A review of Mary and the Marauding Indians by Mary Carpenter
Book Name
: Mary and the Marauding Indians: A Mail Order Bride Novel
Genre : Historical Fiction
Number of Pages : 65
Publishing Date
: 6th
October 2015
Binding
: Kindle Edition
ASIN
: B0169YFZS2
Rating : 3.5
Blurb
Mail Order Bride
Wanted: 49 year old retiring soldier desires young bride who wants children.
Must be very neat and cook a good roast beef and apple pie. Slovenly women need
not apply.
Lt. Col. William Lewis has been in the army since he was 15 and entered West Point. Army life is all he's ever known, but a wife is what he wants now. He thinks what would suit him best would be a young wife so he can start a family quickly.
Mary Thompson has cared for children all of her life, as she is the fourth daughter of ten, growing up in rural Arkansas. She loves children, cooking and sewing. Her three older sisters were mail order brides and she thinks it's her time now. William and Mary agree to marry and raise a family, but Lt. Col. Lewis has one more mission to complete.
The Northern Cheyenne have left Ft. Reno in Indian Territory and fled to Kansas to return to their homelands. They don't like the limitations of reservation life and are longing for Montana. The Cheyenne, led by Little Wolf and Dull Knife, sneak out of the reservation and cross over into Kansas. When the Army hears of the escape, they send Lt. Col. Lewis in pursuit.
Mary arrives in Dodge City while Colonel Lewis is on patrol. She refuses to accept that his life may be in danger. Then the unthinkable happens and Mary is alone. Whatever will she do now?
Lt. Col. William Lewis has been in the army since he was 15 and entered West Point. Army life is all he's ever known, but a wife is what he wants now. He thinks what would suit him best would be a young wife so he can start a family quickly.
Mary Thompson has cared for children all of her life, as she is the fourth daughter of ten, growing up in rural Arkansas. She loves children, cooking and sewing. Her three older sisters were mail order brides and she thinks it's her time now. William and Mary agree to marry and raise a family, but Lt. Col. Lewis has one more mission to complete.
The Northern Cheyenne have left Ft. Reno in Indian Territory and fled to Kansas to return to their homelands. They don't like the limitations of reservation life and are longing for Montana. The Cheyenne, led by Little Wolf and Dull Knife, sneak out of the reservation and cross over into Kansas. When the Army hears of the escape, they send Lt. Col. Lewis in pursuit.
Mary arrives in Dodge City while Colonel Lewis is on patrol. She refuses to accept that his life may be in danger. Then the unthinkable happens and Mary is alone. Whatever will she do now?
Plot
The novella is a
historical romance in the background of the battle between the Cheyenne Indians
and the Army. Mary Thompson reaches Dodge city with dreams of getting married
to Lt. Col. Lewis. On reaching Dodge City, she realizes that the life in Dodge
City would not be what she had expected since the news she heard was the demise
of Col. Lewis. The story proceed with Mary’s struggle to cope up with the
unfortunate turns in her life. Will she remain the unwed widow of Col. Lewis?
Will she go out in pursuit of new life? What happens to the Cheyenne Indians?
Main Characters
Mary Thompson: The
protagonist; A 21 years old girl who decided to become the mail order bride of
a 49 years old Army man
Bill Lewis: 49 year old
soldier living in Dodge City.
Chief Little Wolf,Chief
Dull Knife, Chief Wild Hog, Chief Standing Bear and Chief Calf Skin Shirt.:
Cheyenne Indians fighting for the rights of their fellows
Amanda and Caroline: Two
of Mary’s sisters.
Charles and David : Husbands of Amanda and Caroline
respectively
Sam and Robert :
Mary’s suitors
Highlights
"I'm concerned you will be
a young widow with children to support on your own.”
|
She had been planning to marry Bill sight unseen! Who was she to
criticize Robert's whirlwind of romantic intentions?
|
Being an ardent lover of
historical fiction, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The book begins with a
detailed note of the battle between the Cheyenne Indians(American Indians) and
the army. The exploitations of the tribal is not an isolated incident. It had
been a grave issue for centuries, irrespective of the demographics. Authoress
portrays the picture of the lives of the Cheyenne Indians in reservations and
circumstances that led to their escape and finally the battle. The fighting
spirit of Mary is inspirational. The life of Mary is explained in a slow pace,
like several historical fiction books. The book had the qualities to become a classic.
The writing style and mode of depiction is similar to a couple of classic
books. The idea of Mail order bride is new to me. It is informative to know
that there was a historical version of the modern internet weddings.
Drawbacks
The book started as a
story of the Indians till Mary reaches Dodge City. Later on, apart from one or
two dialogues and a scene there is no account of the battle. A detailed account
would have done justice to the title. Mary’s
romantic relations could have been elaborated. As with Col. Lewis, it is
understandable that Mary and Lewis barely knew each other, but later when Mary
decides to move on, a detailed account of the same would have been interesting
to read. The trip to Independence, Kansas ought to be more expansive since it
is a major twist in Mary’s life.
One Liner
A novella with a potential of being a classic with a
little rework.
|
Avail the book from Amazon
About the Author
Mary Criswell-Carpenter writes Christian Historical Fiction in her Mail Order Bride Series, non-fiction ebooks, and historical fiction that is not romance. She has 6 books on the drawing board right now.
Mary is a voracious reader of all genres except explicit horror, and loves sunshine, God, chihuahuas, to write, to read, and quilt. She is married, has two chihuahuas, and three children, Trey, Melanie, and Steven, grown and scattered throughout the United States. She has 12 grandchildren.
She is a graduate of both Ottawa University and Saint Paul School of Theology and served as a United Methodist Pastor in the Little Rock Annual Conference and the Kansas East Annual Conference. She now resides in Mississippi in a small country town near the Tennessee River.
Mary is a voracious reader of all genres except explicit horror, and loves sunshine, God, chihuahuas, to write, to read, and quilt. She is married, has two chihuahuas, and three children, Trey, Melanie, and Steven, grown and scattered throughout the United States. She has 12 grandchildren.
She is a graduate of both Ottawa University and Saint Paul School of Theology and served as a United Methodist Pastor in the Little Rock Annual Conference and the Kansas East Annual Conference. She now resides in Mississippi in a small country town near the Tennessee River.
Reviewed for the author
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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