Mary Anne Mercer

Seattle-based Writer

Crossing the Yellowstone

On the cusp of the 20th century, Andy Mercer journeyed on horseback from Missouri to the Great Plains, with plans to homestead in the West. Crossing the Yellowstone: The Saga of a Montana Ranch Family is a love story of land, family, and that man’s dream. This family history narrative tells the true story of a man who settled in the American West in the early 1900s, living the core American values of independence, determination, and respect for the land. 

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About Mary Anne

Mary Anne Mercer spent her early years on the family ranch in eastern Montana with her parents and six siblings. During her youth, her grandfather and great-aunt lived nearby in the original 1906 ranch house on the homestead. Crossing the Yellowstone: The Saga of a Montana Ranch Family aims to bring to life the tale of her paternal grandparents and parents, spanning the period from 1894 to the 1940s. With an academic career in international health, Mary Anne worked in many countries in Africa and Asia, … Read More about About Mary Anne

Advance Reviews

Richly authentic and beautifully written, Crossing the Yellowstone is a vivid real-life portrait of a family struggling to survive in the American West. An unforgettable story of a widowed father who raises his son in the hardscrabble ranching life, and that son’s resilient determination to find love and build the family he always wanted. An endearing story of tragedy, tenderness, and ties that bind.

MARGARET COMBS
author of Hazard: A Sister’s Flight from Family and a Broken Boy

 

 

Mary Anne Mercer’s Montana family embodies Wild West history—cowboys, homesteaders, and ranchers who claim deep kinship with this storied land. Crossing the Yellowstone brings to vivid life the people and country that still inspires tourists and bestselling films. A lively and very moving must-read for anyone who enjoys both personal and American history.

BRENDA PETERSON
author of Wild Chorus: Finding Harmony with Whales, Wolves, and Other Animals

 

This is a moving story of place and relationships, beautifully written and carefully researched. Mary Anne Mercer is a superb storyteller whose narrative brings alive the characters and the places of this amazing tale. This is a story of the early 1900’s prairie homesteading era, yet it speaks to us now, a century later, of the lasting gifts and burdens of all our family legacies.

GARY WHITED
author of Being, There and Having Listened