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An anthology of true-life stories
Voices From the Prairies
The Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary Ranch Women
The stories they never thought worth telling.
About the book
The other half of the ranching story
Set in the heartland of Western Canada, where vast prairies meet rugged Badlands and the Red Deer River winds toward the Cypress Hills, these are the stories of the women who kept the ranches running.
Cowboys get the legend. Ranch women did the work beside them, raising families, riding herd, feeding crews, keeping books and holding rural communities together, often without anyone writing it down.
This anthology gathers 16 women in their own words. Some wrote their stories themselves. Some wrote with their partners or daughters. Others shared them in recorded interviews, carefully transcribed by Dorothy Louise Beasley so their voices come through just as they told them. The happy and the hard are both here.
16Co-authors
22Chapters
100+Years on the land
They speak from the Canadian prairies to you, the readers.
Dorothy Louise Beasley
Featuring stories from
Meet the women
Mothers, daughters, grandmothers and neighbours from family-owned livestock ranches across the southern prairies.
- 01Dorothy “Louise” Beasley
- 02Eleanor Gillespie
- 03Laurel Schlaht
- 04Pat Suitor
- 05Rosemary Doonan
- 06Kerrie Kusler
- 07Julie Chickoski & Lydia Klaassen
- 08Betty Anne (Armstrong) Burrows
- 09Phyllis Rathwell
- 10Gena LaCoste
- 11Gail (Gompf) McKillop
- 12Frances (Hausauer) Good
- 13Verna Armstrong
- 14Margaret Owen
- 15Shirley Armstrong and Elizabeth, Girlie, Ruth
- 16Aleta Steinbach & next-generation Steinbach women
Inside the book
What these lives teach
Twenty-two chapters move from hardship and family to leadership, money and stewardship of the land.
II
Ranch & Community Advocate
IV
Gender Roles Don’t Matter
V
Innovation & Life on Horseback
VI
Home on the Range & Teamwork
X
Sacrifice & Love
XI
Kids Will Be Kids & Animal Stories
XII
Raising Ranch Children
XIV
Resourcefulness & Self Reliance
XVIII
Genuine Integrity & Grit
XIX
Be the Change We Want to See
Plus chapters on leadership, compromise, money mastery and an ordinary year of ranch work.
Praise
Early praise
Within its pages, you’ll encounter the inspiring tales of 16 remarkable ranch women who embody resilience, resourcefulness, and unwavering dedication. This book is a testament to their invaluable contributions and a celebration of their indomitable spirit.
“When it feels like our world is moving in so many directions at once, there can be peace in reflecting on where powerful women once held roots.”
“This book offers profound insights into leadership, resilience, and the power of community.”
“The stories in this book are both inspirational and informative. It truly shows the resiliency and resourcefulness of these ranch women.”
About the author
Dorothy Louise Beasley
A ranch daughter, ranch granddaughter and ranch woman from Patricia, Alberta.
Louise spent decades on a family livestock ranch, married 47 years and raised four children on the land. As a coach and writer, she set out to make sure the women around her were heard, recording interviews, transcribing them word for word and honouring each woman’s story in her own voice.
She also shares heritage recipes and ranch-kitchen know-how at grandmaskitchen.ca.
Book one of a trilogy. Coming next: Beyond the Saddle: Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Pre-Canadian (NWT) Pioneer Ranch Women, followed by Louise’s own story.
Get your copy
Bring their voices home
A gift for anyone who grew up on the land, loves Western Canadian history or wants to hear from the women who built it.
Formats Kindle & Paperback
Paperback ISBN 978-1-990830-59-4
Publisher Prominence Publishing
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