Kalispell author releases Western novella
Kalispell author Carol Buchanan, known for her four-novel vigilante series, has released her latest book; this time a novella titled “Brother Joel Begs Forgiveness.” The story unfolds in the Montana territory in the mid-1800s, and follows Joel Van Fleet, a banker from the Big Apple who devises a plan to rob another man of his gold, which turns awry, leaving two men dead in the skirmish. Horrified by his actions, Van Fleet sells his material possessions and heads west, with a new focus on serving God and a mission to find the man he’d done wrong by.
Buchanan said “Brother Joel” is her manifesto on forgiveness.
“It’s been growing on me for quite a while, especially given the current political situation, that if people would forgive each other more instead of holding grudges and letting things fester and then reacting with obscene language and all that, the world would be a whole lot better place,” she said.
The author said “Brother Joel” will appeal to fans of her vigilante novels, which include “God’s Thunderbolt: The Vigilantes of Montana” and “The Devil in the Bottle” to name a few, but noted that “the difference between those and this one is ‘Brother Joel’ doesn’t have any cussing in it and it’s for a more tender-hearted audience.”
“Brother Joel” is Buchanan’s first novella at a concise 125 pages, which the author said took her about six months to pen.
“I wanted to write short because I’ve written four big long ones and I like writing big novels but they take me a long time,” she explained. “I’d write a novel and then disappear for two or three years.”
Buchanan has been writing novels since the tender age of 10, and has eight books to her name, including “Brother Joel.” She’s won numerous state and regional awards for her works, including the 2016 Spirit of Dorothy Johnson Award from the Whitefish Library Association. Buchanan’s writing is inspired by her love of history, which began in the eighth grade when she and her parents traveled around Montana to learn its history. Her career with Boeing took her out of the state, but when she returned to the Flathead Valley, Buchanan began researching the vigilante era and “basically hasn’t stopped.”
Unlike with her larger efforts, Buchanan isn’t taking a hiatus after finishing “Brother Joel” — she’s already planning a second volume in the series along with a separate book, tentatively titled “Lou and Willy.” The latter tells the tale of a woman, her two sons and brother who escape the slums of St. Louis to homestead in Eastern Montana.
Buchanan will be selling “Brother Joel Begs Forgiveness” along with her previous works from 5-7 p.m. at Flowers by Hansen on the First Friday, Jan. 5 in Kalispell. “Brother Joel” has yet to hit local retail shelves, but Buchanan’s novels other can be found at the Bookshelf, the Museum at Central School and the Flathead Valley Community College bookstore. For more information about the author, visit her website at www.carol-buchanan.com.