These big things, these terrible things, are not the important ones.

This quote, found about half-way through the book, says a lot: It is about a life lived together, through good times as well as through really, really bad times. But I love it because this book goes deeper than just the fluffy, butterflies-in-your-stomach stuff. When I think of a romance I tend to think of a book that ends with a kiss, with the promise of a “happily ever after”, but often the reader gets no view into that “ever after.” So what is it about this book that made me read it twice last year (and I rarely re-read a book) and has me wanting to re-read it again right now? Because of some of the difficult situations that Mike and Kathy face, as well as a little bit of language, I would recommend this book for an audience of high school age and above. The story reads a bit like one of the Little House books, in my opinion, but for an older audience. There she meets her husband Mike (hence the title of the book) and the story follows them as they make a life together in the cold, beautiful, but often harsh land of northern Canada. The story begins as young, sixteen year old Katherine Mary O’Fallon travels to Alberta, Canada to stay with her uncle. Although it is a fictional story, it was inspired by true events. Mike was written in 1947 by Benedict and Nancy Freedman. But, to organize my thoughts a little better, I’ll start out with a brief synopsis and then explain why this book has become one of my very favorites. I hardly know where to begin with this review because I could go on and on about this book and how much I love it. I wasn’t sure if it was really the kind of book that I would enjoy, but Goodreads kept recommending it to me so I decided I’d at least give it a try. Mike is a classical example of the saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” Not that it’s an ugly cover, it’s just not very captivating. Well, one of the books that Goodreads recommended to me a few years ago was Mrs. I love using Goodreads, a website where you can catalog the books you’ve read, rate and review them, read other people’s reviews and find new books that are recommended for you.

I don’t often read a novel twice but there are some that are worth it.

Mrs. Mike by Benedict Freedman