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SOLOMON SPRING
by Michelle Black
Forge, September 2002
303 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 0765304651


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The second of Michelle Black's books about the American West takes the reader to Kansas in 1878. The thrilling adventures of Eden Murdoch began in AN UNCOMMON ENEMY and continue in THE SECOND GLASS OF ABSINTHE. Eden is a determined heroine who has transcended the prejudices of her day to marry a Cheyenne as her second husband. After his death she returns to Solomon Spring and becomes a defender of the mystical waters that give the place its name against greedy developers. The determination and unconventionality that I mentioned are shown by her choice of method which is based on those espoused by Thoreau. The book has another story to tell as well as Eden's with the arrival of her old lover Brad Randall and his nephew in the West. Brad has his own inner demons to fight and a lot of baggage from his failed marriage and career both based in New York. The nephew Kit's enjoyment of the carnal possibilities provided by the West produces another set of problems. The combination of these three characters makes sparks fly! They argue passionately but ultimately work together to save an innocent man from the gallows.

The high level of excitement as events unfold and emotions explode make the book a fast page turner. Indeed sometimes I felt positively breathless as the story moved inexorably on and the conflicts and tensions of the characters were exposed. The travails of Eden and Brad engage the reader's sympathy though their stubborn-ness also exasperates. The immaturity of Kit causes more issues to surface though his recklessness also saves his relatives. In true soap opera style one predicament succeeds another with the dangers becoming more serious with each development. The problems faced by anyone who breaks the conventions of correct behavior for this period are shown well. For the modern reader the American West of the nineteenth century has a harsh image. The circumstances of life are extreme -the weather is frequently an enemy, the housing is often crude and the work opportunities are very limited. Even in a remote frontier town Victorian morality holds sway so those who transgress the rules get little sympathy. The plot of this historical mystery is carefully worked out and the nineteenth century American West atmosphere is vividly delineated.

Reviewed by Jennifer Palmer, November 2003

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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