line, the lives and hardships, love and laughter, the images produced by the details of the story. I love the intertwined lives if the Indians and migrated people coming together. intriguing and captivating. I believe the authors are producing a sequel which I will be delighted to have and listen. I will cherish this read!!

A delight to read again

I first read "Mrs. Mike" as a teenager and I was enthralled with the strange world that this very young woman moved through. The narrative was so compelling to me. Now, probably 50 years later, I have had the chance to relive that wonderful story. The narration was outstanding, and, of course, I loved the telling of the story once again. I'm so happy I got to experience this yet again.

Great entertainment

Wonderful characters, interesting plot, and skillful writing. Very interesting to read about 1900 life in small Canadian settlement, and to read about the natives and their ways.

I read this in high school

I loved this story then and it hasn’t lost its charm!! One of the best love, survival, overcoming stories ever!

Mostly great.

This is a touching story of life in a harsh country. I enjoyed it very much. Although I was sucked in by the last quarter of it, I found a few dry spells in the middle that tended to put me to sleep. In spite of that, it was pretty well written and the narrator was good with many of the dialects she had to create. I’m glad I read it. I guess that is the bottom line, right?

Recommended for young readers who like adventure and don’t mind a little romance thrown in.

1907-1918 Married Life in the Canadian Wilderness

Holy smokes! I've been through the fire with this one. A classic, published in 1947. It's realistic historical fiction with some sense of a love story but also a good deal of personal tragedy, including some truly grisly scenes.

I alternately read the e-book and listened to the audio, narrated superbly by the talented Kirsten Potter. It was also made into a movie, starring Dick Powell and Evelyn Keyes, but I haven't seen it.

This fast-paced narrative is told in 1st person POV in the perspective of "Mrs. Mike" (the name the Cree and Beaver natives use for the heroine, Katherine Mary O'Fallon Flannigan, of Boston).

The story begins in March 1907, on a train bound for Calgary, in the midst of a historic snowstorm. It continues in Alberta and British Columbia, Western Canada (Calgary, Hudson's Hope, Peace River Crossing, and Grouard, near Lower Slave Lake).

Descriptive. Vivid imagery. Educational. Sometimes funny. Sometimes profound. A few sweet loving scenes, with hugs and kisses. And terribly horribly grim at times. Very sad.

Realistic look at life in the Canadian wilderness, the serenity, the majesty, and the horror (forest fires, diphtheria, horrible deaths -- even of beloved characters -- whiskey smuggling, insanity, murder, wonderful natives, missions, mosquitos, bears, wolves, prairie chickens (rabbits), dogsleds (huskies), etc.

The authors credibly portray three women of tremendous emotional courage and resiliency, especially Sarah and Constance, but also Katherine Mary (Mrs. Mike) herself.

Loved the hero of the tale, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Mike Flannigan. His love for life, for the wilderness, for the natives, and for his girl Kathy was transparent. When they marry in 1907, Mike is 27 years old and Katherine is 16. When the story ends, they are each about 12 years older. They've suffered great loss and experienced great joy in only 12 years. Katherine has grown up.

Quibbles:

The book suddenly ends after almost 12 years of marriage, so we just have to assume they live a good life together with their children. I wish there were more closure. My other quibble is that some scenes and characters were glossed over or forgotten. But that's minor. Also, the chapter about the Chinese emperors did not seem to fit at all, never mind how silly it was.

Oh what a beautiful story! Absolute Must Read.

Please do not hesitate to read Mrs. Mike.
You'll certainly be captivated by the imagery and thrilling prose.
Thank you, again.

Loved it when I was 13-still really enjoyed it.

The beginning is a bit slow, but thoroughly enjoyed reliving a book from my childhood. Looking forward to the sequel.