Courting Morrow Little

FRANTZ, LAURA

COURTING MORROW LITTLE

Morrow Little is haunted by the memory of the day her family was torn apart by raiding Shawnee warriors. Now that she is nearly a grown woman and her father is ailing, she must make difficult choices about the future. Several men – ranging from the undesired to the unthinkable – vie for her attention, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to a forbidden love that both terrifies and intrigues her. Can she betray the memory of her lost loved ones – and garner suspicion from her friends – by pursuing a life with him? Or should she seal her own misery by marrying a man she doesn’t love?

This sweeping tale of romance and forgiveness will envelop you as it takes you from a Kentucky fort through the vast wilderness of the West.

‘SWEEPING’ IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT! COURTING MORROW LITTLE IS THE KIND OF BOOK YOU WANT TO SAVOR AND GOBBLE UP ALL AT THE SAME TIME. LAURA’S RICH TEXT CONJURES UP IMAGES, SCENTS AND SOUNDS GUARANTEED TO TRANSPORT HER READERS OUT OF THIS WORLD AND INTO THE ONE SHE CREATED FOR MORROW LITTLE. HER ATTENTION TO HISTORICAL DETAIL ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE WITHOUT BURDENING IT AND HER LYRICAL DESCRIPTIONS SWEEP THE READER ALONG ON MORROW’S JOURNEY. LAURA GIVES US JUST ENOUGH DETAIL TO CONVINCE US THAT SHE TIME TRAVELS AND WRITES FROM FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE, BUT DOESN’T DRAG US DOWN WITH A LOT OF UNNECESSARY INFORMATION. ACTION CONVEYS THE DESPERATION IN SO MANY SCENES AND SPEAKS VOLUMES OF THE PRECARIOUS TIMES OF AN EMERGING NATION.

AT TIMES I HAD TO SET THE BOOK ASIDE BECAUSE I COULDN’T BEAR TO READ MORE AS I WRESTLED WITH MY EMOTIONS. TIMES WHEN I JUST NEEDED TO SIT QUIETLY AND SAVOR AN EXQUISITE SCENE. TIMES WHEN I WAS AFRAID TO READ ANY FURTHER! OF COURSE, I DIDN’T PUT THE BOOK ASIDE FOR LONG AND WHEN I REACHED THE END I FOUND I COULDN’T BEAR TO BE PARTED FROM IT AT ALL SO I STARTED READING IT AGAIN!

COURTING MORROW LITTLE IS A TALE FILLED WITH UNEXPECTED TWISTS AND TURNS, PACKED WITH ACTION AND BRIMMING WITH EMOTION. THERE’S NOTHING PREDICTABLE ABOUT THE PLOT AND, AS I READ, I FOUND MYSELF WHITE-KNUCKLING THE BINDING, HOPING AND PRAYING FOR A HAPPY ENDING! AND THOUGH I LIVED IN FEAR A TIME OR TWO, LAURA SURPRISED AND DELIGHTED ME TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT.

I FOUND MORROW A REFRESHING TWIST ON THE USUAL HEROINE WE ASSOCIATE WITH IN HISTORICAL FICTION. SHE’S SOFTER, LESS SURE OF HERSELF, AFRAID OF MANY THINGS AND NOT AS STRONG – PHYSICALLY OR EMOTIONALLY – AS A SUCCESSFUL FRONTIERSWOMAN SHOULD BE. AT LEAST SHE DOESN’T THINK SHE IS AND NEITHER DO THE PEOPLE AROUND HER. BUT AS HER STORY PROGRESSES LAURA SKILLFULLY DRAWS MORROW OUT OF HER SHELL AND HER READERS ARE PRIVILEGED TO WITNESS HER GROWTH INTO A WOMAN OF COURAGE AND CONVICTION.

IT’S HARD TO DISCUSS THE LOVE STORY WITHOUT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY. I WILL SAY THAT LAURA’S ABILITY TO DEVELOP ROMANTIC TENSION IS SOME OF THE BEST I’VE EVER READ. AND THE LOVE SCENES!!!!! BE STILL MY WILDLY BEATING HEART. SHEER POETRY. A CELEBRATION OF LOVE MADE ALL THE MORE POIGNANT BECAUSE OF THE UNSETTLED TIMES.

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, COURTING MORROW LITTLE IS A DEFINITE 2010 MUST READ. THE ONLY CRITICISM I HAVE IS THE LET DOWN YOU’LL EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU’VE READ THE LAST WORD ON THE LAST PAGE.