ABOUT THE BOOK
From master storyteller Carla Kelly comes this collection of frontier tales that take you behind typical army lines and into the hearts of ordinary men and women who perform extraordinary acts of bravery. From handsome hospital stewards and dashing soldiers to courageous children and wives who will pull at your heartstrings, there’s something for everyone’s fancy.
REVIEW
One of the things that I love about this book is that it's all about ordinary people. People like me who did the best they could with what they had. This book focuses on the decades related to what historians call the Indian Wars, basically the years that the U.S. Army spent fighting various Indian tribes. In this book we meet a new bride forced to adjust to poor living conditions and her husband being gone for weeks at a time. A shy hospital steward who is attracted to a biracial woman who serves an officer's family. A black soldier's risking his life to save a young girl's white father leaving a family forever indebted. A young mother working as a laundress who leaves an unforgettable impact on a newly minted young officer. And an experienced sergeant waiting to win the woman he loves while putting up with a spoiled young officer. Each story tugged at my heart strings, some in happy ways, some in heartbreaking ways. The story about the hospital cows and some stolen milk made me laugh out loud as a young corporal, eager to win the heart of a young hospital matron, is forced to search for the thief. The story of the young mother working as a laundress broke my heart as she patiently continued to struggle to care for both her own child and two adopted children despite little compassion or help from anyone else. Carly Kelly has written another book that I will gladly place on my favorites shelf. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy reading historical fiction with a dash of romance.
