The main character is a young girl approaching adulthood named Rebecca. She has an unconventional dream for her historical period and is willing to pay the price to make it happen. Rebecca also stands up for others and is not afraid to do hard things. I love how much she enjoys nature, her mountains and the sunsets! I enjoyed the story of this book. The relationship between her and her mother is beautiful. My main issue with this book is the marketing… it is marketed as a Christian fiction historical fiction novel but it is clearly not. It is a book with the main characters of the Mormon faith and their message which I do not agree with as I’m not Mormon. I found it interesting to see the pioneering life aspect of Alberta!

I've been trying for months to finish this book, but I'm to the point of view being held back by what I know from my genealogy studies. But I'm very frustrated with the fact that it's supposed to be written from an LDS viewpoint, but several important things are missing from the story. I'm going to walk away from it and hope that later, I can finish it.
So far, this is my takeaway:
Rebecca goes with her father, mother, and brothers up into the NW territory. But her family does not have plural marriages, nor do they have Rebecca married. Instead, she flirts with 2 men until I was frustrated with the way her family handled Rebecca. In this era, 1880-1890's, women didn't have much personal ability to be on their own. Yet, over & and over, we hear about Rebecca's desire for a piece of land to call her own. There are basically not many emotions that are human(sadness, anger, happiness, etc) in the book. I felt confused about the story. They didn't have any of the standard family dynamics of many LDS families back then.
I don't know what the true story that was behind this story was, but normally, I would be able to get through the story no matter what. At this time, I'm unable and have to try again at a later time. This story is sadly missing something essential to keep me at least to the finish.

I was given a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is my opinion alone.

Seventeen-year-old Rebecca loves her family and God. And yet she has spunk, too. But she wants the same rights men enjoy, including owning her own land. She finds two unexpected allies in her fight and begins the hard work of raising the funds she needs to purchase a plot. She's definitely a hard worker and matures as a woman in this book.
Rebecca certainly shows some emotions. But she's stoic, too. Likewise, most of the church folks feel angry, jealousy, etc. but remain calm and don't raise their voices - that's unrealistic. I actually cried in two places as I read (spoiler alert: several characters die). And I cheered for Rebecca several times. I also felt anger, fear, and hope. Igniting emotions is a sign of a good book, in my opinion!
There is physical abuse that's horrific. But the only other semi-evil thing that happens is a sabotage of a wrapped present and some envy - no outbursts or other realistic emotional expressions.
The first half is a little slow, but I genuinely liked Rebecca and couldn't wait to see what happened next, so I wanted to keep reading.
I didn't really care for the romance, especially Rebecca's uncertainty and innocent flirting with two men. The ending was too tidy for my preferences, also. However, the book is based on true events. And I appreciate that women have a voice and are celebrated in this book.

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In interesting story about pioneer families in Canada. The story itself was good but I wish that it continued. I'd love to know more about the family as they grow.

I very much enjoyed this historical novel! I love reading about the Mormons and their history. They definitely have a fascinating one!
I could imagine myself living in that time period. What dangers and hardships there must have been! But I imagine there was joy hope and laughter too just like in today's times.
I admired Rebecca very much! I loved her determination to be different and wanted to do different things..
I think my favorite part of the book was the authors notes at the end!
This is why I love stories like this.
I'm giving this wonderful book 5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own

This book was lovely to read. I really enjoyed the strong main character. The settings were beautifully written about. It was an intriguing step back in time to the settlement era.

As part of a Mormon family in 1800s Alberta, Rebecca Leavitt is expected to follow her family's wishes to marry and settle down. But Rebecca wants to homestead her own land and gain independence and security for herself. Her character develops through the book by this fine author.

Buffalo Flats tells the story of young Rebecca Leavittt, a Mormon whose family has relocated from Utah to Southern Alberta, Canada. Beginning in 1890, it opens a window into a harder yet gentler time when "family" wasn't just your own people but also your community, your neighbors in the faith. Throughout the story, Rebecca grows and matures into a young woman who cares for others. This novel reminded me of the Little House books in that they experienced both the joys and the hardships of living in the wilderness. A worthwhile read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca Leavitt and her family are settlers in Canada and, as her father and brothers work to establish a homestead, Rebecca is expected to set her sights on marriage. But Rebecca has other plans to purchase land of her own. In order to do this though she has to find a way to raise 480 dollars, an impossible sum for the times, and her efforts aren't without opposition. The hardships of life as a pioneer are relentless and Rebecca will soon be tested in more ways than she can imagine, but she is determined not to give up on her dreams.

This book started out slow but midway through the story really picked up! The second half of the book was CRAZY and I couldn't put it down! I love reading about this time period and the author did a great job of putting into perspective the lives of the pioneers and the challenges they faced. I really liked the progression of Rebecca's character. At the beginning, I wasn't her biggest fan as she appeared very shallow but with every hardship she faced there came a shift as she was forced to grow and adapt, ultimately adding so much depth to her character. The story followed somewhat the same progression as it became richer as time went on and by the end I was feeling so many emotions! The only thing missing from this book is any mention of Native peoples. This didn't have to necessarily be part of the plot, but something in the afterword at least would've helped. Other than that I'm really glad I read it! Happy Reading :)

#BuffaloFlats #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel. My customers will love this novel.

Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt. Buffalo flats was a very well written story. Characters were well developed.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book as the formatting on my Kindle, and through the Kindle app was very difficult to read. My rating is purely based on the formatting, making the book hard to read.

What I liked most about this book is its solid feminist angle, which is evident in Rebecca's character and her struggle for independence in a society that limits women's options. The author also masterfully depicts the harsh realities of pioneer life and the emotional and physical hardships that the characters face.

Although the beginning of the book was a little slow, the pace picks up, and the story becomes more engaging as the characters and their motivations become more fully developed. The Little House on the Prairie vibes add to the charm of the book, and the memorable characters will stay with you long after you finish reading.

However, I must note that the book did not address the displacement of the Blackfoot people whose land was stolen from them. This omission was a missed opportunity to add depth to the story and highlight the historical context in which it was set.

Overall, Buffalo Flats is a beautifully written and memorable historical fiction novel with a solid feminist angle, Little House on the Prairie vibes, and inspiring characters.

Notes: I am from this part of Southern Alberta and have family who would have had similar experiences to the author’s family’s in that time period.

Pros: the solid feminist angle on the prairie settler experience of an independent young woman.

Cons: lots of talk of “dominion” and no thought to the Blackfoot people from whom the land was taken. For a historical book published in 2023, no excuse for not incorporating that into the narrative, or at the very, very least, the author’s afterword. Cannot recommend because of this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Groundwood Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Buffalo Flats is such a fun read! It's expected to come out at the end of April, so friends keep an eye out for it! Buffalo Flats is a historical fiction story about a young LDS pioneer girl seeking to find a better life for herself by moving to Buffalo Canada. This book gave me a lot of Little House on the Prairie vibes, and i didn't realize how much I was missing this genre! If you liked the books Undaunted, or The Winds and the Waves, then this book is for sure for you.

The hardships that Rebecca overcame are inspiring, and the fact that its based on a true story are absolutely mind blowing, I don't think that I would be able to handle as much as they did. The beginning of the book was a little bit slow at the beginning, but it picks up the pace quickly and is an enjoyable read!

I am a huge of of pioneer stories, and this book had everything I want out of one. There's the rebellious religious girl praying and trying to be a better person, while harboring thoughts about the unfairness of patriarchal religious ruling. There's the supportive mother who believes in all of her children, but supports her daughter's out-of-the-box pursuits. As a person who's favorite Little House TV Series episode is 'Country Girls' this mother-daughter relationship got me good. I cried at work over it. There's also your typical farming struggles - lack of money, hard winters, floods, illness. This book is full of hope, though, and the strength of women is at the forefront. The women teach the men a few lessons in this book and there's the greatest come-to-Jesus female empowerment moment I wish I could replicate in my life. The main character is everything I want to be in life- sure of herself, while wanting to be a better person, and though I don't buy into everything religious I relate to her desires and wishes out of life. There's not much romance here, but there is the courting storylines. This heroine dares to challenger her circumstances at the time, and challenges her family and community's thinking at the same time. I will be buying this book to add to my collection. I couldn't be more in love with it. The themes are familiar for this genre, but the writing of the characters is so powerful and you think of the women of the time and how they would have felt so triumphant if they had had a character like this to look up to and give them comfort that they're not wrong, but can forge their own path, or find comfort in a girl who has like-mindedness.

this is a book based on the life of Rebecca Leavitt, Buffalo Flats, is in Alberta, Canada.. very interesting book. Make sure you read the author notes at the end.

I can't say that I've ever read historical fiction with the setting of northwestern Canada. Buffalo Flats is located in Alberta, Canada.

A woman falls in love with a piece of property (she believes that God has spoken to her there) and sets out to own that land (back when homesteading wasn't available to single women ... unless they were widowed).

The religion of the family that the story revolves around is the Latter Day Saints. Although the book really doesn't go into a lot of detail.

I especially loved the Author's Notes at the end where some of the events in the book were loosely tied to ancestor notes found by the author. It seems that their is a strong belief to look at things in the most positive light and that comes across in this book. I found it very refreshing and really enjoyed Buffalo Flats.

Thank you to NetGalley ... for once again introducing me to a "new to me" author and for the opportunity to provide an honest review in exchange for reading the advance review copy. Also thank you to the Martine Leavitt and publisher Margaret Ferguson Books and Holiday House.

A great tale about a young woman who has ambitions of her own, and strength and determination to achieve her dreams. Rebecca is a wonderful character that starts as stubborn and a little selfish. But as the story progresses, her character arc, I don't want to spoil, has its sad twist and turns, but are essential. And Coby is complements her, a great, quiet man.