Solitary Strength: The Story of Cattlewoman Dorothy Stover Hall

Filmmaker Trudy Duisenberg's graceful and inspiring documentary tells the story of a 20th-century original, a go-it-alone California rancher named Dorothy Stover Hall, who eschewed postwar, middle-class norms to live life on her own terms. Born in 1910 to a ranching family in the high country of the Sierra Nevada foothills, Hall learned everything there was to know about running such an operation, from good stewardship of the land to caring for the animals to managing a lengthy cattle run. After graduating college at California State University, Chico, and working a couple of years in the probation field, Hall purchased a 130-acre ranch and set about the many daily and seasonal tasks involved in keeping it successful. A brief marriage left her with twin daughters to raise alone; one shares often-delightful stories of being taught fearless independence and how to live close to the earth. Duisenberg has done an exceptional job of compiling and organizing archival materials that help underscore the character and uniqueness of Hall (who died in 1982). Other interviewees include a handful of folks who knew her and sometimes worked for her, as well as a librarian who speaks of cowgirl Hall's fondness for—of course—Louis L'Amour Western novels. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)