Courting Morrow Little: A Book Review

A Goodreads friend was so impressed by my review of Laura Frantz's latest novel, The Colonel's Lady, that she offered to lend me her kindle version of Courting Morrow Little.  Of course, I jumped at the chance.  Courting Morrow Little was already on my TBR list, having been completely delighted with The Colonel's Lady.  (You can read my review here.)

"Morrow Little is haunted by the memory of the day her family was torn apart by raiding Shawnee warriors. Now that she is nearly a grown woman, several men vie for her attentions, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to a forbidden love that both terrifies and intrigues her. Can she betray the memory of her lost loved ones--or should she seal her own misery by marrying a man she doesn't love?"

I love stories that show American Colonists interacting with the native Indians, and the premise of Courting Morrow Little intrigued me.  Betray the memory of loved ones or seal her misery by marrying a man she doesn't love?  I have a habit of reading several novels at once, but when I downloaded this book, I didn't pick up another novel until I had finished the last page.

It's not easy to find a Christian historical novel that has all the elements a reader wants.  A riveting plot.  Vivid scene descriptions that transport the reader into the time period and setting.  Believable, three-dimensional characters.  Heart-stopping romance.  Gorgeous writing.  A spiritual theme to chew on that isn't "preachy", but rather an indespensible part of the story.  Courting Morrow Little has all this and more.

The first half of the book moved along at a moderate pace, but hang on for a suspenseful ending!  I appreciated the different perspective on the building tension in Pre-Revolutionary America.  Not every Redcoat and Indian is a bad guy, and not every Bluecoat is a good guy.  There's no stereotyping going on here!  And I will never look at a red shirt in the same way again.  ;-)

The challenge to forgive and choose love is woven throughout each chapter in such a powerful and moving way.  I was cheering the hero and heroine on as I watched them grow, and I smiled when they got married before the end!  How many times does that happen in your favorite novels?  Frantz demonstrates her skill and confidence in this too -- she is not afraid to write intimate scenes between a husband and wife, and she does so in a way that keeps it clean and beautifully romantic.  If I had a teenage daughter, I would approve of her reading this book.

Courting Morrow Little is worthy of the "favorites" shelf.  I'm giving it five stars.  Laura Frantz is a brilliant storyteller, and I love her writing voice.  I'm looking forward to reading The Frontiersman's Daughter, and the first of "The Ballantyne Legacy" series, Love's Reckoning, which is available for pre-order now.