A LADY LIKE SARAH, by Margaret Brownley, is an atypical Western because the two main characters are a woman outlaw, Sarah, and a minister, Justin. The woman outlaw, Sarah, didn't deserve to be outlawed; her brothers have done some bad things for what they believe to be good reasons, and her only "crime" is that she's related to them; the minister is from Boston, and is aristocratic and refined, while Sarah's anything but. As I'd hoped when I ordered this book, there was a good amount of witty dialogue, and the character development was excellent.
I appreciated Ms. Brownley's underlying plot; it wasn't just the "union of opposites" that's so often seen in this genre (though that was done very well) -- it was the historical accuracy. Many places in the West were short of ministers at that time, so if a minister went West for _any_ reason (including Justin's reason, which was of minor scandalous import), the minister in question was warmly welcomed. And in this case, Justin gets a chance at personal redemption by going West, and meets Sarah -- a woman who can't help but challenge his perceptions at every turn, because she isn't very much like any lady he's ever met as her elocution is poor (many "ain'ts" and the deliberate speech of someone trying hard to be ignored, thus burying her intelligence in the process), her wardrobe is limited, and she's been unfairly accused of crimes she didn't commit due to who her brothers are (a bunch of outlaws).
There are some big questions being explored here, skillfully undercover; those include: "What makes a good woman?," "Does God really care about protecting the innocent?," "Can a change of scenery really bring about a different viewpoint?," and "Is it really possible to start over?"
These questions are not treated lightly, even though the dialogue above is so witty it reminded me of many Gable-Lombard romances (transported to the American West, of course). This is a Christian romance, so many of those questions would've come up in some fashion or another, but the main difference here is how deftly Ms. Brownley brought these things up -- usually in dialogue, or in inner monologue -- and how these big questions do not stop the narrative in the slightest.
I liked both main characters, and want to see more of them; if there is a direct sequel to this book, I'd enjoy seeing it.
Four stars, recommended.
Barb Caffrey
