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bookishcaro 's review for:
Texas Destiny
by Lorraine Heath
I was really surprised by how much I adored this story. Houston and Amelia are some of the most likeable romance protagonists I've read yet. They're both so humble and endearing that you really can't help but love them. Their story is a heartfelt one, full of yearning, loyalty, and tragedy. It's so much more than the bodice-ripping cover would have one believe. I'm so glad that this was my first "Western". Heath has really set the bar high for me with any books I read in the future.
I loved the journey Houston and Amelia went on across the Texas wilderness and how naturally they bonded throughout it. But perhaps even more than this, I loved the dynamic between them and Houston's brothers. Dallas and Austin are such fully crafted characters in their own rights. The interactions amongst the three brothers, especially given their complicated back story, just felt so natural and realistic.
my ONLY issue with this novel... and it is rather large one... is the fact that it takes place during the Reconstruction era. More specifically, Houston and Dallas fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Granted, they were both children when they were forced into it by their father (Houston was 12, Dallas 15), and did not seek out participation out of any great love for their people or way of life. Amelia also grew up on a plantation and though she suffered horrific tragedy when those lands were taken, it still stands to fact that her family were almost undoubtedly slave-owners.
Because of their ages, I was able to grant SOME leniency in this regard.
That being said, I think it was and still is very difficult for me to completely alright with this facet of the novel. Race is never brought up. These characters never encounter a single black person, not even in passing. It seems as though the author was actively avoiding this topic, which seems rather ridiculous given the context of where these characters' problems originated. It comes off almost as a sort of cowardice to not give the reader full clarity on where these characters stand.
For as much as I loved the relationships, the writing, and the family dynamics found within this book, I could never forget that these were still white, Southern characters who at some point in their pasts benefited richly from the institution of slavery and were only "punished" when it was forcibly taken from them.
I loved the journey Houston and Amelia went on across the Texas wilderness and how naturally they bonded throughout it. But perhaps even more than this, I loved the dynamic between them and Houston's brothers. Dallas and Austin are such fully crafted characters in their own rights. The interactions amongst the three brothers, especially given their complicated back story, just felt so natural and realistic.
my ONLY issue with this novel... and it is rather large one... is the fact that it takes place during the Reconstruction era. More specifically, Houston and Dallas fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Granted, they were both children when they were forced into it by their father (Houston was 12, Dallas 15), and did not seek out participation out of any great love for their people or way of life. Amelia also grew up on a plantation and though she suffered horrific tragedy when those lands were taken, it still stands to fact that her family were almost undoubtedly slave-owners.
Because of their ages, I was able to grant SOME leniency in this regard.
That being said, I think it was and still is very difficult for me to completely alright with this facet of the novel. Race is never brought up. These characters never encounter a single black person, not even in passing. It seems as though the author was actively avoiding this topic, which seems rather ridiculous given the context of where these characters' problems originated. It comes off almost as a sort of cowardice to not give the reader full clarity on where these characters stand.
For as much as I loved the relationships, the writing, and the family dynamics found within this book, I could never forget that these were still white, Southern characters who at some point in their pasts benefited richly from the institution of slavery and were only "punished" when it was forcibly taken from them.