Reviewed by Martha Artyomenko
Book Description: (From Publisher)
Michigan Territory, 1814
A voyageur and a young woman swept up in a time of upheaval and danger
discover firsthand the high price of freedom.
The British Army has taken control of Michilimackinac Island and its fort, forcing the Americans to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a fur trader who returns after being away from the island for years, only to find the family farm a shambles and those he cares about starving and at the mercy of British invaders.
Torn between the adventurous life of fur trading and guilt over neglecting his defenseless mother, Pierre is drawn deeper into the fight against the British–and into a relationship with Angelique MacKenzie, a childhood friend who’s grown into a beautiful woman. She now finds herself trapped by the circumstances of war and poverty, and the cruelty of her guardian, Ebenezer Whiley.
As tensions mount and the violence rages on, Pierre and Angelique must decide where their loyalties rest and how much they’ll risk for love.
My Review:
This book had a different feel than some of the historical romantic fiction that I find that I pick up. This book, set during the Revolutionary war period, focuses more on the fur traders lifestyle, and a young woman trapped in an abusive lifestyle through no fault of her own.
Ms. Hedlund tells the tale without giving graphic details, but paints a clear picture of the pain the young woman would have suffered at the hands of someone that should have cared for her. As with some of her other books, you can draw a parallel to modern day society, and how not too many things have always changed. The romantic thread of the story is very moving, as Angelique is not your typical heroine, but you can see inside of her soul.
I found this to be a unique read, especially for the time period, without so much the focus being on the war time and the upheaval in the country, but the unique relationships and hardships that faced women in that time.
This book was provided for me for review by Bethany House Publishers. The opinions contained herein are my own.