Rising Wind / Cindy Holby. 2007

While I love historicals, I admit that I've tended to avoid American historicals and Westerns. I find I'm rather squeamish about the less savory aspects of our history here in the US. Our historical landscape is littered with broken promises and inhumane behavior. On all sides. We human beings are incredibly cruel to one another (one only has to read the daily paper) and there are days when I just don't want to think about it. But extreme circumstances create great tension for an author to use and it can be well worth it to invest in a book like Rising Wind.

RW takes place in 1774 when the American Revolution was brewing and colonists were in conflict with several native tribes as the colonists moved further and further west. Connor, a former bondsman sent over from Scotland, and Carrie, daughter of a British officer, meet in Williamsburg and are quickly attracted to one another. They are thrown together as they journey into the frontier to Fort Savannah to meet up with Carrie's father. Their small band is attacked by the Shawnee, leaving Connor, Carrie, and 3 others, including Carrie's brother John, to journey the rest of the way alone while they avoid various bands of Shawnee. Although they eventually reach the Fort, they are not fully safe, and Carrie is later abducted by the Shawnee and marched up to present-day Ohio. Connor goes after her to rescue her.

I found myself fully engaged on two levels. First, I simply enjoyed Connor and Carrie and their romance. Secondly, I am familiar with many of the sites mentioned in the book. I live in Ohio, a mile from the Scioto River (site of many Shawnee camps); I have hiked one of the trails in West Virginia not far from Kanawha River valley; and I have driven through much of the territory mentioned. It was not hard for me to understand how incredibly grueling the journey through this area would have been, especially when one had to be wary of potential enemies. This wound up being an absorbing, fast-paced story that reminded me of Pamela Clare's Ride the Fire which I thought was wonderful. I'll be watching for the next book, Fallen, the story of Carrie's brother John. John was not a good guy in this book, so it will be fun to see how Cindy Holby gets John back on the right track.

Comments

  1. Kristie (J)December 12, 2007 at 3:30 PM

    Hi there!!
    I read this one and liked it - mind you not quite as much as Ride The Fire. I see you've read Ride the Fire too!! Isn't that a wonderful book!! I adored it and it's one of my top books.
    A couple I'd recommend that are somewhat gentler in tone, yet set in Early America are a couple by Wendy Lindstrom - Lips that Touch Mine in particular.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PhylDecember 12, 2007 at 8:16 PM

    Oh yes, Ride the Fire is an awesome book. I've never read any by Wendy Lindstrom. Thanks for the rec. I'll see if I can find her.

    ReplyDelete

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