A Book Review and a New Job

TO FIND YOU AGAIN by Maureen McKade

FROM THE BACK COVER

It has been seven years since Emma Hartwell's capture by a tribe of the Lakota Sioux. But her recent rescue by the US Cavalry feels like anything but salvation. She has been forced to leave behind her beloved child, and return to the family who can't accept her, only to be shunned by the townspeople as an outcast. Emma is haunted by her life with the Elk tribe. She sets off on a dangerous journey, fueled by a fierce love of her son and fears for his safety, in an effort to find the tribe and reclaim him.

Only Ridge Madoc stands in her way. A former army scout with a keen tracking sense and a keener sense of justice, Ridge has been sent by Emma's father to bring her back--a task that will give him the chance of reclaiming some of the land that was rightfully his. But, he never expected a woman as determined and courageous as Emma. Now, Emma must appeal to Ridge to help her with her desperate quest, and Ridge must struggle with his desire for a woman who no longer has a place in his world...

This book confirms it. I'm definitely in a western frame of mind. Nothing else in my towering TBR appealed to me but this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While I can't say it was as an emotional read as her book A REASON TO LIVE, it was still very satisfying.

Ms. McKade does not write wimpy women or women who do the TSTL things that drive us all crazy. Emma Hartwell is very much a woman of her times who is coping the only way she knows how with the circumstances she is in. My heart was in my throat when she had to make the decision whether or not it was in her son's best interest to be raised by her or the Lakota tribe he knows and is accepted by. If you knew you would be bringing your child to a place where he would be shunned, not allowed to go to school, spat upon and hated would you still take him back to your world? Or, would you leave him some place where you knew he was loved and adored and would never be judged as being "half"? Could you do it even if you couldn't stay and raise him yourself? What would you do?

Ms. McKade did a great job presenting this dilemma and all the realistic arguments pro and con a mother would be making before a choice is made. That sequence in the book is wrenching and emotional.

Ridge Madoc is just the sort of self contained and stoic man of the west I enjoy reading about most. He is very reminescent of Louis L'Amour heros. While a tough man of his times, he not only is respectful of Emma as a woman, but respects her as a person who has survived very difficult circumstances and who deserves and has earned the right to make her own choices.

So I finish this great historical that was published in 2004 to read this post at AngieW's site that included parts of a letter from author Brenda Joyce about the state of historical novels in the romance genre. It made me wonder when did we readers stop buying them? I don't remember making a conscious choice not to buy historicals. I have noticed there haven't been as many to choose from.

I hadn't read a good western in some time until Wendy spoke about Maureen McKade and it sent me to the bookstore to buy the recently released A REASON TO LIVE. You just don't hear about or see many historicals on the store book shelves any more. Wendy's comment today was that we need diversity. Amen to that! I'll never understand any industry...music, books, TV, movies glomming to whatever is hot at the moment and dumping everything else. Is it that complicated to be diverse?

A final note...I've taken a part time job. Yeah, who knew? I thought I was retired too!! It's just two days a week and that's all I want right now. So my first day is tomorrow. Then since my son is on fall break we will be taking off a few days so I probably won't be around much this next week. Don't you just love the Fall?