Banished by the Seneca Indians who adopted and raised her, ostracized by the whites in the settlement, Zara Grey wanted only to be accepted. “Ethancaine” treated her with kindness and concern. It was easy to trust him. But her Indian ways disturbed him, and in her heart she would always be Seneca.
My Thoughts:
Likes: I don't typically read a lot of historical fiction set in the United States but Winter Fire made me rethink that. It was beautifully written and I think the author did a wonderful job of drawing the reader in. I don't know very much about this period in American history but I was fascinated and found myself really taken with Zara's story. It seemed like the author must have done a significant amount of research to be able to include some of the native language as well as customs. I was shocked by the treatment of Zara and how the sheer fact that she had lived among the Native Americans made her suspect regardless of her background.
Characters: Zara was amazing. I loved her from the very beginning and she was such a well-developed character. You could almost feel her pain and confusion as she tried to acclimate to life among white people. I also really liked Ethan. He was so kind and gentle with Zara but had his own demons to deal with as the story progressed. Watching him come to grips with his past and make tough decisions about his future made me like and respect him as a character. I also enjoyed watching Zara and Ethan fall in love despite their best efforts not to.
Dislikes: The only thing I really disliked about the story was how rushed it was at the end. Everything wrapped up pretty quick and it left me wanting more.
Overall: This was a pretty unique story and I think any fan of historical fiction would find it an engaging read. 3 1/2 stars.
I received this book from HFBVT in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author:
As a child Kathy wanted to be a writer when she grew up. She also
wanted to act on the stage. After receiving an MFA in Acting from the
Mason Gross School of the Arts
and playing the part of starving young artist in New York, she taught
theater classes at a small college in the Mid-West before returning home
to the East Coast, where over the years, she and her husband raised two
kids and an assortment of dogs. During stints in advertising,
children’s media publishing, and education reform in the former Soviet
Unions, she wrote whenever she could.
Her love of early American history has its roots in family vacations
up and down the East Coast visiting old forts and battlefields and
places such as Williamsburg, Mystic Sea Port, and Sturbridge Village.
During this time, she daydreamed in high school history classes,
imagining the everyday people behind all the dates and conflicts and how
they lived.
Claiming her best ideas are born of dreams, Kathy has written a
number of stories over the years. Her first published novel, Winter
Fire, a 1998 Golden Heart finalist in historical romance, was reissued
in 2010 by Books We Love, Ltd., which also released Lord Esterleigh’s
Daughter, Courting the Devil, and The Partisan’s Wife.
When not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, photography, playing
“ball” with the dogs, and rooting on her favorite sports teams.
For more information visit Kathy Fischer-Brown’s website. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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