Johnson broke the barriers of her time

In this troublesome era of anger, violence and blame, it's well to look back to a kinder time, and the good and heart-warming story of a remarkable Montana character.

Dorothy Johnson grew up in poverty in Whitefish, and despite a life of crushing adversity, her achievement as a writer has been compared by some critics to that of Ernest Hemmingway, Mark Twain, Mary Austin, Willa Cather and Mari Sandoz. She has been described as possibly the greatest writer of western fiction who ever lived.

Johnson's tough trail to the top is illustrated by a photo taken by later Pulitzer Prize winner Mel...