An original read involving the real life struggle among the Five Civilized Tribes during the brutal Civil War. Gentry really put her knowledge of Civil War history and Native American culture into this intriguing unique romance.
The first romance is about Yellow Jacket, a traditional Creek warrior, who abhors the whites that had robbed his people of their southern homeland 30 years before. He stands strong for his people and urges them to fight on the Union side as he hopes Lincoln will fulfill his promise and officially grant Indian Territory a sovereign nation. Based on the real life epic flee where thousands of Seminole and Creek people journeyed to Kansas while battling Confederate troops on their tale leaving countless injured and dead men, women, and children behind. It was at the beginning of this plight Yellow Jacket abducts Twilight, a young southern belle, not to satisfy his lust but in order to keep her alive as she accidental over heard the tribe's discreet plans to flee from Oklahoma and join the Union. On this dangerous and heart wrenching journey Twilight sees Yellow Jacket not as a dangerous savage but as a desperate man and the red race as innocents caught in the middle of a devastating war. Yellow Jacket eventually learns that Lincoln, like the rest of government officials, had lied but also learns that not all whites are untrustworthy; Twilight is proof of this.
Not only does Jim Eagle, a proud traditional Cherokee warrior, have to face his friend Yellow Jacket on the battle field but also his beloved older brother who has abandoned the Confederate cause and joined with the Union in hopes to put an end to the needless deaths and suffering the war has caused. Jim Eagle doesn't much trust any whites but like many of his people his loyalties lie with the Confederates. Somewhere on the bloody battlefield he meets April, a beautiful half Cherokee girl who would do anything for money, for only money could erase the stain of her red skin and earn her the respect of a white woman. Serving as a Union spy she is captured on the pretense that she is a frail boy soldier until Jim Eagle is forced to use any measure to gain internal information. She wonders if the valiant Cherokee soldier will abased himself or if he will cling to his honorable Cherokee roots. In return she questions her own morals and goals for life; is the life of a white lady really the path for her?
In actuality Texas Confederate troops met Kansas Union forces in the mist of Indian Territory and all that lied in the way perished and suffered with no remorse. The Native Americans were torn apart and drawn into a war in which neither side intended to fulfill their promises to the Indian Nations. I would like to think that somewhere lost in time, that such romances could have prevailed and belief that each Indian soldier held fast to their traditional heritage and no amount of war could tame their red souls. I look forward to more mesmerizing Native reads from Ms. Gentry as she writes the right amount of romance with extensive history.