13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the year's best in the romance genre., February 3, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: Sunrise Song (Avon Camelot Books) (Mass Market Paperback)
Once in a great while, a book comes along that is so intelligent, so
riveting, so utterly flawless that it should be required reading for every
romance reader on the planet.
This is such a book.
Kathleen Eagle has used her considerable writing talent to craft a superb
tale of family ties, betrayal, and redeeming love. And she has chosen an
unusual format in which to do it -- a frame story within a fictionalized
account of a little-known incident in American history, concerning an asylum
for insane Indians in South Dakota.
The book contains two romances whose consequences are intertwined. One
concerns Michelle Benedict, a teacher with an interest in Indian history,
and Zane Lone Bull, a Vietnam vet and ex-con searching for his brother's
murderer. The time is 1973.
The other concerns Rachael Trainor, a dedicated nurse, and Adam Lone Bull,
an inmate at the Hiawatha Asylum for Insane Indians. This story takes place
in 1933. These two stories are told together, intermixed throughout the novel.
Eagle never tries to hide the connections between these characters. We're
not long into the story when we know Adam and Rachael were Zane's parents,
unknown to him. We know Zane's Uncle Martin was an inmate at the asylum,
where he was the victim of unspeakable brutality. We know Michelle is Zane's
hope for the future, and their love can finally bring meaning to his life
and an understanding of his past.
These are honest, flawed, wonderful people. We rejoice with Zane when he
finds this loving woman, and they quickly realize they are right for each
other. We agonize with Rachael and Adam as they try to defy the odds and
make their love a reality in every sense of the word. Most of all, we are
gripped by the tragedy of the inmates, suffering a hellish existence behind
walls where few care to look.
Reading this book is like watching a tapestry being woven before your eyes.
Some of the threads are shining and beautiful; some are flawed, and some are
ugly and repellent. All of them combined interweave to complete a picture
that can only be viewed as a whole. In her story of the Hiawatha Asylum and
the people who were its inmates, Eagle has created a work of art. It's all
the more compelling because it is based on fact.
This book won't appeal to every romance reader. Those who like their plots
light and fluffy and a bit mindless will no doubt toss this book aside. But
those who are willing to be disturbed, to ache, to rage, and above all, to
believe that even the briefest of loves is a thing of joy, will consider
this book to be a treasure. It is impossible to read this novel and not be
deeply moved, and that's the mark of the best stories in any genre. I vote
for having it bronzed.
Thank you, Kathleen Eagle.
Cathy Sova
From the review in "The Romance Reader".
URL: http://www.theromancereader.com/index.html
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another must-read from Eagle, October 31, 2001
This review is from: Sunrise Song (Avon Camelot Books) (Mass Market Paperback)
I haven't been disappointed in an Eagle book yet, and "Sunrise Song" lived up to my 5-star expectations again. Eagle weaves together past and present to create an unforgettable and poignant story of courage and love in the face of insurmountable obstacles. The descriptions of the events which take place in the Assylum for Insane Indians, though fascinating and educational, is profoundly sad, which may be unsettling to some readers. I turn the last page of an Eagle book with regret (that the story is over) but also with the deep satisfaction of a thoroughly good read and the feeling that I have learned a great deal about American Indian History. The fluidity of Eagle's writing is a pleasure to read, and no detail seems forced or extraneous - never a dull moment.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Eagle NEVER Disappoints, August 30, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Sunrise Song (Avon Camelot Books) (Mass Market Paperback)
I've never been moved enough to review a book, but this one moved me beyond words. The story(ies) were eloquent, touching and kept be reading into the wee hours. I found the characters so finely developed that I found myself fighting and furious.
Adam and Rachael brought such poignancy to the story that I found myself frustrated for them, therefore rooting for Zane and Michelle. The way the story paralleled the two relationships back and forth was done with such finesse that I never missed a beat. Normally, going back in time can be frustrating to a story and sometimes distracting, yet this story brought forth such emotion I'm surprised too that it isn't on someones best seller list.
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