Finding love on the Kootenai, Huff releases historical book

The setting is real and the stories fiction. But there is nothing fictional about Isabel Huff’s love of writing.

Huff raised her family in Boundary County and it has become the stuff of novels. She just finished a second book, “Courting Felicity”  published by Outskirts Press.

“My second book is more of a historical book whereas my first one was more contemporary and kind of a woman’s book,” said Huff.

“Courting Felicity” takes place in 1914, when steamboats still floated along the Kootenai River. The main character Hank, dreams of homesteading in the Kootenai Valley. On his first day in Bonners Ferry he meets Felicity and begins to court her, then the story takes off from there.

“I wrote this one knowing people are hungry for history,” said Huff.

Huff has lived in Boundary County nearly her entire life. She has been married to her husband Chuck for 48 years and raised five children in Boundary County.

Her family lives on what is now called Huff Road toward Porthill.

“It took two generations to get the road named after my husband’s family,” said Huff.

For years Huff and her family raised cattle on their cattle ranch, logged, raised crops and hay to feed the cattle. 

Huff has been writing for 20 years.  She once wrote a column for the Bonners Ferry Herald back in the 1970’s. She also prepared newsletters and kept minutes for many local non-profit organizations.

“I came out with my first nook, “Say Goodbye to Gert” two years ago,” Huff said.  “It had always been a dream of mine to write a novel and when my children were all grown up, I could really focus on it.”

Huff and her husband plan on growing  blueberries in their u-pick blueberry patch. The couple stays busy all year long spending time with the family, camping, fishing, gardening and reading. 

Huff’s book is available for  $14.95 and can be bought locally from her at the Farmer’s Market in the city parking lot on Saturday’s from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Huff will have a booth at the fair and it is also available at Amazon.com and Bonners Books.

Huff will hold a book signing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday May 26, at Bonners Books.