John
Nash, having built a new life in the Maryland frontier, journeys back to
England to see his father before the first shots of the Revolution are fired. Rebecah
has lost her father and is now under the control of a domineering patriarch. As
their romance unfolds, they become trapped in the schemes of her uncle and
immersed in one of the most infamous Indian wars in Colonial history.
As the firebrands of Revolution grow hot, they
marry and work together to build their estate, Laurel Hill. Facing a strange
new world, Rebecah experiences the prejudice of being English, but finds friendship
and acceptance in the wilds of the Maryland frontier. Joy reins at Laurel Hill
when she announces she is carrying a child. Nash, known as Jack, is captain of
a band of rangers who protect the frontier families from Indian attack. His
friendship with Chief Logan has not prevented the Indian War from reaching
their peaceful home along the lush hills of the last outpost.
My thoughts
I
enjoyed the story of the Nash and Brent families that spanned two continents
and several years leading up to the American Revolution. The romance between
John and Rebecah features prominently, but it's the rich historical detail that
makes this era come alive - the events leading to the Indian uprising and preaching
of John Wesley, for example. Characters are well drawn, and there's complexity
and depth in the descriptions of senseless killing, torn loyalties, broken
promises, cruelty and betrayal.
John
Nash is a commanding figure, whose love for Rebecah "ran as deep waters
within his soul." Honorable and fair in his treatments of the Indians, John
was like a son to Chief Logan and a brother to Black Hawk. But war changes
everything, and when the British began bribing the Indians with the promise of
guns and food, massacres took place on both sides. Nash once asked, "Why
do the rivers run red?" - to which Black Hawk replied, "The Indian
has hated as the white man has hated. Our blood is the same color."
Rita
does a good job at creating a sense of place, and the feel of colonial America
is seen through Rebecah's eyes as she experiences America for the first time: vast
mountains and rivers, the patriotic verve that permeated the air, slaves,
Indians, neighbors no longer speaking. "America struggled and clawed
toward liberty. . . . Amid the confusion of politics, a tidal wave of hope and
courage swept over the country."
Rita
writes these encouraging thoughts at the beginning of the novel:
To all those in need of courage in the
face of danger, peace in the midst of trouble, comfort in a time of loss, and
hope in moments of despair . . .
Be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the Lord.
-
Psalm 31:24 KJV
I
enjoy novels set during the American Revolution and am glad to have discovered
the writing of Rita Gerlach. I believe that fans of historical fiction would like
this collection, especially those who enjoy the Revolutionary era.
In
Rita's words, taken from her website . . .
In many of my stories, I write about the
struggles endured by early colonists, with a sprinkling of both American and
English settings. Currently I am writing a new historical series set in the
Gilded Age. My books are dramatic in the sense I don't hold back on the trials
people historically faced. So you won't find stories made of sugar and syrup.
I'm blessed to live near the Potomac
River where some of my novels are set. I live with my husband and two sons, and
an affectionate feline named Pookee, in a historical town nestled along the
Catoctin Mountains in central Maryland.
For
more information on Rita and her novels, visit her website at ritagerlach.blogspot.com.
This
book was provided by Rita Gerlach in exchange for my honest review.
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