Book Review Monday: Burning Sky

Hello, everyone!
This is my fourth Monday in a row with a book review. Woohoo!

Today I will be reviewing "Burning Sky" by Lori Benton. To start the post off, here is a blurb taken from the back of the book.

"Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family’s New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father’s property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path. Feeling obliged to nurse his injuries, the two quickly find much has changed during her twelve-year absence—her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired is now grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land.
When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa’s vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into in her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against “savages” abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa’s safety unsure.
Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage--the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again?"

My Thoughts:

The Idea:

I have not read a ton of books that deal with this time period, with the American frontier, but this made me want to read many more. I loved the whole concept of a white woman who was taken by Indians and now returned to her white world ten or so years later. 

This is Lori Benton's debut novel, and I assure you, it did not disappoint.

The descriptions were beautiful and the plot heart-wrenching. 

The Characters:

Willa, known as Burning Sky by her Indian family, was a very strong character. She has gone through an immense amount of pain in her life and is still trying to stay strong. When she heads back to her white family after her entire Indian family dies, she finds an injured man alongside the road and takes him in.

Neil is a Scottsman who works as a botanist. He is a very kind, godly man. I really admired him. He gets terrible headaches after being nearly scalped by an Indian, and he can no longer read or write. I really liked Neil.

Another character I found worth mentioning was Joseph Tames-His-Horse. He was an Indian who was always in love with Willa, but extremely disappointing when she was adopted into his clan, making her his "sister." He was an amazing person.

The Plot:

The plot was very strong. There was never really a dull moment. This was a fairly large chunk of reading, but I got it done in a normal amount of time. It held my interest and kept me guessing until the very end.

The Setting:

The setting was great. Like I said before, I haven't read a lot about the American frontier, but I really enjoyed this. The descriptions were very vivid. 

Overall:

I loved reading this book! I cannot wait for more books by Lori Benton. I will add her to my watch list. :)

About the Author: 

Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God's transforming grace. When she isn’t writing, Lori enjoys exploring beautiful Oregon with her husband. - See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=163736#sthash.8o0wcVzG.dpuf