I was totally engrossed in this book, which is odd for me, considering the age and how thick it was. Also, it wasn't a tight plot -- there was a lot of meandering, but for some reason I could barely put it down. The characters were all believable and I liked many of them (but not Doc Hawkins). I really liked the description of frontier Idaho and how several prominent citizens took it from a rough town to some semblance of civilization. Also, the descriptions of the landscapes were amazing -- Carol Ryrie Brink really helped to make you feel that you were there.

Great story lines, great writing, great everything. Highly recommend.

This was an absorbing book, and a page turner for me, and her characters came alive - perhaps in part because she based them on real people, like her grandmother. CRB can write! Her story concerns the early history of Moscow, Idaho (even though the town is called Opportunity in the book). So, what was my problem, and why didn't I like it? These people were people of despair, 'without hope and without God in the world.' Ultimately it was full of the worship of the creation: the mountains around Moscow, the pure, sharp air of the West, the seasons, the seemingly wild, cruel country just beginning to be civilized - typical of the first settlements). The story purported the idea that man's wickedness sprouted from this cruel Idaho wilderness, and that's where the murder, adultery, etc. comes from.....peace and happiness was to be found in the mountains that never change. I totally disagree with her philosophy; wickedness comes from within man, and man's only Savior is the CREATOR, not the creation. I was very disappointed - I kept hoping for regeneration and forgiveness, but that didn't happen. The minister of the Methodist church was a sentimental wimp, the doctor a proud and selfish man, and his wife a fatalist.

This book was on the New York Times Best Seller list of novels in 1944. It is still a quintessential novel. It is well -written with a strong plot and compelling characters. Also, it is based on the history of Moscow, Idaho when the 19th Century was turning to the 20th Century. I would recommend it to novel readers everywhere.

This book is great. Although, you get really involved with all the characters, and then they die.

I loved this book even more this time around. I think this is the third time I have read it, but I have learned more each time. This time I really keyed into the beautiful writing. I loved her description of the Idaho landscape and the mountains. She has a beautiful way with words. The ending surprised me, even though I have read it before and I like that. I read the forward again and enjoyed learning the history behind the story and the writer. This is a very mature book and I feel like I understood the themes better now than I have before.

The author, Carol Ryrie Brink, took the stories her grandmother told her about Moscow, Idaho and her relatives and wove them into this engrossing book. Her grandparents are the source and main characters of this story which tells how and why three doctors came to Opportunity (Moscow), Idaho in the late 1800s looking for success and fortune. The title comes from the buffalo coats they wore as a sign of prestige. This is basically a picture of life in a small American town that moves from being part of the frontier to an emerging state of civilization. There are great descriptions of landscapes as well as depictions and human insight into the characters who inhabit this book. It is also a love story - one immature and one mature. One caution - there is not a warm fuzzy ending. I discovered this is book one in a trilogy and hope I can find the other two! P.S. Brink wrote the classic children's book Caddie Woodlawn.

Historical fiction about early times in Moscow, Idaho, in which the author's own grandparents are central characters.

We read this for a Library History Book Club, and I have to say it's one of my favorite reads this year. The story revolves around three doctors in Opportunity, Idaho (actually, Moscow) in the late 1800s/early 1900s, and the three women who figure prominently in their lives. Brink is really honest in her portrayal of each of the characters, and they are all, for the most part, quite three-dimensional. The description of the town and its inhabitants doesn't shy away from the grit and grime of frontier life - the sly (and not so sly) bigotry, the drinking, the independent attitudes, the violence. Instead, she slowly develops a quiet, but searing story that ends with some optimism, if not a happy ending.

One of my favorites books. Incredibly sad, but so romantic in a dark way.

I read this for book discussion tomorrow. I'm sure it is a good read but it just didn't hold my attention. Looking forward to the discussion to see what I missed.

There’s a reason why the famous Carol Ryrie Brink is known for Caddie Woodlawn and not this depressing and disturbing novel, Buffalo Coat. I am finished reading Brinks novels after this one that leaves a bad taste afterwards for any more.

While I have read every single one of CRB's children's books, this was her first adult novel that I read. The characters and the writing were absolutely amazing, and the plot drew me in so much that I spent a lot of time reading this book instead of studying. The one downside was that the plot, which was comparing an immature love affair with a mature one, wasn't exactly my cup of tea. And since most of the time, I read to escape reality, a book that ends like this one did makes me a little depressed. Amazing writing, though.