I am racing the clock to finish the book Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier (who wrote Cold Mountain). It is due back to the library tomorrow. Okay, okay...so I've HAD three weeks to finish it, but I was reading something else for my book group and I have a puppy to look after, so give me a break.
Back to the book. In it, we are following young Will, who at age 12 was bound to a merchant to work at an isolated trading post in Cherokee Indian country, circa 1830. He falls in love with part-Indian Claire Featherstone, who he can't marry for a variety of reasons, including the fact that (in his state) whites are not permitted to marry anyone with even a drop of Indian blood.
The book is a fascinating look at the history of the time. We meet such real folks as Davy Crockett, Andrew Jackson, and John C. Calhoun. Our young boy becomes a businessman and frontier lawyer, adopted son of an Indian leader named Bear, a lobbyist for his Indian family when the Removals start, and a lonely man forever searching for his Claire. Some of my favorite lines from the book is: “When all else is lost and gone forever, there is yearning. One of the few welcome lessons age teaches is that only desire trumps time." Seems to be a theme with Frazier's writing...
Hey, I hear you spent some time with my buddy Margaret last weekend! I have a close friend who lives in Sandy -- maybe the next time I'm down that way we can get together, too! (And trade barbs about Margaret!) Kidding! (Ain't she great?)
Posted by: Tonya @ Kingfisher Cove | Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 06:21 PM
Did you finish the book yet???
Posted by: tinker | Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 04:29 PM
I was not a fan of Cold Mountain. There were aspects I liked, but my overall feeling of the book was pretty much negative. Is this one better, you think?
Posted by: Tonya @ Kingfisher Cove | Sunday, February 18, 2007 at 09:39 PM
Oh, that race to the finishline before the due date (I don't mind paying the fine, but hate the dirty looks from the librarian :)
Sounds like an interesting look at history, thanks for the review! What else you readin'?
Posted by: tinker | Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at 02:14 PM
Thanks for the review. You describe it as just the sort of bittersweet story that often appeals to me. I may add that one to my list.
Posted by: Barbara W. Klaser | Monday, February 12, 2007 at 12:15 AM
Cold Mountain was one of my all-time favorite reads, although I did throw it across the room when I read the ending. I thought of you (or should I say Ross) when we drove by OSU on our way from Newport.
Posted by: Margaret | Sunday, February 11, 2007 at 08:13 PM