Chamberlin (emeritus, English, comparative literature, Univ. of Toronto; If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories??) offers an intriguing biography of his grandfather Jack Cowdry, who lived in Alberta, Canada, in the late 19th century and was witness to a changing landscape and altered lifestyles for First Nations and Métis peoples, such as the Blackfoot. The art of storytelling is key for Chamberlin, as is the organizational outline for this biography. The prominent story is the lifelong friendship between Cowdry and Crop Eared Wolf, who succeeded his father, statesman Red Crow, as head chief of the Blood tribe in the Blackfoot Confederacy. Banker Cowdry, who later became mayor of Alberta's Fort Macleod, was well respected in the region; this is well documented in the many anecdotes. Chamberlin also provides insight into the ranchers, freighters, bootleggers, cowboys, and North-West Mounted Police seeking a new life in land that straddled the Montana-Canada border. VERDICT A well-told narrative with a cast of fascinating characters provides a true accounting of Western and frontier settlement and cultural change. Recommended for libraries with regional and biographical collections.—Patricia Ann Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern Community Coll., Mt. Carmel