Customer Reviews

Fire and Rain

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4 star:		(1)
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I lucked out and found this book before it went out of print. If you have access to a used bookstore, look for this title; it is one of the best stories I have ever read. Told alternately in the 19th and the 20th century, and spanning several decades, it is a tale of four lovers - two White, two Native American - who cross the boundaries of their respective cultures and give up what is comfortable in order to commit to one another for all their lives. Powerfully sensual, mysterious and somewhat sweetly painful and disturbing (particularly the 19th century story), be prepared to shed some tears if you find this book. Keep it, it can be reread and seen new each time. I've read as many of Ms. Eagle's books as I've been able to locate, and I think that this is by far her best work.

Kathleen Eagle makes history come alive in her Native American stories, and this one is no exception! I love the way the book opens, in current times, with Cecily and her mom at an auction house - the mom is only interested in the antique value of the items, but Cecily very beautifully envisions the history of each piece and the lives that touched it. She purchases an old trunk, much to her mother's dismay because it's not valuable monetarily, but Cecily felt a connection to it that made its value of the sentimental sort.

The story then switches to a century earlier and the young woman to whom the trunk belonged. I liked and admired Priscilla immediately for her independent manner and her compassion towards Indians. Her friendship with Sarah was heartwarming, and the intense attraction that connected Priscilla with Sarah's brother Whirlwind Rider sizzled! The scene where they first met in the stable was so well-written. I absolutely loved this couple and felt the soulmate quality of their love, despite the huge cultural differences and the objections of Priscilla's dad and the white community.

The story switches back to Cecily, who is doing volunteer work in the same region Priscilla had lived, where she falls in love with Native American Kiah Red Thunder. Although Cecily and Priscilla are similar, Kiah is definitely not as likeable as Whirlwind Rider, and I found their romance resonated much less with me. When Cecily finds Priscilla's journal in a secret compartment of the trunk, it helps her to uncover the history of the region and to come to terms with her relationship with Kiah.

This book contains the most beautiful blend of past and present I have read. It is my very favorite romance novel of all, and I'm very sorry to see that it is now out of print. No other romance writer depicts Sioux customs and history with such authority as does Ms Eagle. The two love stories, 100 years apart, and how they relate to one another is so movingly told one simply cannot put the book down until finished. Readers should note that this is not a time travel novel.

Another wonderful American Indian novel by Kathleen Eagle which co-mingles two stories, past and present, into one unforgettable book. Cecily, a kind, young and guileless young woman becomes inextricably drawn into the American Indian movement of the '70's when she befriends a courageous young Indian woman and her world-weary but oh-so-irresistable brother, Kiah.

Cecily acquires a 100-year-old traveling trunk at an auction which contains some artifacts and writings of Priscilla Twiss, daughter of a White Indian Agent sent to educate the "savage" Sioux. Priscilla, drawn to the Sioux, comes to visit her father in the rugged, untamed west, and there she meets and falls in love with the proud warrier, Whirlwind Rider.

Both couples, though a century apart, share similar obstacles of restrictive social mores, racial hatred, and tumultuous circumstances in American Indian history, not to mention a suprising revelation which ties past to present.

Highly recommended reading for unforgettable romance, gripping storytelling, and fascinating American Indian History.

The old story is soooooooo moving , he promised to love and protect her and she gave everything up for him , their love was so pure ........ and the modern one is great ( as usual men are trying to be tough and stronge and love doesn't affect them ) but she made it true , she was able to move his feelings i think if u didn't read it , u missed a very beautiful two love stories

Wonderful book! It was great I actually cried on some parts. It was very touching as well as a great love story! This is a book you can read over and over and still enjoy it.