Helpful Score: 1
Excellent story, one Ill keep to read again.
1st in the Gray Eagle family saga which takes place in the late 1700s. Events primarily revolve around Gray Eagle (H), a fierce Oglala warrior who is the son of the great chief Running Wolf; Alisha Williams (h), a young English woman who left her home in Liverpool with her parents after taxes and threats of war forced her father to make the decision to journey to the new world at the encouragement of his brother. Within 5 months after arriving in the colonies, her parents were killed in a carriage accident and she was left with her only living relative, her uncle Thad.
Unfortunately, the threat of war and crippling taxation which caused the family to leave England, surfaced in the colony of Pennsylvania, so Uncle Thad and Alisha left with others from their colony to start life anew in the American west with excitement and dreams for the future.
The story quickly pivots once they arrive at their new home.
What I liked so much in this story is the sense of realism and, to me, great representation of vast differences between two cultures. It was so much more than Indian takes captive white woman.
1. Alisha was raised in England, taught the ways of a Lady: needlepoint, painting, reading Shakespeare, etc. An only child, adored especially by her father (a merchant and shipper in Liverpool) and in my imagination, she was likely familiar with different types of people which wouldnt be unusual due to the type of business her father was in.
Attitudes and harsh behaviors she encountered in the American west were foreign to her sheltered genteel upbringing. What I liked about her was her gift to look beyond a mans skin color and see a man, her lack of judgmental prejudice (in this story with the native American), and her ability to adapt to a life that was extremely different from her past. Well, maybe she didnt actually adapt as she was given absolutely no understanding, reasons or explanations of why events happened as they did. I thought it was pretty unfair.
2. Gray Eagle is honored among his people and while his father isnt present, his fathers position as the Chief of the Oglala carries a heavy weight upon Gray Eagles actions, behaviors and determinations. I didnt like some of the repercussions that entailed. I especially didnt like it when he shunned his friend, White Arrows visions and warnings pertaining to certain actions he was decided upon without any give or take, then later somewhat regretted.
What I did like about him was his pride and strength, and, I thought him fair and just (even in his executions of and eye for and eye). What I didnt like was his unrelenting stance to stick to culture with his treatment regarding Alishas infractions.
3. The soldiers and colonists attitudes and behaviors just did not seem over blown to me. The hatred and prejudice due to absurd assumptions of their superioritywell, its all history
I enjoy reading Romance Fiction and am not a stickler to a typo here or there, which this 1st edition of the book did have. Also, I know Im reading fiction and never think when Im cracking open one of these books that it will be non-fiction and will toe the line according to actual facts (historical in this instance). Enjoyment is my number 1 priority.
Ill read the next in this series, and if I enjoy that one, I plan to pick up the rest of the series.
Contains: rape
violence
violence to the heroine
captivity
torture
hatred
prejudice
written with a sense of realism
1st in the Gray Eagle family saga which takes place in the late 1700s. Events primarily revolve around Gray Eagle (H), a fierce Oglala warrior who is the son of the great chief Running Wolf; Alisha Williams (h), a young English woman who left her home in Liverpool with her parents after taxes and threats of war forced her father to make the decision to journey to the new world at the encouragement of his brother. Within 5 months after arriving in the colonies, her parents were killed in a carriage accident and she was left with her only living relative, her uncle Thad.
Unfortunately, the threat of war and crippling taxation which caused the family to leave England, surfaced in the colony of Pennsylvania, so Uncle Thad and Alisha left with others from their colony to start life anew in the American west with excitement and dreams for the future.
The story quickly pivots once they arrive at their new home.
What I liked so much in this story is the sense of realism and, to me, great representation of vast differences between two cultures. It was so much more than Indian takes captive white woman.
1. Alisha was raised in England, taught the ways of a Lady: needlepoint, painting, reading Shakespeare, etc. An only child, adored especially by her father (a merchant and shipper in Liverpool) and in my imagination, she was likely familiar with different types of people which wouldnt be unusual due to the type of business her father was in.
Attitudes and harsh behaviors she encountered in the American west were foreign to her sheltered genteel upbringing. What I liked about her was her gift to look beyond a mans skin color and see a man, her lack of judgmental prejudice (in this story with the native American), and her ability to adapt to a life that was extremely different from her past. Well, maybe she didnt actually adapt as she was given absolutely no understanding, reasons or explanations of why events happened as they did. I thought it was pretty unfair.
2. Gray Eagle is honored among his people and while his father isnt present, his fathers position as the Chief of the Oglala carries a heavy weight upon Gray Eagles actions, behaviors and determinations. I didnt like some of the repercussions that entailed. I especially didnt like it when he shunned his friend, White Arrows visions and warnings pertaining to certain actions he was decided upon without any give or take, then later somewhat regretted.
What I did like about him was his pride and strength, and, I thought him fair and just (even in his executions of and eye for and eye). What I didnt like was his unrelenting stance to stick to culture with his treatment regarding Alishas infractions.
3. The soldiers and colonists attitudes and behaviors just did not seem over blown to me. The hatred and prejudice due to absurd assumptions of their superioritywell, its all history
I enjoy reading Romance Fiction and am not a stickler to a typo here or there, which this 1st edition of the book did have. Also, I know Im reading fiction and never think when Im cracking open one of these books that it will be non-fiction and will toe the line according to actual facts (historical in this instance). Enjoyment is my number 1 priority.
Ill read the next in this series, and if I enjoy that one, I plan to pick up the rest of the series.
Contains: rape
violence
violence to the heroine
captivity
torture
hatred
prejudice
written with a sense of realism
Helpful Score: 1
Oh, wow... Where do I begin in the roller-coaster of absurdity that was this story...
If you want to learn about the Oglala tribe, then you will learn a bit of their history, there's no doubt about that. This is the only good thing I can say about the book, but truthfully, you'd be better off finding a history book.
If you want to read about a dysfunctional couple, continue on and you will be amazed by a woman with a strong case of Stockholm Syndrome and an abusive lead man that has an excuse for every wrong he commits against the woman he loves. I mean really, we know things like this probably happened in the past, but unless you have such a low self-opinion of yourself, it will be hard to find anything in common with the "heroine" (and I use that term loosely) and if you find anything in common with Grey Eagle--please see a shrink! You need help!-- Come to think about it, you'd need to find professional help if you have anything in common with either character.
Why did I continue to read this book? Well, have you ever caught yourself watching a Jerry Springer show going "Why???? Why don't I change the channel??? Why?!?!" Yeah, it's about the same reason. This is the stuff that trash is made of and won't disappoint with characters that just keep amazing you with their inability to decide what they really feel and their ability to just keep making the same mistakes over and over and over again.
This author may have her "history" researched, but the "romance" in the book is pure stupidity involving repeated rape, beatings, torture, demoralizing and repeated guilt for all of the above.
Crazily, I'm going to read the next one so I can have another good snort and chuckle and see if it's just as bad. It's like a car wreck that you just can't help but stare at as you drive by...
If you want to learn about the Oglala tribe, then you will learn a bit of their history, there's no doubt about that. This is the only good thing I can say about the book, but truthfully, you'd be better off finding a history book.
If you want to read about a dysfunctional couple, continue on and you will be amazed by a woman with a strong case of Stockholm Syndrome and an abusive lead man that has an excuse for every wrong he commits against the woman he loves. I mean really, we know things like this probably happened in the past, but unless you have such a low self-opinion of yourself, it will be hard to find anything in common with the "heroine" (and I use that term loosely) and if you find anything in common with Grey Eagle--please see a shrink! You need help!-- Come to think about it, you'd need to find professional help if you have anything in common with either character.
Why did I continue to read this book? Well, have you ever caught yourself watching a Jerry Springer show going "Why???? Why don't I change the channel??? Why?!?!" Yeah, it's about the same reason. This is the stuff that trash is made of and won't disappoint with characters that just keep amazing you with their inability to decide what they really feel and their ability to just keep making the same mistakes over and over and over again.
This author may have her "history" researched, but the "romance" in the book is pure stupidity involving repeated rape, beatings, torture, demoralizing and repeated guilt for all of the above.
Crazily, I'm going to read the next one so I can have another good snort and chuckle and see if it's just as bad. It's like a car wreck that you just can't help but stare at as you drive by...
