2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweeping Historical Novel Filled with Action, Adventure, and Romance, May 18, 2009
This review is from: Braver Deeds (Kindle Edition)
A dark horse, a black cavalry soldier, and a young Indian girl ... so begins John Van Roekel's Braver Deeds, a sweeping historical novel with all the action, adventure, and romance that characterizes a classic western epic. The story takes place in two different times -- at the beginning of the 1890's, where a young Buffalo soldier, Matt Davys, rescues a Lakota Sioux girl named Comes Running, who is injured during the famous massacre at Wounded Knee. The two young people connect in a way that is heartwarming and tender (Comes Running refers to Matt's curly hair as "tatanka," comparing it with the hide of the buffalo) and Matt develops a strong bond with her before helping her return to her people.
The second half of the novel begins eight years later, when Matt is a sergeant in Troop K of the Ninth Calvary Regiment. Struggling over whether he should marry his girlfriend, Jeanie, he reconnects with Comes Running and learns that she is leaving an abusive relationship with a member of her tribe to carve out a new life as an entertainer with Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show. Matt dodges the decision about marriage when he is sent to Cuba during the Spanish-American war and meets up with Carlos Estrada-Palma, a young Cuban photojournalist from New York, who is covering the war for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. There the two men meet Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, along with novelist Stephen Crane. During that time, Matt corresponds with Jeanie and Comes Running, and struggles with his mixed feelings for both women before returning home to America.
The author weaves fascinating historical details into the stories of the three young characters, whose paths cross over multiple miles and major historical milestones in our country's history. The themes of family, destiny, and moral courage are played out over the pages ofBraver Deeds, and readers who enjoy historical fiction will treasure the panoramic story lines and heroic actions that draw these memorable characters together.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent historical novel, January 23, 2008
This review is from: Braver Deeds (Kindle Edition)
This is an extremely well-written insight into the late 1800's America and Cuba, particularly the so-called Buffalo soldiers. Very well researched: A book that is both educational but also a damn good story. I particularly liked the war scenes in Cuba, and learning about native American culture during those troubled times.
This is professional novel standard though it seems to be the author's first book. A great read.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read, August 20, 2011
This review is from: Braver Deeds (Kindle Edition)
Other reviews have already given a decent synopsis, so I won't repeat that. I downloaded this book and several others on the way out the door on a motorcycle vacation heading up into the Black Hills of South Dakota, and this turned out to be one of my favorite reads.
It's a solid historical novel that includes lots of local color and historical references, but I particularly enjoyed the fleshed-out characters. It kept me engaged all the way to the end.
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