"A wonderful time travel occurring during the \"Trail of Tears\""
If one wishes for an intriguing historical romance, with
some paranormal thrown in for good measure, this is the
book to read. A heart-wrenching story told from the Native
American point of view, this will keep one engrossed
through the end. Hiawatha Craft is in a bit of a dilemma. While waiting for
his car to be fixed, he visits a local junk shop, and
peruses their Cherokee artifacts. Something about them
strikes a familiar cord though he can't for the life of him
figure out why. After his car is functioning again, he
ventures on his way to a nearby city known for its Cherokee
history records, in the hopes of tracking down some of his
ancestors. Much to his dismay, a tornado comes up out of
nowhere, sucking him into itself and depositing him
elsewhere, alive and uninjured, but over 150 years in the
past! Valerie Redhook despairs of ever being happy again. Her
family and their village have all been rounded up to head
west, along the "Trail of Tears" to their new home. Her
people have long suffered on this journey, falling ill
faster then ever as winter approaches. All she longs for is
to do her best to tend to those in need, and to prove to
her father she is more than capable of becoming Chief
someday. When a man in strange garments appears and is put
in her wagon with her, she is unsure if he is the answer to
their prayers, or the biggest danger yet to be faced. Hiawatha is in disbelief over his plight and his only
thought is to find a way home to his own time. What follows
surprises him. As he travels the Trail of Tears with the
Cherokee he is amazed by the quiet strength of his people,
and of Valerie herself. As with any long journey, this one
is fraught with peril as they try to overcome their
difficulties and find their destiny. He is drawn to Valerie
the more he is with her, and soon faces his greatest fear
yet. How will he leave this woman he has come to love when
he must return to his own time? This was an interesting look at one of the most
heartbreaking events of Native American history - The Trail
of Tears. This period of history is one many wish they
could forget ever happened, realizing that the government
may not have been the wisest at the time. The reader
experiences the hardships of the harrowing journey of the
Cherokee from the only home they had ever known, to a new
place they have not yet seen. Yet through it all, the
illness, and lack of food, the deaths of many loved ones,
and a long cold journey, the people never lost hope. They
believed that at the end of the road they would find a new
home they could love, even if it never replaced the home of
their hearts. The reader will feel their pain and sorrow,
and their joy of life throughout the whole tale, and will
find oneself wishing not to know how things really played
out for them, long term. Hiawatha and Valerie are strong characters. He has to
overcome what happened, and find the purpose behind it, for
he never doubts there was a reason such an extraordinary
thing happened to him. Valerie suffers in silence, never
complaining about her plight and the added responsibility
now falling on her shoulders as Chief's daughter. She is
proud of her people and her tribe, feeling the greatest
thing that could happen to her would be to be chosen to
lead them in their new life. Yet she deals with the
traditional beliefs that a woman cannot lead, hoping to
prove otherwise through her deeds. Hiawatha and Valerie are
a good match, her quiet dignity the perfect compliment to
his more modern views, as well as balancing his drive to
return home, only for him to find out home is not what he
thought at all. One thing this reviewer liked about the book was that there
is not the traditional good vs. evil plot. This story was a
saga of the life of the Native Americans on their journey
west, so there is no particular "good" or "bad." All of the
characters were a complex blend, from Valerie's uncle,
Charles, who is an embittered man, to little Sally Black
Cloud, who shows the indomitable spirit of a child. What was also nice was that the Cherokee did not rail at
their fate, crying about the injustice of it all. They kept
their pride and as much of their old ways as they could, in
spite of what was happening to them. Hiawatha too, does not
allow himself to complain about what happened to him, he
carries on, knowing he has a purpose, hoping he finds and
fulfills it before he must leave. This was an excellent story, the first this reviewer has
read by Ms. Troxel. It kept her interest and made her hope
for more stories by this talented author. Hopefully, more
will follow in the near future. © Kelley A. Hartsell, December 2003. All rights
reserved.
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted January 30, 2004
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted November 19, 2006
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Hiawatha Craft, a modern American warrior, isn't looking
for love or commitment when his car breaks down just before
a tornado hits. When he discovers he's been transported
back in time to 1838, Hiawatha learns that love and
commitment to the woman and his heritage is a fate he can
no longer run from. Valerie Redhook, a Cherokee princess who dreams of one day
leading her people, has enough on her hands just helping
them survive the brutal trek, known as The Trail of Tears,
from their natural homeland to a new one. The last thing
she needs is one strange but attractive thorn in her side,
who claims to be from the future. Can two strong, willful souls mesh despite injustice and
improbable circumstances to find a middle ground or is fate
about to play a cruel joke?
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