From Publishers Weekly
Davidson's western historical, about a hunted man and the half-Indian with whom he takes refuge, is a mixed bag. Davidson's lyrical, almost ethereal prose never quite fits the harsh western setting of 1888, in which racism has isolated Debra Nightsong from both her tribe and the world of white men. Tending to the Dakota territory farm where she lives alone, Debra is surprised one evening to find an armed man in her house: Ethan Tyler, a man on the run for reasons he won't reveal. Though he imposes himself on her household—making Debra a virtual prisoner—he proves charming, good-hearted and a valuable worker. Davidson is at her best chronicling the day-to-day of farm living, and her prominent supporting characters—including Debra's half-brother and the bounty hunter pursuing Ethan—give the story extra dimension. Unfortunately, those characters show little complexity, functioning more like saints than citizens of the Wild West. Frustrating matters further, Debra and Ethan are separated for a full third of the book, carrying on an epistolary romance that barely satisfies the characters, much less the reader. Though Ethan's everyman quality and the genuine caring he and Debra share hold promise, Davidson's muted storytelling and odd choices result in a lackluster tale.
(May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Tyler is desperate. When he learns of a farm inhabited only by a half-breed outcast, he "borrows" a horse and rides out there, intending to offer his labor in exchange for food and shelter. But the old crone of his imagination is actually a sylphlike teen, and his plans soon involve a shared future with Debra Nightsong. When the bounty hunter on his trail is discovered on Debra's land with a bad case of snakebite, Tyler must decide whether to help heal him and accompany him east to face a judge, or murder the man in cold blood to preserve his newfound happiness. Davidson's latest western historical romance is a testament to her continued ability to create passionate relationships between realistic characters caught in circumstances beyond their control, characters who act honorably and win the respect of their neighbors.
Lynne WelchCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
