The Tamarack Tree

Title: The Tamarack Tree
Genre: Fiction
Author: Howard Breslin (1912-1964)
Illustrator: Unknown
Publisher: Whittlesey House, division of McGraw-Hill, New York, New York
Year: 1947
Pages: 378
Format: Hardback, with dust jacket
Provenance: Unknown
Chapter Title Examples:
Opening Sentence: "The mountain was not a peak like its neighbors but a ridge."
Random Passage: "On a big black gelding with a coat like satin, the first rider was startlingly resplendent. He was tall, slender and he rode well, sitting the saddle like it belonged there. He was young, and the varied colors of his clothes became him."
Goodreads Review: "The author takes a look at how people's lives are changed by what they see and hear. In this case it is a psychological look at what a political rally has on the people of a small town. I have found books by this author really are an examination of people and the inner workings of their hearts and minds." — P.S. Winn, Oct. 17, 2017
Notes: In this "lusty and powerful"* novel set in the 1840s, the locals in a small Vermont village are overwhelmed with crowds of merry-makers when the renowned Daniel Webster arrives to deliver a speech. Although The Tamarack Tree was Howard Breslin's most successful novel, the author might be better-known for his short story "Bad Time at Hoda," which was adapted as the classic film Bad Day at Black Rock with Spencer Tracy. As for this book, I always peek under the dust jacket to see if the linen cover has an interesting design. I wasn't disappointed.
* According to the book jacket.