Description
Book SynopsisSettler ranching in southern Alberta conjures the image of a lone cowboy riding through the foothills or a stoic ranch hand roping errant cattle. But women have always played an integral part in the cattle industry, often working without recognition or support to meet the challenge of the frontier.
Ranching Women in Southern Alberta examines the rhythms, routines, and realities of women's lives on family ranches. As these ranches replaced the large-scale cattle operations that once covered thousands of acres, women were called upon to ensure not only the ongoing economic viability of their ranches, but also the social harmony of their families and communities. At the same time, ranching women enjoyed personal freedoms and opportunities unknown to their urban and European contemporaries.The great-granddaughter of pioneer ranchers, Rachel Herbert brings a unique insight to the stories of these brave and talented women who carved a role for themselves and their daughters during the dawn of the family ranch.
Trade ReviewA well-qualified insider who runs a family beef cattle operation, Herbert bases her rich and sophisticated analysis of womenâs contributions not only on comprehensive scholarship but also on intimate knowledge as a daughter of four generations of accomplished ranch women in Albertaâs foothillsâ|Herbertâs engaging account critiques conventional gendered binaries-bachelor cowboy, nomadic farmhand or sacrificing, thrifty wife-that frequent popular sources, while uncovering how women ensured the continuity of Albertaâs family ranchesâ|With Ranching Women in Southern Alberta, Herbert delivers a radical redress of ranching history and grants girls hope for a more equitable future. - Carol Williams, AlbertaViews
"Rachel Herberts book Ranching Women in Southern Alberta is a much-needed addition to the study of rural women in the West". Amy L McKinney, Canadian Journal of History, Vol 53, Issue 3, Winter 2018
Ranching Women in Southern Alberta is a much-needed addition to the study of rural women in the West . . . a thoughtful study of Albertan ranching women of the 1880s to 1930s. - Amy L McKinney, Canadian Journal of History
Herbert's look at the real life of ranch women from about 1874 into the 1940s is an eye opener. It not only fills out the historical record, it makes a reader think in new ways . . . a rewarding read. - Marc Lisac, Prime Times
