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Summary: I wish it had been 500 pages...
Review: ... or 5 volumes. I got lost in this book, it was wonderful. It was about so many interesting things: botany, Yellowstone, conservation issues, gender, academia. And it was funny. I thought the letter format worked just fine, I didn't once consider whether someone would really write such letters.I'll agree with the previous reviewer that it had some far-fetched elements. In short, our protagonist is super woman. Beautiful AND brilliant. And the guys bumble and shuffle along after her entirely insecure. But wait, I loved this book, really, I just can't resist poking fun. I give this book my strongest recommendation. I've given just 1 or 2 other 5 star reviews.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine novel to take along on your trip to Yellowstone.
Review: Although I enjoyed reading this book, it probably would not be a satisfying read for anyone who hasn't been to Yellowstone National Park, or isn't planning a visit there. For those with a connection to Yellowstone, this book brings to life some of the park's history and grandeur. The plot is a little thin in the middle, but it comes to a very satisfying ending. If you're looking for a book to read before, during, or after a trip to Yellowstone, you'll be glad you chose this. The characters are very appealing; the setting is magnificent; and the fact that the novel is shaped by the characters' correspondence is a nice touch. It is somehow easier to appreciate the timelessness of Yellowstone when reading these letters written so convincingly in nineteenth-century voices.
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Summary: Voices from the 19th Century West
Review: Handed to me in passing in a hallway by a good "book" friend who said "read it", I did, and I wasn't disappointed. Mistaken for a a male scientist, A. E. (Alexandra) Bartram is accepted as a member of a Montana State College botany expedition into Yellowstone Park in 1899. The social barriers are eventually overcome and Alex becomes a strong contributing member of this scientific team. But the truly quality of this novel is that the entire story is told through the letters from Yellowstone written by various members of the expedition. There is plenty to write about from budding romance and predatory European nobility to 19th century feminism and the role of science in society. Despite a few lexicographic anachronisms the voices in the letters rang remarkably true. As a native Montanan the descriptions of Yellowstone were accurate and evocative. A great read! Now what should I pass back to my friend in the hallway?
Rating:
Summary: Voices from the 19th Century West
Review: Handed to me in passing in a hallway by a good "book" friend who said "read it", I did, and I wasn't disappointed. Mistaken for a a male scientist, A. E. (Alexandra) Bartram is accepted as a member of a Montana State College botany expedition into Yellowstone Park in 1899. The social barriers are eventually overcome and Alex becomes a strong contributing member of this scientific team. But the truly quality of this novel is that the entire story is told through the letters from Yellowstone written by various members of the expedition. There is plenty to write about from budding romance and predatory European nobility to 19th century feminism and the role of science in society. Despite a few lexicographic anachronisms the voices in the letters rang remarkably true. As a native Montanan the descriptions of Yellowstone were accurate and evocative. A great read! Now what should I pass back to my friend in the hallway?
Rating:
Summary: Insightful read about Yellowstone and society in late 1800's
Review: I purchased this book to take with me on my first trip to Yellowstone National Park recently. It was a perfect book to take along! What struck me most was that it was set at the end of the 19th century which seemed to be a great time of change. It was interesting to be in the park myself about 100 years later and feel how much had changed, yet how much had stayed the same especially in regard to people and our need and concern to protect our National Parks and environment. The book deals more with the human element and some of the plant life but not much with the animal or geologic wonders of the park, but it was highly enjoyable and definately added another element of appreciation to my experience. I only wish the story had continued as I became very attached to the characters in her book.
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Summary: If you can't get to Montana this summer, read this instead.
Review: I recently have had the great pleasure of reading Diane Smith's Letters From Yellowstone, and would recommend it without reservation to a wide variety of readers. While I am not normally a fan of epistolary novels, the characters in this work are so compelling the novel is difficult to put aside. This novel should appeal to environmentalists, feminists, naturalists, and other ists who prefer to remain unlabeled, such as I. It is ostensibly the story of a group of 1898 scientists on an expedition of discovery to catalog the flora and fauna of Yellowstone Park before tourists, the railroad, local entrepreneurs, and poachers destroy it. I say ostensibly, because the expedition is one of self-discovery as much as scientific cataloguing. None of the principals is unchanged by the experience. Additionally, Smith uses this forum to introduce readers to a number of late twentieth century concerns: wildlife management, commercialization of public lands, role of women in sciences. The author's treatment of these topics is not heavy handed, and her careful research shows these concerns are universal, not just limited to a single era. The novel's primary characters eventually find themselves debating the validity of science in comparison to other systems of knowledge and belief, and their conclusions are rather enlightening to those of who might think we have our position in life all figured out. Unlike numerous other authors who have attempted to express the dialectic of science versus belief, Smith succeeds. She is neither dry, nor pedantic in her characters' discussions. All this is accomplished against the sublime background of the Northern Rockies. The action of the novel moves at the pace of a northern summer: days seem to last forever, but the summer season lasts scarcely more than two months. Despite delays and reverses in fortune, the party moves along with an inexorable drive brought on by the knowledge of the fleeting field season. While not an adventure, this book is nevertheless a page turner. Read Letters From Yellowstone while the summer is still here. You won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: Dippy - Why Should I Believe This?
Review: If only this author had included a preface or afterward explaining the basis for her fiction. Did she read real letters? Were there really such botanical missions? The main character's coy use of initials to hide her gender is too cute as is her ability to rescue a man in a snowstorm. The men in the book are without exception pains in the neck. I wanted to like this, but I couldn't believe in it, or lose myself in it as I did in Andrea Barrett's books of the same style. For a real trip to the 19th century west, read "A Lady's Life in the Rockies."
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Summary: Uniquely and intelligently structured
Review: In an era where emails may be the main form of written communication between friends & family, it's worth a look back at what might have been sent through the penny post when telephones weren't around. Can you imagine recieving a 5 page letter from a friend, weekly? And how would you feel when a week went by with no news from that friend? What would you like to hear about from that friend? What would you write? Not only is this an exploration in letter-writing, (heck, that's very minor, just a means to the end), this book has several very interesting stories. As far as I could tell, it was historically accurate -I had to check to confirm it was fiction. I enjoyed the play of characters, and how you occassionally saw the same action from different points of view from different people's letters - especially the 4th of July party. Also liked the argument over exact terminology - and how it was won. Highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a little humor with their character development, and is willing to read between the lines.
Rating: 
Summary: good story, but letter form falls short
Review: Letters from Yellowstone is told through a series of letters written by the main characters to their various friends and family members by the wildlife researchers during the last of the 19th century. While the different letter writers divulge varying opinions and agendas that make the book interesting, often letters from the two main characters (Professor Merriam and Miss Bartram) are way too long to be plausible. Frequently they write letters that are 8-10 typed pages, complete with every word of a conversation. While the letter form did serve this story well (and the brevity of Rutherford's letters and the Captain's telegrams) do enhance the story, it is too bad that many of the longer letters were not split into more missives. For example, Miss Bartram writes a few long letters to her friend, Jess, but she could but very few to her parents, to the point that her request for money goes through Jess. Overall, it is a fine story, and the vivid descriptions of the Park wildlife and discussion of the historical theme are well presented.
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Summary: Turning back the hands of time
Review: Way back before she wrote the well-received PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION (2002), Diane Smith first examined the American West in this epistolary gem. Someone very dear to me gave me this book, so I would have enjoyed it anyhow, but as it turns out, it's a book i can recommend to anyone interested in either a good feminist read or a set of provocative opinions about the modern path of preservation and landscape culture. People who have read Rebecca Solnit's books, for example, might enjoy Diane Smith's somewhat lighter look at the same time period and subject. They sell this book at Yellowstone National Park and I can see why! It takes one right back to the days when the Indian had not been subjugated entirely by the white conquerors and empire-builders, and the vista against which this action is laid is fairly overpowering with its beauty. Do yourself a favor and get into the time machine they call, "Letters from Yellowstone."
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