For many years, I enjoyed reading the Harlequin romance novels. Eventually my interest declined. The stories were too much alike. The heroines were insipid little ditzes. The heros were brutal and insensitive, until they finally succumbed to the lure of the helpless female. Many times the heroine is twenty years younger than the "man of the world" she is entranced with. And always, there is the man's former love to complicate the situation.
Other tales included graphic descriptions of intimate relations that are better left to the imagination. (In my opinion.) They made me feel like a voyeur. I found myself skipping over several pages in each story.
As a result, I changed my reading habits to other genres. So when I came upon a copy of LONGSHADOW'S WOMAN by Bronwyn Williams, I didn't immediately read it. I had it for several months before I idly picked it up yesterday and began reading. I read until sleep overtook me, and resumed reading this afternoon.
This book does not fit my image of Harlequin novels. The heroine, Carrie Vander Adams is intelligent, determined and courageous.
When Carrie was quite young, she was orphaned after the Sioux attacked her home and killed her parents.
She was taken in by a missionary woman. Eventually, Henry Vander appeared claiming to be her uncle. At first she was happy to find "family". Her pleasure was short lived when she discovered that her uncle was a mean, unscrupulous man who intended for her to cook his food, keep his store clean, do his laundry and perform household tasks which generally were reserved for adults. When she displeased him, he would beat her.
One day, when she was about sixteen, a nice looking stranger came into the store. She saw him talking with her uncle. Her uncle summoned her. Within a manner of minutes the two men agreed that the stranger would take her in trade for the debt Henry owed him. A preacher was summoned and Carrie quickly became Mrs. Dartley Adams.
She thought it might not be too bad. He was dressed very nicely, and she would be mistress of her own house. Before long, she learned that Dartley was a man much like her uncle. His home was a dilapidated cabin. His land had run to ruin.
If she displeased him in the slightest manner, he would knock her down with his fists.
When he exercised his "husbandly rights" she was disgusted, but knowing better than to protest, she would suffer it in silent revulsion.
Dartley was a drunken gambler. His pride and joy was an ugly gelding, which had the ability to run fast. Along with his cohort, Liam, Dartley would enter the horse into races far and near. Liam would be the jockey.
Fortunately for Carrie, Dartley was gone most of the time to follow the races, so she had the place to herself.
Determinedly, she patched the leaking roof and restored the stove pipes, so that the smoke no longer filled the cabin.
She worked at her improvements during his absences, for she was not allowed to do so when he was home. He ridiculed her efforts to work the land, telling her nothing would ever grow there.
Carrie had one friend. An old woman named Emma, who helped her any way she could. She told Carrie which crops would grow best in the area.
During one of Dartley's long absences, Carrie began to clear the land for her corn field. It had been partially cleared by a former owner, but the stumps still remained and must be removed. So, resolutely, she hitched up Sorry, the one mule she had and began to work. Unfortunately, she had cut her hand badly, and the wound would not heal. She knew she could never get the land cleared in time using one hand. What to do?
Emma told her that she had heard that the county would rent out prisoners to help with farm work.
She borrowed the money from Emma, hitched up Sorry, the mule, and made the trip into town.
She learned that there was only one prisoner, a half breed, who could not speak English. She paid the sum asked and Jonah Longstreet was brought out with wrists and feet shackled. The jailer told her to never let him out of the leg irons, as he was quite dangerous. He was tied to the back of the wagon and forced to walk along behind.
From the very first, Carrie was struck by his bearing and manner. Very proud and angry, he stirred furtive feelings of apprehension in her. She kept her husband's unloaded rifle with her at all time. (She didn't know where the ammunition was.) The rifle was so heavy, she could hardly lift it with her one good hand. Still she was certain, she could bluff the prisoner with it.
This is all I am going to tell of this story. If you want to find out how Carrie works out her problems and how her relationships with her husband and Jonah develop, you will have to read the book yourself.
I will say that it is a fast moving story which will keep you turning the pages. It is also a beautiful story. I am quite glad I read it.
Ms Bronwyn paints her characters so vividly, they seem to step off the pages and assume lives of their own. Perhaps, all the twists and turns in the plot are not unexpected, but they do make delightful reading.
If you like happy endings, this is definitely a book for you.
Recommended:
