Trading Horse by Darrel Sparkman

Trading Horse is a fun story that made me feel like I had my grandpa sitting here regaling the story of how he met and fell in love with my grandma.

You kinda get a feeling there's more to Jim than what needs the eye, but as the story goes on, you become more convinced that appearances are truly deceiving and there's definitely more to the man - even a fancy suit can't hide. Connie is a great match for Jim. Her attitude, charm, and fight keeps him on his toes and keeps her from being boring to him.

It's cute watching them figure the other out and how the meddling of folks around them help to push them along. When you realize just what trading horse means and how it comes into play, you'll find yourself chuckling and shaking your head.

This is a easy-to-read winsome little story to be lost in for an hour or so.

Harper's Rescue: A Novel of Redemption in the Civil War by Sean K. Gabhann

Picking up right where Harper's Donelson, book 1, left off, we find Harper and his men figuring out how to fill their time being stuck in Paducah KY while they wait to be able to get back to active duty. Gus starts to realize the burden of leading men, making decisions, and learning who he is to become. Katie, the saloon girl, is still trying to find her place while she struggles with protecting herself.

While there are still some rough and tough moments, and some spy-games at play, I think this 2nd part of the trilogy is my favorite (well, so far, seeing there's only book 1 and 2 out). Seeing how everyone's stories intertwine and everyone acts and reacts to events... you find yourself mixed up between cheering the characters on, and on edge wondering what's going to happen next and who might find a little reprieve from their trials.... and just how twisted evil can be.

This is a great continuation of Harper's Donelson and I'm looking forward to an amazing (I have faith!!) conclusion with the last part of the trilogy.

Harper's Donelson: A Novel of Grant's First Campaign by Sean K. Gabhann

When you crack open this book, you're immediately sucked back into a living and breathing history lesson.

This book takes you on a journey following several characters as they live and survive through the Civil War - and as it's part one of a trilogy, I'm definitely hooked and excited to see what happens next.

James Harper wants so desperately to prove he's leadership material, but ego-driven superiors and some questionable decisions lead to more struggles and trials to prove himself capable. He isn't the "perfect" hero in that he does make mistakes, or he seems more "real" or "regular" - we can identify with him more. But at the same time, his sense of honor and determination shines through when it's needed most, and you can respect that. He also can back up what he says (as far as skills and gumption to proceed). He definitely got into more scrapes and situations that what I think I could put up with! ha!

Katie has to learn how to adjust being sold to a whorehouse and just what it will take to survive and become more than what it seems life fated her with. I enjoyed seeing her still cling to some innocence, and my heart ached with the hardships she faced.

There's several other characters you get to experience life through that make you think, or give you heartburn... Once you get settled in and have the setting grow around you and learn who all the characters are, you are hooked into seeing how everyone interacts and what will happen next.

I can't help but believe that if we as a society went back to a truth-filled story-telling way of passing down history, more people would be intrigued and want to discover more about our past, and maybe even learn some invaluable lessons. Thank goodness for authors who have a story to tell and weave in historical events, breathing life into dry textbook narrative.

Walk the Promise Road by Anne Schroeder

Take a journey along the Oregon Trail and discover a piece of our American history in a new way. Walk the Promise Road reads almost like a journal that has been reformatted into an educational storybook with a splash of a love story. The meticulous work that Anne Schroeder put into the story to make us feel all the trials and hardships along with the moments of joy and relief really shine through. 

Mary, when this is done we will have made a part of history. Your journal will be read by your children and theirs. Lives will be changed because of what we did out here. A new country will be formed. Have you thought about that? 

While I've always had a special fondness of Oregon Trail stories, Lucas and Mary's story has something different with how the everyday events and unique trials and adventures are brought to life. Traveling westward to settle new lands definitely wasn't a glamorous expedition. I think I was just as relieved as the emigrants to finally arrive in Oregon City and find a soothing place to be restored and settled!

Maybe the trail is like life itself. If you knew what was in store up ahead, you might not even have the nerve to start, but having no choice, you do your best; and in the end, you triumph through your own grit.