In l890 two friends, middle-aged Pearl and pretty, young schoolteacher Hallie, have just about decided to leave the rough Western town of Whiskey Bend, where both are disillusioned with the way they have been treated. The final straw comes when they witness their friend Mary being assaulted in the street by her stepbrother Chester and no one steps forward to help her. They decide to leave and take Mary with them. They go out to the shack where Chester and Mary live to get her, but when Chester attacks them, Pearl shoots him ...
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In l890 two friends, middle-aged Pearl and pretty, young schoolteacher Hallie, have just about decided to leave the rough Western town of Whiskey Bend, where both are disillusioned with the way they have been treated. The final straw comes when they witness their friend Mary being assaulted in the street by her stepbrother Chester and no one steps forward to help her. They decide to leave and take Mary with them. They go out to the shack where Chester and Mary live to get her, but when Chester attacks them, Pearl shoots him in the leg. He screams after the three that he will follow them wherever they go. Desperately they drive away in an open wagon seeking a new life and safety. One night along the way they are caught in a violent storm and Mary nearly drowns in a river. She is saved by a young rancher who brings them back to his home to stay until Mary recovers. The rancher has troubles of his own. He is condemned by his mother for having left his father to run the ranch alone years earlier. He is searching for the murderer of his younger brother. And someone now is trying to kill him. Attracted to him and grateful, Hallie vows to help him..
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Very Good. Very Good condition. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp.
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Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
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After reading 22 of Garlock?s books, most of which are wonderful, this story is a real disappointment. Garlock is known for her characters-with-depth; here, she didn?t seem to waste much ink creating characters that were multi-dimensional and interesting.
Probably the most exciting character was Caleb Morgan. However, he was finished by the end of the Prologue. After the strong build up of this youngest son, it was a shock when he was gone. None of the other characters seemed to receive as much attention.
By the ½ way point, I realized that I didn?t really care about any of the characters in this book. The premise of the story was neither logical nor interesting. Hallie, Pearl and Mary were a strange combination; their friendship simply didn?t ring true.
On the other hand: The villains seemed meaner than the protagonists were good; it made for one strange and unbalanced story.
This author is a master at creating a mood and making place descriptions sparkle. For example, all five books in the ?Dolan Brothers? series bring small town living and the feel of the Depression years to life (with amazing clarity).
Here, the two towns where most of the action took place -- Whiskey Bend and Bison City -- seemed to be ugly spots in the road. They were places one would want to leave as quickly as possible.
It pains me to give such a negative review because I admire Dorothy Garlock?s writing and storytelling skills. She?s been one of my favorite authors since discovering her some time ago. Any writer can have a book that doesn?t ?speak to the reader? and hopefully this is just a fluke.
