Having grown up in the Southeastern United States, but now living in the Pacific Northwest, I have an interest in the subject of comparing and contrasting growing up in the two regions. For that reason, when the book Samantha at the Crossroads by S. K. Smith was recommended to me by a friend, I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did.

In reading it, I instantly recognized the area of Montana in which the story takes place. I have traveled there several times and have always found the geography to be most interesting. I don’t want to give anything away, but having explored the Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana, I also found some of the geological aspects of the story to be most interesting.

Sam was not the usual coming of age story, and Sam is not your usual coming of age young lady. I think Ms. Smith has accurately captured and portrayed a young, rural, Montana girl coming of age in the late sixties.

I thought that the social and geographical aspects of the story would be of more interest to me than the character of Sam, per se. As I read the book, however, I found myself almost embarrassingly amused by and sympathetic with Sam. She is obviously a character very dear to Ms. Smith and one that she appears to know well.

No matter how you look at this book – sociological, geographical or historical setting, or characters and story – Ms. Smith’s book rings true. I very much enjoyed it and most enthusiastically recommend it. I am not normally driven to write reviews, but I truly did enjoy this book. Thank you, Ms. Smith.

~ David Rogers, St. Maries, Idaho

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