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A review by caslater83
An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz
4.0
Laura Frantz is a great writer, so I was thrilled to be selected for this ARC book. (My favorite is [b: The Mistress of Tall Acre|24933985|The Mistress of Tall Acre|Laura Frantz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425340627l/24933985._SY75_.jpg|44589552], so I pretty much compare all her other books to this one.) I would like to tell all readers that the story is well-written. The beginning failed to hook and bait me, but I kept plodding on because I know Ms. Frantz has the skills to create dynamics. After the first one hundred pages, the story finally took a more interesting turn. From that point on, it got so much better and it was easier to retain my attention.
I felt for both Keturah and Tessa. All these years, Tessa longed to be reunited with her dear friend, but she's almost a complete stranger to them now. Then you consider what it was like for Keturah to be taken from her family and raised among a band of Indians, giving up her culture to assimilate herself into their way of life for mere survival. While this story is fictional, I can only imagine the psychological impact it had people who really did experience this.
Then there is Clay who is a man (with a little mystery to his past) whose own past shaped him. He too was taken from his own people and raised among the natives. He learned the language(es) and adapted to their cultural ways. He used his knowledge to his advantage and it served him well.
Aside from the storyline, I liked learning about the dyes, the medicinal herbs found in the regions, and how it was used to help both the natives and the frontiers people. I also found it interesting in the one paragraph where it mentions that believers were often buried facing the east as they anticipated the return of Christ. I had never picked noticed that in any of my travels, but I am deeply fascinated by that. I will have to start paying attention now whenever I see the burial grounds of early American settlers.
All in all, it's a good book. I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.
I felt for both Keturah and Tessa. All these years, Tessa longed to be reunited with her dear friend, but she's almost a complete stranger to them now. Then you consider what it was like for Keturah to be taken from her family and raised among a band of Indians, giving up her culture to assimilate herself into their way of life for mere survival. While this story is fictional, I can only imagine the psychological impact it had people who really did experience this.
Then there is Clay who is a man (with a little mystery to his past) whose own past shaped him. He too was taken from his own people and raised among the natives. He learned the language(es) and adapted to their cultural ways. He used his knowledge to his advantage and it served him well.
Aside from the storyline, I liked learning about the dyes, the medicinal herbs found in the regions, and how it was used to help both the natives and the frontiers people. I also found it interesting in the one paragraph where it mentions that believers were often buried facing the east as they anticipated the return of Christ. I had never picked noticed that in any of my travels, but I am deeply fascinated by that. I will have to start paying attention now whenever I see the burial grounds of early American settlers.
All in all, it's a good book. I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.