Roses Are Difficult Here

The town where roses are difficult is Shelby, in the foothills of the Rockies, and the time is the 1950s. Matt Stanley, the editor of the local paper, is from back east, and though he loves his life in Shelby and his wife and daughter, he frets that settling there may have stunted his career. When a sociologist arrives to study the town, Matt takes her under his wing, with dramatic results. A mixture of laughter (as when Santa comes to Shelby) and tears, this 1990 novel shows W.O. Mitchell at his traditional best.