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marshamay
Posted March 10, 2013
I enjoyed this book, I love the scriptures at the beginning of each chapter.
Deadwood. The name sounds hopeless and depressing (and it brings to mine the TV show). Only the promise of gold could bring people out to the prairie wilderness. Two women are out on the prairie with different personalities trying to survive. I felt that the book starts off a little slow. It took me a while to get into the story as well as fully relate with the characters. For a majority of the book, I didn't feel connected with Mattie at all. Instead I found myself drawn to Swede more. In fact, I actually preferred reading Swede's story over Mattie's. Her story could have been a different book in itself. Mattie's background makes for the more interesting story for herself. The villain that comes after her is a good one, not type casted or stereotyped for the day and age. The historical details about the time period was well researched and portrayed well. The time period was a harsh time to be a woman, and for a single woman especially it would have been a struggle just to survive. While it does portray a lot of myths from the west (ie gunfighters, saloon fights, miners) I felt they were all shown realistically and added color to the story.
I felt though that the romance story was lacking in this book. The characters didn't really interact or at least the romance took place in the background when we weren't looking. Swede's romance was more out in the open and even then I felt was more romantic and interesting. Still I'm a fan of Stephanie Whitson's books so I enjoyed this one overall. If you're a fan of her other books or the West in general, you'll like this one too.
If you enjoy historical Christian fiction, this is indeed a good book to read. I admit to having a special interest in it since I live in South Dakota!
A wide variety of characters and an interesting plot kept me reading all day and into the night. I loved that two of the main characters are strong, determined women.
If you have a "to read list", you should add this book to it.
CaraPutman
Posted May 14, 2009
Stephanie Whitson has a wonderful way of bringing history to life and this book is a great addition to her list of books. Mattie O'Keefe makes the arduous trip to Deadwood, South Dakota to escape a man who has trapped her in a lifestyle she doesn't want. Her brother is supposed to meet her in Deadwood, but nothing is as it seems other than he has a claim.
Mattie struggles with finding faith after exposure to preachers who were no different than anyone else. But in Deadwood she finds a small circle of friends who have a genuine faith and add her to their "family." Then she decides to take over her brother's claim. She's convinced the gold she uncovers will lead to her happiness.
This book will transport you back to Deadwood in its early rough-and-tumble days. It's not a pretty place, but people are determined to scrape an existence from the badlands. The book is populated with a full array of characters, making a rich story. And watching Mattie struggle to create a place for herself separate from her past had me rooting for her to the last page. This is a great addition to the authors list of books.
I have finished reading A Claim of her Own by Stephanie Grace Whitson. This is my first book to read by this author.
Mattie O'Keefe is ready to start a new life in Deadwood, South Dakota where she goes looking for her brother and his mining camp after she escaped from her mean boss and life singing in a gambling hall. She arrives to find her brother is dead. She must decided if she wants work as a miner in a man's world but doesn't really have anywhere else to go. Even though she tries to hide the secrets of her past, she develops friendships with several residents of Deadwood and comes to appreciate the feeling of belonging. One of her new friends is the preacher, Aron Gallagher. She has trouble trusting him and believing the lessons he tries to teach because all the preachers she's known in the past live a different life on Monday than they do on Sunday. Mattie's struggles and doubts are real and the reader will be able to relate to the questions she asks about God. Just as she is learning to trust, something from her past shows up in Deadwood. Will Mattie believe that God can help her?
I enjoyed this book of historical fiction and look forward to reading more from this author. The well-developed characters and setting were appealing and believable.
JaimeWrightSundsmo
Posted April 15, 2009
I Also Recommend:
I thoroughly enjoyed the latest novel from Stephanie Grace Whitson. Mattie O'Keefe is an intriguing personality from many of the fiction novels currently on my bookshelf in that, while she is spunky and full of sass, she also has a bitter edge to her attitude that is intriguingly endearing. Whitson does a remarkable job of creating characteristics in her main character that in real life can be irritating, but in this novel, create a desire to know Mattie deeper and understand what caused the bitter edge and to find out how will the Lord step in and heal.
Each additional character is equally as endearing, with my favorite by far being Freddie!! His desire to protect Mattie in his simple ways made me almost more excited to read his scenes that that of the main plot!!
While the novel includes all the elements we love in historical fiction, a twist, a villain, romance, and a hero, it also provides a deep Spiritual application without being "preachy". I also loved the rich mining history included in the novel that showed this author did some MAJOR research!!
Definitely worth purchasing and adding to your favorites collection!!
Anonymous
Posted January 4, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted July 21, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
