(3.5 stars)
It’s going to sound odd that I enjoyed Where Coyotes Howl, given it’s such a sad story. The extreme hardships experienced by settlers in early 20th century Wyoming are brought to life by the author. Unfortunately, the happy parts are few and far between, so it’s one tragic event after another.

Ellen is a young school teacher who comes to a very small town in Wyoming on a one-year contract to teach in their one-room schoolhouse. There she falls in love with one of the local cowboys, Charlie Bacon. They marry and the book follows their lives, along with several of the townspeople and ranchers in the area. The author has chosen to bookend their story with a prologue and an epilogue. Once you read the prologue, which takes place about 30 years later, you already know that nothing much good happened to this young couple, so there wasn’t a whole lot of suspense in the rest of the book.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook’s narrator, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, did a great job with all the voices.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Ellen has accepted a teaching position in Wallace, Wyoming. She only intends to stay for a year. But, she meets and falls in love with Charlie Bacon. These two face death, hunger, and overwhelming tragedy. But, somehow their relationship grows stronger with every trial and tribulation.

When this story begins, you think it will be a love story and it is. However, it is so much more. This is a tale of love, endurance, family and strength. Life is hard but I cannot imagine living life on the prairie. These people were tough.

I loved Ellen and Charlie. These two had so many ups and downs, it tore my heart out. And don’t get me started on some of the friends. You will have to read this to find out.

The narrator, Stephanie Németh-Parker, is excellent. She made the characters come alive.

Need a story which will have you feeling every emotion you can imagine…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Heartbreakingly beautiful. Absolutely loved every word. I switched from the audio to the book. Fantastic narrator, incredible story-telling, Wow! Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, and read along with the book simultaneously. The narration was great to listen to because it was read with lots of animation, and emotion, and each character had a different voice. It would be a great book to listen to on a long road trip.

The writing painted an excellent picture of life on the prairie and all the trials that came with it. At times it was heartbreaking to read, but never depressing. It brought to light the importance of working together as a married couple and having good friends/neighbors to help each other through the hard times in life.

This book would be a great Book Club pick because there are many great things to discuss!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

The reason I love NetGalley so much is because I find books that I never would have read without that platform available.

Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas is one of these books.

Publication Date: April 18, 2023

SYNOPSIS:
Wallace, a two-street town, is not what Ellen Webster expected when she accepted a teaching position in Wyoming, but she falls in love-both with the High Plains and with a handsome cowboy named Charlie.

Life isn't easy in their flat corner of the state, with unforgiving winter blizzards and relentless summer heat. But they face it all together, their relationship growing stronger with each shared success and tragedy.

In the end, it's not the trials Ellen and Charlie face that make them remarkable, but they’re enduring love.

Beautifully rendered, Where Coyotes Howl is a vivid and deeply affecting love letter to the early twentieth century West.

Thoughts:
- Beautifully written and I could not put this one down.
- A love story mixed with historical fiction.
- I have never read any other books by Sandra Dallas but I definitely want to check out other books after this one.
- I immediately fell in love with the characters!
- Will be recommending this one to all who listen.

Five stars from me. If you love an emotional read with all the feels. This one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobooks in exchange for an honest review. I am so glad this one was an option! Where Coyotes Howl is one of my top books of 2023!

Where Coyotes Howl
Author: Sandra Dallas
Narrator: Stephanie Nemeth-Parker
Macmillan Audio

Set in small town of Wallace, Wyoming in the early 1900s, Where Coyotes Howl is superb work of historical fiction. Author Sandra Dallas writes of the realistic hardships and challenges that were faced in this time period. Her story is often achingly sorrowful with the harshness of weather, domestic abuse, and heartbreaking loss that her characters endured on the prairie and plains. Narrator Nemeth-Parker delivers an outstanding vocal performance in capturing both the pain and beauty presented throughout the pages of this novel. Her voice is so versatile and powerful.

Ellen is a young schoolteacher who relocates from Iowa to teach and start a new life in Wyoming. She falls in love with cowboy Charlie, and the two face many obstacles in spite of their deep devotion to each other. The history presented in this audiobook is important to know about. It leaves one with hope and appreciation of endurance, perseverance, and bravery, even during devastating circumstances and the uncertain times of the early West in Wyoming.
I had a meaningful listening experience with this audiobook.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook. My review is my own.

This is a Historical Fiction. I listen to this audiobook, but my problem with this audiobook is that it is not the whole book. The copy I got from netgalley ends at chapter 10, but I am lucky enough to get approved for the e-book too. I am finishing reading it from the ebook. I did like the narrator, and I did enjoy the audiobook until it just ended before the end of the book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

My review over finishing the book

This is a Hard-Hitting Historical Fiction. I listened to the first ten chapters of this book from an e-audiobook, and I read the last part of this book by reading the e-kindle book. I found the narrator of this book to be easy to listen to. I really enjoyed the beginning of this book, and I got pulled into this story and those characters very fast. I found the middle of this book to be slow moving and some parts of this book were not need. I feel like some parts just kept going over the same things. I did really enjoy the ending of this book. I love a historical fiction have really hard-hitting parts, and this book as not in the middle and the ending. This book as some parts that is very hard to read and could trigger some readers. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Press) or author (Sandra Dallas) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

4 1/2 stars

Life on the Wyoming prairie couldn't have been an easy one. Where the Coyotes Howl depicts the hardships and the bright spots. Life was definitely difficult during those times but the people appreciated the good times they had all the more. It was the simple things in life that could bring joy when there was so much raw brutality in your everyday living.

This book follows a woman named Ellen who moves to Wallace, Wyoming to teach school. She comes from a big city so she gives up all those luxuries and conveniences when she moves west. She isn't there long before she meets a local cowboy, Charlie Bacon and their relationship develops rather quickly. Charlie and Ellen marry and move into a small house he has built for them. They both work hard each and every day because that's what's required to survive but they don't worry over it because they're just happy to be together. Their relationship is a love match and it's just such a powerful and sweet thing to see. The two of them suffer through a great deal of loss but it brings them closer together instead of tearing them apart. They love unconditionally.

Ellen learns how to be a rancher's wife through Charlie and her friends. It doesn't take long before she is picking up on things and it's like she's always been there. The other characters in the story truly enrich it as well. They all have a hand in helping to form Ellen into the woman she becomes. Her relationships with the other women are critical to her development and they help her to understand what Charlie needs from a wife in such a challenging land.

This book is written beautifully. The descriptiveness is spot on. I felt as if I could truly see the world that they are living in - - in all its harshness and beauty. It's emotionally exhausting at times because there is a great deal of loss and grief but I know that the times weren't easy and the author is trying to show that. The pioneer and cowboy spirit can withstand a lot but everyone has a breaking point. You had to wonder when theirs would come.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration in the audiobook was absolutely wonderful. Since I had both the ebook and audiobook, I bounced between the two but I really enjoyed the time I was able to spend listening to this book. It felt atmospheric and emotional. Very well done. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the e-book and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review them both and the opinions contained within are my own.

Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas is a sweet story of love on the lonesome prairie in the early days. Ellen is a school teacher who moves to Wyoming to teach school, but in the end, she falls in love with the prairie and a cowboy. She marries Charlie and the two build a life together in the harsh reality of life in the middle of nowhere. The story is sad but sweet and shows how love can overcome all. Thanks to the publisher for the chance to listen to the book. All opinions are my own.

This was a beautifully written story about living life on the prairie at the turn of the century. I will give a trigger warning to those who are prone to feeling down, the book left me feeling blah and I immediately followed it up with a happy uplifting book. The book is full of death and tragedy. Which is probably pretty accurate for those times. We see the female characters suffer abuse at the hands of their husbands and are reminded of the dynamics of the husband being the head of the household. Even MC Ellen, who had a loving relationship with her husband, wasn’t allowed to work after they were married. They struggled with having enough money to even feed their child but when she suggested that she take a job teaching her husband told her no. It would give the appearance that he couldn’t support his family and apparently it was better to let your child starve than let your neighbors see your wife working. Again, pretty accurate for the times.
This was a 5 star touching story. Just be prepared to read about some severe physical abuse, women drove to complete mental breakdowns, cultural opinions of handicapped children and the deaths of children.

Ellen leaves Chicago for Wyoming to teach school. It is not what she expected, but she comes to love the town, the people, and most of all Charlie. After a year, she marries Charlie and they move to a homestead to ranch. Life is hard- for everyone. (You get to experience not only Ellen and Charlie's lives, but the hardships of many of their neighbors.) But Ellen and Charlie love the land and each other.

I feel this did a good job of depicting how hard life was in the very rural west. But I did find a bit of a disconnect between myself and the story. Sad things happen (a LOT), but I didn't really feel them if that makes sense. To compare to [book:The Four Winds|53138081], another sad, historical book, I sobbed so hard I couldn't even see. This book, in comparison, just felt depressing, without depth.

Not a real spoiler per se, but my feelings under the spoiler tag can allude to the ending:
<spoiler> Books can be sad. They can end sad. But somewhere you need some hope. A feeling of triumph. I feel this did not have that- it was just sad, sad, sad, sad. I guess that made me feel a lack of purpose for the book overall. You want to root for people. For them to overcome. But they don't. </spoiler>

I listened to the audiobook. Stephanie Németh-Parker narrates and does a good job.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sandra Dallas never fails to transport me back in time. This may be one of my favorites from her yet! Full of joy, grief, despair, and perseverance, this book gives you a glimpse of the hardships women faced in early 1900s Wyoming. It is a book that is wonderfully written (and narrated, too!)

CW: Child loss, mental illness/disability prejudice, death, prostitution/rape, language. Overall moderate - but this is a heavy novel with heavy themes.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review.

As someone who had family who lived in the area of this book around the time of the book, it was an interesting comparison between my family's stories and the world created in this story. What added up and what, well, didn't. But I can wholeheartedly believe that my family would have shied away from regaling their grandchildren with the heartbreak and horrors of this book. I say horrors but I should say horrific realities portrayed in this book.

I would suggest reading this book when you are in a bit of a funk, neither happy nor depressed. Don't let this powerful story ruin a good mood, but also, don't let it make already dark times darker. It's a powerful story, but requires the right timing.

This is the first book ( that I can remember) I've read of Sandra Dallas. I will diffently read her again. I love historical pioneer reads. This was a book I will tell other readers about. The struggles and triumphs of the pioneer women are exhilarating. Tough times doesn't say enough. Some women cannot handle the rugged living circumstances but Ellen did her best. Ellen is a strong woman who others relied on for her strength. Ellens husband Charlie admired and loved her beyond the prarie. This book will have you laughing as well as crying. I couldn't put it down till the end.

When Ellen Webster takes a teaching job in Wallace, Wyoming, she has no idea how her life will change. Wallace is a far cry from the modernized city of Fort Madison, Iowa, from which she came. Wallace is brutal, barren, and poverty-stricken. Most teachers don't last a year.

But within the first year, Ellen is embracing the difficult life on the high plains, and has married a handsome, charming cowboy who loves her dearly. Ellen is a respected schoolteacher, and has become part of the community, and befriended many of the wives. Ellen is committed to her husband and this town, and intends on staying for the long haul... though it will be far from easy.

Life on the frontier is harsh and unforgiving. Tragedy after tragedy strikes Wallace and it's people, and the women must pull together to get through.

Thoughts: Wow! This is my first Dallas novel, but definitely not my last. This was absolutely stunning. It's one of the saddest books I've read, but breathtakingly beautiful. It's poignant and raw and descriptive and so incredibly moving. It evokes so many emotions, and taught me so much about life on the frontier. These people struggled so hard, and their conditions led to so many tragedies... poverty, hunger, abuse, assault, and death. So much death. But it wasn't all bad. The love between Ellen and her husband was such a palpable thing. They loved so fiercely. And the friendship and comradery between the women was so special. The women had such a sense of community and belonging, and looking out for one another. I adored this aspect.

I read along with the audiobook, which was expertly performed by Stephanie Németh-Parker. Parker did an outstanding job with this performance and it definitely enhanced my enjoyment. I highly recommend this format!

This book is not for the faint of heart, and please check TWs.

Thank you St Martin's and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies. What a gorgeous novel! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to read it.

My review will be posted on Instagram today.

I usually love the writings of Sandra Dallas and the narrator for this audiobook was good, but the whole story is almost too heartbreaking for me. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness this book is sad. I have to say, this is really tough one to review, the story is wonderfully written but oh so sad. I know homesteading was hard but my goodness the sadness in this book.

I am having a hard time rating this book the writing is superb and Dallas truly puts you into the place she is writing about and this was no exception. I felt the loneliness and the pain of what these women went through. But I will have a hard time recommending this one because it is so very sad, there is no HEA. However as far as a story about Wyoming in 1916 I am sure it was that hard and that sad.

Narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker who was excellent! She truly brought all the emotions to this one.

I do think this would be a good book club book and would make for a good discussion.

3 1/2 Stars

I received this book from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audio book in exchange for an honest review. This is narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker, and its wonderfully done! I highly recommend the audio book if you enjoy that!

Its 1915, and Ellen has just arrived in town to teach school in a town with early settlers of the prairies of Wyoming. She meets Charlie, a true cowboy, and they are married a year later. As the story unfolds, there are so many wonderful joys that the couple face in their life on the prairie. However, there is much heartbreak as well. Will they stay and withstand the forces of nature or will they, like so many, give in and pull up stakes?

The story is wonderfully done, the characters are very well developed and there are so many themes touched upon including domestic violence, friendship, alcoholism, prostitution, marriage, poverty, hardships, isolation, loneliness, extreme weather conditions, and love.

I really enjoyed how the author took the time to develop strong women characters that support each other. I also really enjoyed Ellen and Charlie's story. This is definitely a sad but wonderful story of these courageous women. This was very well researched!

HIghly recommend!!

Having read many Dallas novels and enjoying her writing, I was excited to get this ARC of the audiobook. I was not however prepared for the emotions I would feel. The cover made me think I would get some sweet romance set on the western frontier, but reader, I was given a book so filled with struggle that my heart hurt for the characters. While one might be aware of the life these families chose by living in the prairie, this book takes us down the heartbreaking path which other novels gloss over. Be prepared with tissues if you are emotional, as these families grow and change throughout the reading. I was not ready for the ending, you won't be either.

Note, I absolutely loved Stephanie Németh-Parker as narrator and felt that she did an amazing job bringing the book to life. I was fortunate enough to have print and audio copies, and the audiobook was my preference. I'll definitely be looking for titles narrated by Németh-Parker in the future!
____
"The prairie does drive some women crazy. Sometimes I even think that it makes me a little looney."
"Well, you wouldn't be a woman if it didn't. Wyoming is a man's place. That's for sure."

If you’re planning to read or have read this book, you've probably read Little House on the Prairie. If that’s the case, you know that life was hard due wildfires, blizzards, illness, poverty, etc. When I picked up WHERE COYOTES HOWL, I knew that that challenges would be prevalent, but I wasn't expecting devastation to be the primary theme. I understand that life was not easy for anyone on the harsh Wyoming prairie, and I appreciate that Dallas found content inspiration from primary sources via women’s journals and letters. All said, I felt that the tragedy overshadowed the joy.

I started my review in while in the middle of the book, and at the time, I highlighted Dallas's storytelling prowess. I saw another review asserting that there was too much tell and not enough show, but I personally feel that if Dallas had gone too far in the weeds with "showing" the actions or the events, it would become far too bogged down. I loved that the story was told from a feminine lens. It's easy to take modern conveniences for granted, but reading a book like WHERE COYOTES HOWL instantly reminds me how fortunate we are.

"Moving on" [from the plains] is referenced often, and I found it interesting how many women and their families chose to stay. For some, staying wasn't a choice, especially when women's rights were virtually nonexistent then, yet I was still surprised by how many women simply accepted the cards they were dealt. Avoiding spoilers, I would have left after the first or second tragedy. However, I was able to relate to a lot of what Gladys said about childbirth and pregnancy 110 years later, proving that some things stay the same even as time progresses.

"I have to say that I'd rather buy a baby at a mercantile than go through that again. It sure makes you know that God ain't no woman." She chuckled. "Having a baby takes just a day or so, and the best part is when it's over, you're not pregnant no more."

All this said, I stayed up past my bedtime because both the story and the audiobook's narrator were captivating. This book was hard to rate, as I do feel that the storytelling was well done, but I would struggle to recommend this to others unless they were truly interested in the era due to the depressing nature and tragedies (triggers) within. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.