“This study focuses on the tightrope the immigrants walked between assimilation and cultural preservation. The authors find a general pattern of behavior over the three generations under study. The first immigrants struggled to survive in their new environs, and many turned to sheepherding for subsistence. Later, Basques opened businesses and worked in local industries. The second generation began a more rapid assimilation, with greater access to education and middle-class jobs. These Basques came of age between the world wars, and the patriotic fervor of that era hastened their Americanization. The third generation, coming of age around the 1960s, generally celebrated selective elements of their grandparents’ culture and sought to revive the traditions through festivals, music, and even an exchange program between Boise State University and the Basque region of northern Spain. The authors have traced a story of accommodation and preservation that has, in their perception, a positive outcome. The Basques have maintained their distinctiveness far better than most immigrant groups. This book is well-researched and accessible, and tells a compelling story about a unique group.” —Richard D. Loosbrock, Journal of the West, Summer 2003