Buffalo Valley (Dakota Series #4) [Abridged] [Audio Cassette]

Debbie Macomber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2002

A New York Times Bestselling Author

It's a season of change for a small prairie town. Buffalo Valley, North Dakota, has discovered a will to survive, to prosper. But the outside world has discovered Buffalo Valley, and a big retail conglomerate plans to move in. Just out of the army, Vaughn Kyle is looking for a place to live, a life to live. And after finding a young woman named Carrie Hendrickson, Vaughn knows that he wants to stay in Buffalo Valley and fight for its way of life.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The fictional town of Buffalo Valley, which was the setting for Macomber's Dakota trilogy (Always Dakota, etc.), faces a new hurdle at Christmastime in this fourth volume. Recently discharged after seven years in the army, Vaughn Kyle arrives in the North Dakota community with a double motive. The first is to meet Hassie Knight, the aging town pharmacist whose deceased son was Kyle's namesake. The second is to secretly scope out the town for Value-X, a Wal-Mart-like chain for whom Vaughn is about to start work and for which his hard-driving girlfriend, Natalie Nichols, works as a vice-president. The meeting with Hassie affects Vaughn more than he expected, and so, in a different way, does an encounter with her assistant, Carrie Hendrickson. Wary after a painful divorce, Carrie is drawn to Kyle and offers to show him the town. Rationalizing that he's supposed to find out as much about Buffalo Valley as possible, he agrees. Soon Kyle meets a raft of townspeople and learns about the close relationships that make the community special. He also finds himself falling for Carrie. When the news breaks that Value-X plans to build a store in town, people are outraged at the threat to their small businesses and organize to fight it. Caught in the middle, Vaughn must choose between the brittle Natalie, with whom he had discussed marriage, and the compassionate Carrie. Although there's never any doubt that both the town and true love will triumph, Vaughn's dilemma generates genuine tension. Macomber keeps her characters straight enough to avoid confusion and displays her usual gift for tugging on the heartstrings. Although there isn't enough depth or suspense here to generate runaway sales, this sentimental stocking-stuffer should please fans of the series as well as new readers.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"As sweet and heartwarming as apple pie."
-- Booklist (Booklist ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Dh Audio (July 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552042820
• ISBN-13: 978-1552042823
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,566,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With more than 100 million copies of her books sold worldwide, Debbie Macomber is one of today's most popular authors.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author is best known for her ability to create compelling characters and bring their stories to life in her books. Drawing on her own experiences and observations, Debbie writes heartwarming tales about small-town life, home and family and enduring friendships. Every book features the delightful sense of humor that readers around the world clamor for.

Debbie is a regular resident on numerous bestseller lists, including the New York Times (55 times and counting), USA TODAY (currently 63 times) and Publishers Weekly (23 times to date). She is the first-ever recipient of the "readers' choice" Quill Award for Romance Fiction, for 44 Cranberry Point, the fourth book in her highly popular Cedar Cove series. Debbie has also been honored with a RITA® Award, a Romantic Times BOOKreviews Career Achievement Award and is a multiple winner of both the Holt Medallion and the B. Dalton Award.

Her recent books include 92 Pacific Boulevard, 8 Sandpiper Way, 74 Seaside Avenue and Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Cookbook, as well as Twenty Wishes, A Cedar Cove Christmas, Summer on Blossom Street and The Perfect Christmas.

For more information on Debbie and her books, visit her Web site: www.DebbieMacomber.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant return to Buffalo Valley!!!, October 16, 2001

By 

Maudeen Wachsmith "BeachReader" (Port Townsend, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buffalo Valley (Dakota Series #4) (Hardcover)

I just love the Debbie Macomber's books. Her Christmas books are particularly welcome and BUFFALO VALLEY is no exception.

Vaughn Kyle is visiting Buffalo Valley at the request of his girlfriend, an executive with a large discount superstore which has plans to open a store in the little town. It's been many years since Vaughn had visited the town his mother grew up in, but he's happy to check out the town as it is near his parents' home in Grand Forks. He also wants to take the opportunity to meet Hassie Knight, Buffalo Valley's pharmacist. Vaughn's mother had been engaged to marry Hassie's son, Vaughn, but he was killed in Vietnam. Although Hassie always remembered her son's namesake with cards on his birthday, the two have never met. But when Hassie stops at the pharmacy, instead of Hassie he finds young divorcee Carrie Hendrickson instead. When Carrie finds out who the handsome stranger is, she offers to take him on a tour of the charming little town. It isn't long before Vaughn meets many of the town's citizens and they are all taken with him - Carrie even more so. Carrie has closed her heart since her divorce and Vaughn is awakening feelings in her which have been long dormant.

Vaughn has told no one, not even his parents, that he is checking the town out. But the town soon gets wind that the superstore plans on moving in and they are none too happy about it. How will they feel when they find out Vaughn has ties to this company?

BUFFALO VALLEY is a fitting follow-up to Debbie Macomber's Dakota Trilogy and is sure to please her legions of fans, particularly those who have enjoyed prior visits to this fictional North Dakota town. Readers will also enjoy appearances by characters from the previous books. This book is a very pleasant respite from current world events. I got completely lost in Buffalo Valley this afternoon and felt the tension leave my body as I entered another world. Another great read from a master storyteller!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Christmas Read!, March 16, 2002

By 

"24heineck" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buffalo Valley (Dakota Series #4) (Hardcover)

Buffalo valley has run into a big problem that could destroy what the community has worked so hard to rebuild. Valu-X is planning to build in their town, and no one in Buffalo Valley will welcome the retail chain nicely. With Christmas on the way can every one still pact together to keep Valu-X out?

Carrie Hendrickson is re-introduced to Buffalo Valley working for Hassie as an intern for the pharmacy.

Vaughn Kyle is a man that has his life mapped out perfectly. He has a very successful girlfriend, a great new job that he starts the first of the year. Vaughn decides to go home to see his parents for Christmas, but in the short time he's there his whole life, career, girlfriend - are now a big question mark!

This novel has great characters, plot and town! I love how this town pulls together no matter what! I hope Debbie Macomber takes us back to Buffalo Valley someday.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars warm regional drama, September 23, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buffalo Valley (Dakota Series #4) (Hardcover)

Vaughn Kyle has just left the Army and seems to have every thing ready to start civilian life in an upbeat manner in Seattle. He has been thinking of marriage and will start a job in the New Year, but returns home for the holidays to see his family in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

A bit restless about his future, Kyle visits elderly pharmacist Hassie Knight in Buffalo Valley. He never met Hassie before, but they are connected as his parents named him after her deceased son who died in Nam. At the pharmacy, Kyle meets trainee Carrie Hendrickson. They begin to fall in love. However, Kyle's employer in Washington State plans to build a superstore that will put the small shops out of business and potentially destroy the serenity and optimism of the area.

BUFFALO VALLEY is a warm regional drama that returns readers to a special place highlighted in Debbie Macomber's Dakota trilogy. Fans of the series will enjoy learning what has happened to the townsfolk in Buffalo Valley since the last novel was published. Though the tale is Rockwell in scope, painting a simplistic evil Goliath vs. idealistic David landscape, the story line retains the flavor and charm of the series, especially as the audience looks into the lives of the cast. Ms. Macomber takes her myriad of fans on a wonderful journey to a Shangra-La threatened by "progress".

Harriet Klausner