Customer Reviews

Nightsong (Hqn Romance)

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In 1888 in the Dakota Territory, half-breed Debra Nightsong lives alone as neither her Indian progeny nor her white people accept her. She is okay with being somewhat a hermit especially when the winter freezes everything though deep down she knows she is lonely and expects one day to die without anyone coming to her funeral except perhaps her half-brother.

After a long day working hard on her farm, Debra returns to her home only to find Ethan Tyler inside holding a gun aimed at her. He is one the lam, but will not explain why; she assumes he runs from the law though it could be a woman. Ethan makes Debra his hostage, but he surprises her even more with his hard work on the farm. As they fall in love, a bounty hunter is coming to bring Ethan back to face the law.

NIGHTSONG is an entertaining western romance starring a woman who has given up on humanity (with few exceptions) due to facing bigotry all her life, and a mysterious seemingly kindhearted man on the run. The story line is at its best when this couple works the farm together. It loses some steam when the late suspense occurs with the arrival of the bounty hunter. Though no major villainous character shows up, Carolyn Davidson provides a strong look at the debilitating impact of racism in the late nineteenth century.

Harriet Klausner

This novel is very different from most historical romances. It is really the tale of a woman with two heritages, Indian and white, not being accepted in either and making a way for herself in the Dakota territories.

Debra Nightsong is nineteen, living on her own and orphaned. She has a small home on the Dakota plains with the hopes of raising horses. She is not accepted readily in town as the townsfolk know her heritage. She is proud and brave.

Ethan Tyler is on the run from bounty hunters and the law. He killed a man who had murdered his family, broke out of jail and has headed west. He discovers that Debra lives alone and breaks into her home with the purpose of resting there for a while but also of assisting her on her farm. She is rightly upset when she finds him and he demands that she keep him on as a hired hand. She does so reluctantly but soon realizes that he can assist her greatly on her little homestead.

These two have a slow moving romance. Ethan is very patient with Debra and she is slowly warming to him. They spend many weeks together and Ethan realizes he wants to have a much more permanent part of Debra's life. They marry and fall in love, but have only a short time together before Ethan must head back east to clear his name. Debra stays back in South Dakota to care for the farm.

These lovers are separated for a very large part of the book. The author focuses this portion of the novel on Debra. She deals with the struggle of missing her husband, town prejudice, and reconciling with her heritage. The reader understands the day to day workings of life on the prairie. Very rarely are we given a glimpse in to Ethan's life.

When Ethan returns toward the end of the novel Debra has really matured. For the most part this is a well crafted novel but really reads much more like historical fiction than a romance. Debra is an amazing woman and the author allows the reader many insights into her character. I wish Ethan's character was just as well developed.

I was not used to the flowery, poetical language used in the story but slowly got used to it.

Debra Nightsong was holding on to the farm her white father, David Thornley had left her.
She keeps to herself and doesn't antagonize any one. She has made friends with Julia Anderson, who helped her father run the general store.

It was a treat to listen to Debra tell of her memories of her mother and father to Ethan Tyler as he held her captive in her own home.
Ethan just needed a place to hole up temporarily as he dodged the man hunting for him.

The tale of her father's love for her mother was very heartwarming and to think that she was not allowed to know her half-brother, a full blooded Native. Her mother was not allowed to approach her own son in the few years that she and Debra spent with the tribe after her husband died.

Ethan proved himself trustworthy of Debra's innocence as he treated her with respect and offered to help on her farm. The description of their day to day living was so very realistic.

Oh, I forget her moving entrance into Tyler's life on her golden Palomino mare and her plans to raise horses. Tyler proved to be as good at handling the mares as she was.

Whoops, then the bounty hunter shows up - Tyler does want to clear himself of the murder charge. It turns out that Jay Sinclair is related to Cord McPherson from HH 431 "The Wedding Promise" the story of his sister, Rachel. I wonder where Jake McPherson fits into the family "Redemption".

After Tyler leaves we see the help Debra gets from her neighbors, the Shanes, especially young George who help her with the animals.
Then Grey Wolf shows up - he seems to have similar dreams as Debra and knows of her need for help. Dang them horses.

Hey, we do get a shoot out. Here is a woman who is willing to protect her own. About time.
But then jealosy rears its ugly head. Still the plot turns out to be a wonderful read.

Wish I could find the first story with McPherson to refer to.
VERY DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED - wonderful change of pace from all these contemp. bed hoppers.