Benton, Lori. Burning Sky. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press. 2013.

SUMMARY:
Captured by Mohawk Indians at the age of fourteen, Willa Obenchain (aka Burning Sky) must learn to adapt to her new way of life to survive with the People. Upon finally returning home several years later, Willa finds many things have changed in her absence including her parents, the family homestead, her dear friends, her own heart, faith in God, and feelings towards “savages” affected by war. Toss into the mix a botanist, a Mohawk brother, Cap the collie, and several other characters and the story only gets more complex and interesting.

“A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench.”

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
Wow. As a debut novel, this story was very well done. The imagery of the frontier portrayed was definite and precise (the author was originally an artist), the amount of history knowledge included was impressive, and the story line just kept the pages turning, culminating in an intense finish. I was drawn to this book by the cover, then the back-cover description, and now laud it for the content. Though not an easy and quick read, this novel is definitely worth the time to discover and absorb the entire book. I sincerely hope the author, Lori Benton, is working on another novel already as I will be watching and waiting for it.

RATING:
5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of Burning Sky from WaterBrook Press for my honest review*