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Book Review by Barbara Fleming – Letters from Nettie

Book Review by Barbara Fleming – Letters from Nettie

New Book Charms Readers with Letters

Ann Garbutt Ryan of north Fort Collins, whose forebear, Ted Herring, owned the iconic landmark Ted’s Place, has published a book of letters written by her great-aunt Nettie Garbutt to her grandfather, Cameron Garbutt. Letters from Nettie, available from Amazon, contains a compilation of letters Nettie wrote from her home in upstate New York to her brother, who had ventured west in the 1870s.

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The letters charmingly depict life on the farm, Nettie’s experiences as a young woman and as a wife and mother, and 19th-century culture and mores. There is loss and sorrow — the death of her father, for one — along with joy and pleasure. The letters reveal the rhythms of everyday life for Nettie but also showcase her character and wit.

Ann Ryan is a retired art teacher who taught in Denver and Fort Collins schools. The cover is one of her paintings; her art also illustrates the book Muffin Magic by Libby James. This is Ryan’s first book.

Publication date: December 17, 2020

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Available on Amazon

Book design by R. Gary Raham

Price: $15.00 120 pages Paperback

ISBN -13 979 8577120689