Audiobook Review - Sandra Dallas weaves a beautiful tale of one woman's journey to find life and love on the prairie. Readers will be brought to tears by the tragic loses suffered throughout this book. Readers will fall in love with the characters and grieve along side them. Highly recommended!!

Sandra Dallas creates unforgettable women characters in her historical fiction. Where Coyotes Howl will stay with me a long time and book clubs will love it. I can't wait to recommend it.

I have been a long-time fan of Sandra Dallas’ writing. I love her stories of life and struggles in the Old West and this book was no exception. Ellen and Charlie’s story started out with a sweet love that deepened into a great love . The book highlighted the life and struggles of the early settlers in Wyoming. I especially enjoyed all the details of what that life was like. There were also many situations in this book that we still deal with today and I appreciated how they were dealt with in this book. I enjoyed this book as I have all the others that I have read by this author and look forward to reading more.

4.5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the audio ARC of this book.

Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas was both a heartwarming yet heartbreaking novel that was written with attention to detail. It was a character driven book that was well plotted. I particularly enjoyed the strong female characters in Where Coyotes Howl. I actually listened to the audiobook version of Where Coyotes Howl. It was performed by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker who did a fine job narrating this audiobook. She was able to easily distinguish between the various characters. Her performance made this audiobook an easy listen for me.

In the early twentieth century, Ellen Webster found herself in Wallace, Wyoming. She had responded to an advertisement that was seeking a teacher. She had been teaching and living in Iowa but was up for a challenge and a change in her life. Ellen could not have prepared herself for the type of life that she was to face in Wallace, though. It seemed that the town had had difficulty holding on to a teacher for more than the one year each teacher promised. Would Ellen be the exception to the rule or would she become another statistic like her predecessors?

When Ellen met Charlie Bacon, an honest to goodness cowboy who also happened to be quite handsome and smitten with Ellen, the two formed an easy friendship. At a box lunch church function, Charlie paid an unheard of eight dollars to purchase the box lunch Ellen had prepared. That was the start of a relationship that began as friends and ended with a beautiful marriage. Charlie had always aspired to become a rancher. Before their marriage, Charlie built Ellen and himself a small but well constructed home on the acreage he had purchased. They would begin their marriage on the prairie. The two of them shared a strong love and devotion to one another. Life on the prairie would prove to be hard and difficult and would test their limits.

Ellen gave up her teaching position when she married Charlie even though many wanted her to continue teaching their children. As a rancher’s wife, it would have reflected poorly on Charlie if she had continued to teach. It would have been looked on by others as if Charlie could not support his new wife. Ellen quickly learned how to perform all the tasks she was expected to perform. In addition, Ellen formed strong bonds with the other women that lived nearby on the prairie. Everyone that lived on the prairie learned very quickly that they looked out for one another.

Living on the prairie, brought many hardships. The winters were harsh with dangerously cold temperatures, blinding blizzards and a season that seemed to last far longer than expected. In the summer, the extreme heat was excessive and made ordinary chores almost impossible to carry out. Ellen and Charlie were made to face many challenges and even tragedies over the years they lived as husband and wife. They were often strapped for money which made obtaining the necessities they required very difficult at times. Food was often scarce and potatoes became their staple food. The love that Ellen and Charlie shared more than often helped them endure all the pain, grief and suffering that they were confronted with.

Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas touched upon domestic violence, loyalty, friendship, child abuse, alcoholism, prostitution, marriage, hardships, isolation, loneliness, harsh and extreme weather conditions, love and suicide. I really enjoyed the strong, determined and supportive women characters that Sandra Dallas rendered in her book. Sandra Dallas proved to be a masterful storyteller who brilliantly told the story of these courageous women who had lived on the prairie of Wyoming during those times. Her research was impeccable throughout this well written historical novel. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Where Coyotes Howl and highly recommend it. Publication is set for April 18, 2023.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is my first audiobook
While I enjoyed hearing the talents of the narrator I prefer to read the written word
A good story!

The Loneliest Place

This is absolutely one of the best books I have read this year. I laughed, I cried, I held my breath. I know for a fact I would not have survived a winter in the wilds of Wyoming in a sod house in the early 1900's. I think those that moved there and worked to tame that land were the bravest people.

The story of Ellen and Charlie's romance and starting a new life in the small Wallace, Wyoming community in the early 1900's is both uplifting and heartbreaking. The love they had for each other was so touching and the understanding and patience with those less fortunate and challenged was inspirational. Their losses and those of their friends and neighbors was heart breaking.

The demands and the hardships suffered by the woman in this early community was astronomical. It was a wonder that any of them survived both mentally and physically. It was truly a hard time and there were many that just didn't make it.

I enjoyed reading about this couple and their challenges as well as those around them. The history and the telling of the conditions and the way they had to live was very interesting. I applaud those brave souls that moved to such an unfriendly and lonely land to start a new life and my hat is off to those that actually made it.

I read both the book and listened to the audio book. It made for a great experience to enjoy both at the same time. The audio book was very good, the narrator did the different voices of the characters in an excellent manner and her voice was pleasant to listen to and easy to understand.
This was a part of history that helped to form our country and it was very interesting to read about it. I enjoyed this book immensely and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Sandra Dallas for writing a great story, to Stephanie Nemeth-Parker for a great narration of the audio book, to St. Martin's Press for publishing the book, to MacMillan Audio for publishing the audio book and to NetGalley for providing me a copy of each to read and review.

This is an incredibly realistic story of the life of a rancher’s wife in the early 1900’s.
The author does an extraordinary job of bringing Ellen’s and Charlie’s journey to life with vibrant descriptivism and very enjoyable characters.
She has an uncanny ability to bring emotions from the depth of the reader by the story itself as well as her writing style.
One of the most inspiring things of this audiobook for me was the very strong theme of trusting God no matter what life brings.
Everything from indescribable joy to gut wrenching pain can be found in the beautifully written book and I very much look forward to reading/listening to more my her.
The narrator did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life with her gift.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.

A realistic glimpse of the harsh life pioneers had faced. Ellen accepted a teaching job in the small town of Wallace. Nothing at all what she was accustom too. But she enjoyed her job and fell in love with her cowboy, Charlie. Once married she had to give up her job and become a rancher wife. Life was difficult and the women of the surrounding area banded together for moral support, but there are many trying days and heartbreak. Only the love between Ellen and Charlie helped her during the most difficult times.
Not the typical sweet story, but one that is emotional and will bring on the tears. It’s a story that I believe reall is based on what many pioneers faced. Very moving well told story. The narration was excellent! Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #WheretheCoyotesHowl

Ellen accepts a year-long teaching position in eastern Wyoming, not sure what to expect from the wild countryside. It's a difficult lifestyle, but she ends up falling in love with the town, the people, and one cowboy in particular, named Charlie. They marry and are quickly faced with a series of trials and tribulations, testing their physical as well as emotional fortitude. Life on the plains is not easy, and a veritable parade of tragedies befall the couple and more or less everyone that they care about.

This book was pretty gripping, but also rather distressing. We all know that life was hard in the early 1900s in the west, especially for women, but reading all the details and descriptions of what they endured brings the experience to life. I enjoyed the story, for the most part, and the pace is swift.

I think I would have rated higher if I had been more emotionally connected to the characters, but I felt that I was being told, rather than shown, the relationships and bonds between the characters. Ellen and Charlie's romance was not compelling to me. And at the end, I think it's a shame that one of the female characters chose to pursue romantic love over her own career aspirations. A big miss in my opinion, as that choice doesn't have any impact on the story.

Narrator Stephanie Németh-Parker was excellent! Thank you to Sandra Dallas, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for my advanced audio copy.

Wow! This was a really heart-wrenching book. It had a very cozy "Little House on the Prairie" feel, which I absolutely loved. Ellen and Charlie have an absolutely sweet love story. It warmed my heart. The life of a homesteader and pioneer really speaks to me. There is a lot of heartbreak in this book, which is appropriate for the time and place.
*Triggers to be aware of- there was a ton of spouse abuse, domestic violence and a lot of death.

I really loved this book! It is so heartbreaking, but I couldn't put it down. I loved the cast of characters, the story, and the unique look in to life on the prairie! It reminded me lots of "Love Comes Softly" and I would absolutely read more by this author and recommend this book to others!

A quick, enjoyable novella. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. This is not my normal genre, but I appreciated the work nonetheless.

Beautifully written, Where Coyotes Howl is the story of early settlers on the American prairies and the hardships they faced as farmers, ranchers and settlers. I really enjoyed this book and was immediately drawn into the well researched story. The protagonist, Ellen is as kind and strong as they get but even she is no match for the prairies and the cards that will be dealt her way. This book will take you through tragedy, resilience and enduring love.

For fans of Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon and The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.

Where Coyotes Howl releases on April 18th, 2023.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. 🙏🏻🥰

#smpinfluencers #bookstagram #canadianbookstagram #bookadoration #canadianbookstagrammer #canadianbookstagrammers #wherecoyoteshowl #sandradallas #homesteading #homesteadinglife

Ellen Webster decides to take a teaching job in Wyoming, moving away from Iowa and everything she's always known. Upon her first day, she meets Charlie Bacon and her life will change forever. Ellen and Charlie's life is a quintessential story about the hard-scrabble life that is western living. Friendship, loneliness, and family are all central to ranch life, and while life is hard, so very hard, there are times of happiness as well.

I've been a Sandra Dallas fan for years as she is a master of heartfelt and emotional stories that are simply written. This one left me with one main thought: goodness I am glad I didn't live during that time. It left me with heartbreak and love, anger and sadness. What more could you ask for in a novel? This was joyful at times, but that feeling of "what is going to happen now' is always in the back of your head. Because that's just how life was back then. Dallas puts you right in the wilds of Wyoming with Ellen, Charlie, and their friends and family, and they stay in the heart even after the book is over. I will forever read Sandra Dallas.

I have read and enjoyed several of Sandra Dallas' backtitles.
However, Where Coyotes Howl came up a bit short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to preview this book.

Kind of a bland romance honestly. I’m glad they ended up together but the storyline just felt blah to me. I hated the parts with the spousal abuse too, those were horrible. I understand it was more part of the times but yikes!

🌀Synopsis
Ellen accepted a teaching position in Wyoming. She expects to learn the west and teach but she doesn’t expect to fall in love. She ends up falling for one of the locals- Charlie Bacon, and they are married shortly after.
They begin to build a great life together. Ellen finds a good community of people and an everlasting love with Charlie.

Heartbreaking

1916

Ellen Webster accepted a teaching position in the High Plains of Wyoming. She grows to love the town, her students and cowboy, Charlie Bacon. Life in the High Plains can be hard - the summers are hot, and the winter blizzards are beyond harsh. But they make a life and Ellen makes friends with the women on the Plain.

The women in this book bond and support each other. Not all are as lucky as Ellen who has a husband who loves and cherishes her. Others have loveless marriages and some much, much worse. They live in an unforgiving time and place. Life is hard and the west can be a dangerous place.

This proved to be a fast read for me. I had both the audiobook and the e-book. The Audiobook cut off halfway through, so I was happy to have the book to turn to. This book is full of both likeable and unlikeable characters. The author shows the harshness of both the time and place. Reading books like this make me happy that I live in the modern age with access to healthcare and better living conditions.

This book was very realistic to what life was like during that time. It was refreshing and heartbreaking at the same time. If you are looking for a happy-g0-lucky book, you are barking up the wrong tree with this one. There are difficult sections to read and a tearjerker moment or two. The book is also well written and captivating.


This book will have triggers for some.

If you’re looking for a dreamy historical romance, look elsewhere. Dallas doesn’t pull any punches in her depictions of life in early 20th century Wyoming. Ellen Webster has come to a small Wyoming town to take the role of school teacher and ends up falling for a rough and tumble cowboy, Charlie Bacon. The story revolves around the couple and their neighbors surviving the rigors of weather, domestic violence and illness. Read this with the knowledge it’s a historical novel, not a historical romance and you will find much to enjoy – most of all you’ll be grateful you aren’t living in 1916!