Buffalo Flats

Buffalo Flats is the story of Rebecca Leavitt and her family as homesteaders in Southern Alberta in the 1890s. Rebecca is the only daughter in her family, and her biggest dream is to own land. She meets God while admiring the beauty of the mountains and knows that the miracle is a sign that she must purchase the land she loves so deeply. However, it is 1890, and women are not allowed to own their own land. Thus begins the quest for Rebecca to save enough money to purchase the plot of land with her father’s name attached to the deed so it can be legally hers forever. The sum needed to buy the land is more money than Rebecca has ever seen before, and, because she is only able to make money in small ways, the goal seems nearly impossible. Rebecca is relentless and dedicated, and the dream is never far from her mind as she navigates family crises, dances, and love triangles.

The Leavitt’s are active members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, so the characters and plot are intricately tied to religion. This will appeal to some readers—I am writing this review from Southern Alberta where some of the novel takes place and the legacy of Mormon settlers endures—but the story does not require a deep understanding of religion or the church to still be enjoyable. In fact, some of the highlights of the narrative come from Rebecca’s questioning goodness and godliness (Maybe, Rebecca thought, maybe a broken commandment couldn’t stay broken if it were touched by love), and many characters DO break commandments.

While the time period may make some of the scenarios harder to relate to, the battle between right and wrong for the characters in complex situations was interesting to read, and Rebecca’s stubbornness and quick responses often complicated the idea of what it means to be a demure, God-fearing woman. Buffalo Flats runs the gamut of emotional experiences and allows Rebecca to feel joy, love, sorrow, resentment, and more while staying true to her beliefs.

At first, the novel seemed to fall into the trope of the rebellious girl wanting to defy society’s standards, and some of the beliefs about the role of women were difficult to read without cringing, knowing that there are some people who still believe these ideas. As the story unfolded, I was drawn more and more into the characters’ lives, and the idea of Rebecca’s being unable to buy the plot of land simply because she is a woman became more of a background challenge than the sole focus of the text. The romances were tame (minus one salacious pregnancy out of wedlock), the friendships were pure, and the Leavitt family was full of love. LaRue, Rebecca’s best friend, and her endless kindness was incredibly endearing, and Rebecca’s mother ended up being a favourite character as she quietly but fiercely showed where some of Rebecca’s personality traits came from. The pacing of the second half of this historical fiction makes it worth sticking with, even if the story at first seems predictable. The author’s note at the end and her personal connection to Rebecca’s story add a fascinating nonfiction element as well.

Readers should be warned that Rebecca’s mother is a midwife and nurse, and Rebecca learns the trade as well, which means there are several instances of death in the novel, including a stillbirth.

Overall, Buffalo Flats will likely be in high rotation in a classroom library where readers are searching for LDS representation or interested in historical fiction with a strong woman lead.