What is the setting of Mrs. Mike the Story of Katherine Mary Flannigan by Benedict Freedman?

The novel is set in the time period of 1907 and spans four years. It begins with a train trip from Boston, Massachusetts to Calgary, Alberta. The trip takes Katherine over a month due to brutal weather conditions on the way. At her Uncle John's ranch in Alberta, Katherine witnesses the Chinook winds which warm and melt the snow, causing the Red Deer River to flood and kill the livestock.

Sergeant Mike takes Katherine to Hudson's Hope, a place further into the north of Canada, where a dry spring provides perfect conditions for the forest fire that engulfs the town. The couple travel to Grouard, even further north into Canada, where the wilderness spreads for many miles. It takes days to get to the nearest town. It would take months to receive a shipment of medicine and the mail only comes once a year.