Forsaking All Others (Western Vows #.5)

Ojinjinktka and Matoskah are running away from the Sioux reservation in 1881 Nebraska. They rename themselves Rose and Pete, but that is the only easy part of their journey. Aside from avoiding the Calvary, members of whom roam the boundaries to keep them inside, they have to figure out how to get jobs in an area known for being hostile to Indians. With the help of a man named Morgan and his family Bible, Rose begins to learn to read, while Pete sulks off in a huff. However, leaving all their traditions behind and starting from scratch is just the beginning.

This setting is wonderful, an area few authors dare to tread, and the story itself is a short, sweet one. However, Pete is a spoiled, sulky man-child with few redeeming qualities regarding how he treats Rose and how he acts toward her. Morgan, a good Samaritan doctor who helps Rose learn to read using the Bible, is a wonderfully compelling character and readers are going to be saddened that he is not more involved as the story progresses. There are many places that a reader is going to wonder about. Suspending belief for a historical fiction work is a necessity because authors do make things up—but this tale has too many questionable pieces to make an avid historical reader comfortable. Given how much is made of actions being important, not words, the ending is not believable, resolved too easily, and not explained enough to make a reader happy. Rose’s journey from beaten reservation Indian to independent believer is a pleasant one, and readers will enjoy seeing her growth.

Julie York