The author, Maureen McKade, did a masterful job with a very difficult subject how a white woman returns to living in a white settlement after living with an Indian tribe for 7 years. I was reluctant to read this book because of the subject matter but am very happy that I stayed with it.
Emma Hartwell, rescued by US troops attacking a Lakota village, was almost killed before the soldier noticed her blue eyes. After a long recovery, she was returned to her family. However, white settlers did not know how to respond to a recovered neighbor and only looked at her with revulsion or pity.
Eventually, her parents decided to send her away to live with an aunt in St. Paul, so she could start over. Emma realizes that her real error was staying alive instead of killing herself. The night before she was to be shipped off to her aunt, Emma begins the long trek back to the Lakota to find her young son.
Although Emmas father, John, has no use for Ridge Madoc, a retired scout for the US Army, he hires him to bring Emma back. Emma has not mentioned her son; no one understands why she is going back to the Indians.
Ridge learns quickly that Emma has more grit and savvy than he expected; shes excellent at hiding her trail. When he finds her, Emma does not make it easy for him to take her back. This is a complex story with no right or wrong side; it shows how complicated the issues are when people from different cultures try to create a life together with such rampant prejudice.
Ridge is a treasure and probably the only man in the story who could see past Emmas experiences to see her as the exceptional person she is. Emma is an admirable individual who is called upon to make tremendous sacrifices in the name of love.
Emma Hartwell, rescued by US troops attacking a Lakota village, was almost killed before the soldier noticed her blue eyes. After a long recovery, she was returned to her family. However, white settlers did not know how to respond to a recovered neighbor and only looked at her with revulsion or pity.
Eventually, her parents decided to send her away to live with an aunt in St. Paul, so she could start over. Emma realizes that her real error was staying alive instead of killing herself. The night before she was to be shipped off to her aunt, Emma begins the long trek back to the Lakota to find her young son.
Although Emmas father, John, has no use for Ridge Madoc, a retired scout for the US Army, he hires him to bring Emma back. Emma has not mentioned her son; no one understands why she is going back to the Indians.
Ridge learns quickly that Emma has more grit and savvy than he expected; shes excellent at hiding her trail. When he finds her, Emma does not make it easy for him to take her back. This is a complex story with no right or wrong side; it shows how complicated the issues are when people from different cultures try to create a life together with such rampant prejudice.
Ridge is a treasure and probably the only man in the story who could see past Emmas experiences to see her as the exceptional person she is. Emma is an admirable individual who is called upon to make tremendous sacrifices in the name of love.
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