These readers enjoyed the books by Howard Frisk enough to award five star reviews. You can read these reviews and more on the Amazon's website. Additional reviews are available on the Goodreads website.
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5 Stars
M. Kienitz What an intriguing book! It has just the right balance between high quality photographs and enough text to explain some of what drove the settling of Idaho in the 1800s. When silver, gold and zinc were discovered, that brought mine operations that needed railroads and miners who formed towns and needed schools for their children. These attracted enterprising folks who saw business opportunities in hotels, restaurants, barbershops, etc. All these developments are recorded in the old black and white photos, now paired alongside excellent current photos that show some of these buildings that reveal the beauty in wood left to age in the elements. 5 Stars
Sue A. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially as former residents of Idaho-the Gem State. Having visited a few of the featured locations ourselves, we found the stories and photographs both nostalgic and enlightening. The blend of historical context, "then and now" images, and personal anecdotes offered meaningful insight into the history of these places and their evolution over time. Thoughtfully written with touches of humor, this book is a true gem-entertaining, insightful, and beautifully curated. 5 Stars
Kelly This is a fascinating book that covers a variety of abandoned places throughout Idaho. The old black and white pictures are neat to see what these areas looked like way back then. The newer photos are great to compare with the old photos. Each location has a short but informative history written to go along with the pictures. This is a great book for people who enjoy historical places that are off the beaten path. Reading this book has made me want to go explore more of these sites. |
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Pre-release reviews for Peg Leg Annie
Ana Peg leg Annie takes you on a journey to the old west. Written in a way that has you rooting for this amazing woman all through the book. Starting when she was just 14 years old, Peg Leg Annie dives into her remarkable journey through life. What a great start into the author's first historical fiction novel. Howard Frisk does an amazing job of mixing historical facts, with imagined dialogue leaving the reader wanting more. Patricia What an amazing tale this story tells. What grit, what fervor, what astonishing determination to live is told in the story about Ana Morrow, aka Peg Leg Annie. This is a fastening life story to inspire and to learn from. History, our best teacher, reminds us of how life has very much changed in so many ways, and yet I couldn't help but notice a trend long ago that still challenges present day women as we historically try to assert our presence in society. How brutal every day life was in every aspect of Annie's life but the glimpses of joy, and love and down right grit keep the women's story a page turner for sure. Bravo to Howard Frisk, thanks for sharing this amazing tale. Highly recommended reading. Sandra L. So many stories of the "Wild West" focused on the exploits of famous men: "Buffalo Bill" Cody, Wyatt Earp, and Bat Masterson, for instance. But what of the women who braved the bitter elements, the loneliness, the drive to survive whatever the developing country had to throw at them? No fantasy tale, this. Anne Morrow, ‘Peg-Leg Annie’, was as real as you or me, and in his very first biographical novel, author Howard Frisk brings her before us with all of her sterling qualities: her hardscrabble life with the man that shot her real Daddy and moved in with her mother, her first love, and the heartbreak he brought her. Howard delves deeply into Annie’s history to ferret out her inner struggles as she fights not only to stay alive, but also to make her mark in this world. He traces her successes and her failures over the years—and more than once, his powerful skill at stepping into her life reduced me to tears. More than simply one more historical account that one leaves through a few pages of and then tucks away on some shelf to gather dust, Annie’s tale brings out the ongoing battle still raging between men and women over a century after her death. In her voice, Howard explores the precarious position of powerful women stuck in a male-dominated society fiercely dedicated to maintaining the status quo. He uncovers the reactions and inner feelings of men and even some women to her spirit of independence and grit. And when a poor decision brings her down low, she chooses to rise above, to the amazement of those that thought she was done forever. |
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5 Stars
Janelle Howard Frisk’s Ghost Towns of Eastern Idaho is a visually arresting, emotionally resonant look at the rise and fall of forgotten communities. It’s a love letter to Idaho’s haunted past, a tribute to those who came before, and a powerful reminder that the land remembers, even when we forget. This book invites readers on a hauntingly beautiful journey through time, revisiting the forgotten mining towns, frontier settlements, and once-bustling communities of Idaho’s eastern region. The book blends historical research, personal exploration, and an artistic eye to capture the essence of these abandoned or transformed locales. 5 Stars
Ann V. What I love about Howard’s books is that they’re not only filled with beautiful photographs and fascinating facts, but most of all with true stories about the real people who once lived and worked in those places. 5 Stars
Amazon Customer I love sharing Howard Frisks historical chronicles of Idaho with the younger generation of my family. The pictures of times gone by pique my interest in events that could have involved my own family's history . Or not. The book captures our imagination and takes us back to what our great grandparents, aunts and uncles might have been up to. "Back in the day". |
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5 Stars
Amazon Customer The great photography and captions give the reader a desire to learn more about the history of the places and towns that might otherwise be forgotten. I love keeping this book and others from the collection out where my friends and family can enjoy it as well. 5 Stars
Judy A. I really enjoyed learning about the history and roots of these ghost towns in Idaho! Howard has such superb storytelling skills, once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down. Through his careful research, he found wonderful historical photographs, and then contrasted those with poignant photos of what’s left of them today. Wonderful book! 5 Stars
M. Kienitz How much would you be willing to go through to get at gold or silver? This book’s brief text and plentiful photos reveal extreme hardships that some Idaho miners in frigid steep high altitudes lived through. Yet in the south two small mining towns included here were on flat sagebrush deserts. Wherever miners settled in the last 160 years, a town developed—some very primitive but a few fairly complete. In one steep mining area, the available flat land for buildings was so narrow between slopes that a railroad had to go through a hotel. The town characters that Frisk describes match the intensity of the terrain: the more extreme the land, the more outlandish their characters were. And how often do you hear of public schools funded by taxes on saloons or a cemetery area only for prostitutes? Old black-and-white photos alongside high-quality modern photos vividly tell the Boom and Bust story of mining. I spent most of my time with this unique book scrutinizing the detailed photos of abandoned homes, stores, mining equipment and cars. There is indeed beauty in old lumber weathered by wind, rain and snow. |
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5 Stars
Kimberly B. I was very moved by this book of photographs. For someone to notice a house, a truck, a factory, or whatever, and then to respect what happened there enough to document and share the stories with those who are alive now, does a great service to history. My personal favorites are the photos of the old farms, many of them left in a state that suggests their owners may have meant to return. The sorrowful stories about the mental institution, the railroad avalanche, as well as sharing the history of what occurred and when, all over Washington state. I've lived on the east coast most of my life. Although I have traveled far and wide, I've never been to Washington. But Howard Frisk's book compels me to visit Washington and see many of these sites myself. Thank you Howard for immersing us in so much forgotten history and the beauty and feeling that abandoned places hold. 5 Stars
Patricia C. I appreciate the research that the author has done extensively on the many abandoned sites and buildings he has photographed. I have a personal interest in the abandoned abodes of rural Eastern Washington. My own great grandparents were homesteaders on the Canadian prairies. Howard's photos remind us all of our pioneers great challenges of their times and makes us dream what that was like. 5 Stars
Cameron M. I'm fascinated by history and physical artifacts that bring history to life. This book offers vivid photographs of many sites across Washington that give the reader concrete images of years ago, and an eerie account of the toll that time takes. Bravo on a beautiful book! |
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5 Stars
Ann V. Howard’s book on abandoned mines in Idaho is a book I never knew I was interested in. The book is filled with great answers to questions I never even thought to ask. Thank you for widening, in such a captivating way, my field of interests and for expanding my mind. It’s a great read. I especially love the stories about the often difficult lives of the actual real women and men who once lived in those places and who worked in those mines. The stories foster a deep sense of historical empathy. 5 Stars
Amazon Customer Howard does a fantastic job of not only finding interesting photos of the mines in this book but also tells a wonderful story about the areas that he covers. Some of the historical photos are amazing and hard to imagine when looking at the current day state of these areas. I had a couple of my photos featured within the text and am very happy to see how well he was able to integrate them alongside the history of each place. 5 Stars
John F. A fascinating set of stories about several abandoned towns, with lots of photos of both historical ones taken when the towns were alive and current ones that show what a visitor now finds. |
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5 Stars
Larry M. Great book for anyone interested in old mines. Filled with many photos - some old historic photos, as well as beautiful color photos of the buildings and relics existing today. The photos are accompanied by well written narratives of the history and operations of the mines. 5 Stars
Ann V. I received Howard’s book as a gift and with so many of his books I’m always struck by his ability to make the people from so long ago really come alive in the mind of the reader. It’s interesting, fascinating and so moving to read about these people’s hard lives working in the mines and also about their families and everything they had to put up with. It has created in me a whole new sense of empathy with a group of people I never even knew I cared about. 5 Stars
John Good read very interesting history |
Photographs of Rocky Bar and Atlanta where the story of Peg Leg Annie takes place, as well as relevant historical information, can be see in the Western Echo Publishing Historical Photo Gallery.
