I’d been hearing great things about Courting Morrow Little for a good while now–things great enough that I was really beginning to regret sending that book out to another reviewer instead of hoarding it for myself. 😉 So when I was lucky enough to win a copy through a contest, you can bet I didn’t waste much time in cracking it open. And once I opened it . . . well, it didn’t take long to turn the last page!
Morrow Little was raised in the wilds of Kentucke, near a fort where her father preached every Sabbath. But after an Indian attack that killed her mother and baby sister and stole her brother from them when she was five, her beloved home always carried a shadow of fear with it. Especially when a Shawnee war-chief and his son kept showing up out of the blue. Spending some time in Philadelphia with her aunt provided a reprieve, but it doesn’t make the fear any better once she returns to Kentucke. This is her home–but she still fears it as much as she loves it.
Tensions are ever rising between the settlers and the Indians, but Morrow hopes things will improve once some soldiers from Virginia arrive. But with her father’s health failing, Morrow’s concerns aren’t just for the war between the Bluecoats and the Redcoats and Indians–her concerns are for her own future, and what will become of her when she loses the only family she has left in the world. Will she be forced to marry just to survive . . . or dare she follow the forbidden lure of her heart?
I’m really not sure what I expected from Courting Morrow Little, but as I began to get a picture of what would shape this book, I fell in love. Morrow is a wonderful heroine–pretty, but unaware of it. Sweet, but with weaknesses and fears that make her totally relatable. And through it all, a desire to be more faithful, stronger than she thinks she can be.
This is a book that makes you stop and think about what really makes a loyalty, what really determines which side is right and which side is wrong. It’s a book that will open your heart, challenge your mind, and touch your soul as you follow the life of one young woman as she seeks the right the live and love and learn of her Father’s will.
Having been researching a similar era but very different setting, I especially enjoyed the little touches of history that I know for a fact are obscure, and which therefore show what a thorough, excellent job the author did in making sure each detail was as accurate as possible. From the elegance of British-help Philadelphia to the wilderness beyond where the white man had ventured, Courting Morrow Little breathes life into the world the characters would have lived in and will make you gasp in appreciation for this Creation our Lord has crafted.
This is a book history lovers, romance lovers, and anyone who loves a good, solid story will enjoy. Laura Frantz has written a keeper–and you can bet I’ll be reading her next book the second it arrives!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
Wonderful review, Roseanna! So well said! I loved this one, too, and highly recommend that you RUN to get yourself a copy of TFD! It's sure to be one of the BEST books you've ever read. : )
I remember, Diana! =) And I totally agree on how wonderful Laura is. =)
Okay, now I need to go see if, perhaps, I have a spare copy of TFD anywhere (I often end up with spares that get shelved in the abyss of my review books). If not, I'm ordering it!! 😉
Great review!
And the same applies to you, too, dear Roseanna…remember Shine? I do!
One thing I wanted to add is that you won't hardly find a nicer and more gracious author than Laura Frantz. She is truly a woman of God and reflects His beauty and character!
Great review Roseanna! Related to Morrow the most I think, because of fear(s). As a person gets older, they may get wiser, but feel more vulnerable too. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in, (as Carrie once aptly noted. 🙂 One of those many things we all battle; and as Morrow's character was able to overcome.
I'm with Carrie, Roseanna…if you enjoyed CML you are sure to love The Frontiersman's Daughter! Possibly my all-time favorite which is saying a mouthful, since I've read too many books to count. I, too, loved CML and plan on reading it again, which is something I never do. Great review, Roseanna!
You have to read TFD, Roseanna! My fav, and I have CML on my Kindle now, too, for a re-read of it whilst waiting for TCL to come out!
Roseanna, You and Chris have made my whole morning! It means so much that you took time out of your very busy schedule to read CML and post such an insightful, thoughtful review! I look forward to doing the same for you. Am thrilled your books are available on e-book/Kindle! We really do have some sweethearts in our Colonial group and you're one of them:) Bless you so much.
I haven't read that one yet, but it's going on my list! I'm really looking forward to The Colonial's Lady too. =) Especially after getting to know Laura through a Colonial group we both belong to. She's such a sweetheart!
Glad you like this book–as a guy, I liked The Frontiersman's Daughter even better!