Penelope Williamson

Heart of the West is historical fiction much in the mode of Colleen McCullough's The Thorn Birds. Rather than Australia, it takes place in Montana in the late 19th century.
Clementine Kennicutt is a proper Bostonian lady until she's swept off her feet, literally, by cowboy Gus McQueen. She agrees to marry him and live on his cattle ranch near the town of Rainbow Springs. She meets his brother, Zach Rafferty, and the two fall in love while fighting their attraction. While the love triangle is part of the story, the book really focuses on living in the West with Indians, harsh winters, drought, saloons, and all the rest that makes up Western legends and stories. It's hard for a woman in this environment, but Clementine has grit and staying power. Along the way, she makes friends with saloon keeper and ex-prostitute Hannah Yorke and Chinese woman Erlan. Both of these women are looked down upon by the good Christians of the town, but Clementine views them as friends who help each other through times good and bad.
This is a long book but excellent with lots of details about Montana, the countryside, and pioneer living. I'm in awe of the research the author must have done from washing clothes to skinning wolves. It's a lovely read if you like history with excellently drawn characters and settings.… (más)

This had every opportunity to be a beautiful story—alas, it was not. A wishy-washy person cannot be loyal, and Arianna changed sides so many times that she lost every hope of my believing in her trustworthiness in the end. She asks Raine to trust her...only to keep life-or-death secrets from him, knowingly aiding and abetting her cousins who want to kill him. It's like she doesn't realize that not only will her husband be hurt, but she and all of his people will also suffer. The most unbelievable thing about this book isn't the magical aspect; it's that Raine never killed Arianna for all the times she betrayed him.

Overall, they're both idiots and jerks, but Raine deserved better.

(Note: There's an antisemitic section featuring a Jewish moneylender with gold teeth and even strips of gold tied into his beard that comes seemingly out of nowhere...)… (más)