POCATELLO \u2014 Those who know Pocatello will recognize the view of the Portneuf Gap that graces the cover of \u201cA Matter of Providence,\u201d the latest novel by author Gail McGuire.<\/p>\n
The book is a tribute to the Gate City\u2019s heritage, blending history with old family stories for a compelling coming-of-age mystery set in 1930s Pocatello during The Great Depression. <\/p>\n
Though McGuire now lives in Las Vegas, her family roots run deep in Pocatello, where she was born and raised. <\/p>\n
A Matter of Providence is McGuire\u2019s fourth book. Her debut memoir, \u201cRaised on Freedom: Favored Tales of a Boomer Kid,\u201d reflects on her 1960s childhood in Pocatello. <\/p>\n
RELATED: Three years into retirement, Pocatello native is author of two books with a third on the way<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n She followed it with the supernatural suspense novel \u201cWhat If I Told You\u201d and its sequel, \u201cRemember What I Told You,\u201d both of which are set in the Idaho Falls area. <\/p>\n With \u201cA Matter of Providence,\u201d McGuire returns to her hometown roots, with a nostalgic, suspenseful, and heartwarming journey through a pivotal time in Pocatello\u2019s past. <\/p>\n While the story is fictional, it\u2019s deeply rooted in the Depression-era memories shared by McGuire\u2019s parents and grandparents.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people had to endure so much,\u201d McGuire said. \u201cThis was a desperate time for our country. It\u2019s a story about our toughest and greatest generation.\u201d<\/p>\n McGuire\u2019s own father quit school in the eighth grade and joined the Navy at 16, the same day Pearl Harbor was attacked. McGuire researched the era to ensure historical accuracy, poring over archives from the Pocatello Tribune, which later became the Idaho State Journal. <\/p>\n The novel follows young Luke Bennum, a determined boy growing up in a large and humble family. As his family struggles to make ends meet, an ominous newcomer moves into town, threatening the safety and values of the local community. <\/p>\n When tragedy strikes close to home, Luke must find the strength to stand up to a growing criminal underworld\u2014risking his own life to protect the people he loves.<\/p>\n She chose McKinley Avenue in Pocatello as the setting for the Bennum family\u2019s home because that\u2019s where her grandparents once lived\u2014in a Sears & Roebuck kit house, which was a popular mail-order option at the time. In those days, McKinley was just a dirt road surrounded by open fields.<\/p>\n McGuire researched the era to ensure historical accuracy, poring over archives from the Pocatello Tribune, which later became the Idaho State Journal.<\/p>\n She studied the slang, cultural trends, and new inventions of the 1930s, including books, music, and dialects, which she incorporated into the plot, such as Italian mobsters from New York\u2019s Bronx and Manhattan, and a mysterious Scotsman named Mink-Eyed Mac.<\/p>\n \u201cI studied Scottish dialect, New York slang, local businesses, and the city\u2019s beautiful architecture. This is the most researched book I\u2019ve ever written. I really enjoyed that part,\u201d said McGuire.<\/p>\n The book has already received early positive reviews, with readers praising McGuire\u2019s descriptive storytelling and rich historical detail. One reviewer described it as a \u201cfeel-good standout historical adventure,\u201d praising its balance of mystery, courage, and heart.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope my readers become fully immersed in this period and get a glimpse into the history that helped shape the city of Pocatello and the country,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cA Matter of Providence\u201d is available now on Amazon.<\/a> <\/p>\n