Ranch woman writes Montana novel
“Oh Mountains Be My Refuge,” a new book by Arlene Fordyce Sande, is 197 pages, softcover and costs $5.95.
In the book, a hard-working Montana farm family experiences heartaches while struggling through years of drought, crop failures, hail and dust storms, until they are almost driven to despair.
But when their little girl suddenly and mysteriously disappears, they quickly come to the realization as to what real heartbreak is.
And Angie, their little girl, accompanied by her two faithful and protective dogs, discovers two neighborhood ruffians. They threaten Angie’s life.
She escapes and begins running and hiding until she and her two dogs are miles from home out on the wide open ranges, frightened and with only a small amount of food and water.
She seeks refuge in the rugged snowcapped Rocky Mountains and, after many weeks, finds a lonely old hermit who lets her live with him in his little cabin far back in the mountains.
After months of fervant searching for the missing child, it is finally considered useless to continue, but Angie’s family never gives up hope of finding her.
Two years later, her family moves to a mountain valley two hundred miles away and settles on a cattle ranch there.
Then comes World War II and their oldest son, who has grown to love their beautiful ranch home and ranch life, is drafted into the Army.
He is seriously wounded and left crippled. He is at first embittered, thinking he may have to give up the life he loves, but then becomes determined that he can make a go of it ranching.
A strange series of circumstances finally lead Angie and her family back together again.
This is a tender story of compassion, love, faith and perseverance, and makes good reading for all ages.
Author Arlene Fordyce Sande has lived almost all her life on Montana farms and ranches. Her hard-working family experienced many years of drought, crop failures, hail, dust storms and grasshoppers, but the good years and the fun times far exceeded the bad.
She wrote the book to: 1) describe life on Montana farms and ranches during the 1930s and 1940s; 2) teach kindness towards animals, and 3) teach the importance of faith in God, prayer, love and perseverance.
