Forgiveness was one thing. Falling in love was another.
Morrow Little's return home to the Kentucky wilderness after two years in Boston society is fraught with old worries and fears. When she was a young child, her mother and baby sister were killed in an Shawnee raid, and her brother, Jess, was captured. It's been just her and her father for years, and now that he's ill, her future is a bit uncertain. It's assumed she will marry, but her prospects range from farmers who want a marriage of convenience to an officer who's just a bit controlling and obsessed--to say the least. And then there's her confusing emotions of hatred and fascination toward a half-blood Shawnee whom her father has befriended. As tensions between the Americans and the Indians come to a head, Morrow has to make a decision whether to hold onto her fear and prejudice or allow herself to move forward with her life.
Laura Frantz 's style reminds me of Francine Rivers, where everything in the story is gritty, real, poetic, and achingly felt. One of my favorite parts of Courting Morrow Little was the heroine. She was weak physically and emotionally, whereas many heroines I've read about are already strong, spunky, and able. To me, Morrow was realistic, and I enjoyed reading about her journey to maturity and strength. My favorite character though was Red Shirt. I loved his chivalry and subtle wildness. Totally swoon-worthy. ;-)
Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz is a beautiful historical novel thick with romance, suspense, and twists that had me holding my breath. It's very rare I find myself tearing up when I read a book, but there were a couple scenes that I found my vision mysteriously blurry. I also had several cheesy grins when I read some really sweet scenes. This story is filled to the brim with emotion that carries the reader through an incredible journey of a young woman who learns what it means to truly live in courage and forgiveness.
Genre: Historical/Romance/Christian
Ages: 16 and up
Pages: 362
Publication Date: July 2010
