Chip of the Flying U

This 1906 novel by B. M. Bower [Bertha Muzzy] was the first in a long line of novels to feature the “Happy Family” a loose collective of ranch hands in Montana.

Bower’s work can be declared “ranch romances” but that being said the ranch life is depicted fairly realistically.

This introductory novel follows a romance between the titular Chip and the newly arrived female doctor, Della. The take is old-fashioned but well-told and not a bad read for fans of the early years of the genre.

Side-Note: Our fictional Chip is a bit of an artist and is said to be modeled on renowned artist Charles M. Russell, who illustrated the novel.