Strength of Stone: Journal of Electa Bryan Plumer 1862-1864: The Pioneer Journal of Electa Bryan Plumer: 1862-1864 - Hardcover

Diane Elliott has published poetry and short stories in literary magazines and received awards from the Montana Institute of the Arts, the National Book Club, and the Mary Brennen Clapp Memorial Poetry Contest. Her multi-media script Impersonating Bernie was written for and produced by the Montana Ballet Company. She resides in Bozeman.

As the Civil War rages on, the gold fields and open valleys of the frontier Rocky Mountains fill with treasure seekers, fugitives, and missionaries. Twenty-year-old schoolteacher and adventurer Electa Bryan finds her way to the Sun River Government Farm to "civilize" the Blackfeet and help her married sister with family life. She also finds herself becoming entangled with the notorious Bannack, Montana sheriff William Henry Handy Plumer. Plumer's true character and how he meets his fate are but two of the mysteries unraveled in this beautifully imagined, meticulously researched historical novel based on real-life Montana characters. Above all, Strength of Stone is a love story, one told through journal entries and letters, which brings vividly to life Electa's experience of adventure, love, and loss. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 382 pages)