Reviewed by Anne Boiling for Readers' Favorite

Martha Allen was a sharp tongued, stanch woman. Most women of the era were married long before they reached 23 years of age. Martha’s life was not an easy one. She worked on her cousin’s farm as a domestic.

Thomas was an extremely tall Welshman with a past. After rescuing Martha from the wolves who had been attacking the farm animals, Thomas finds himself falling in love with Martha. He admires her strength and courage. Soon his past begins to catch up with him and threatens to destroy the budding relationship.

It took me a bit to get into this story, but once I did I was hooked. The author’s description of life in the 1600s was fascinating. Life was difficult for the colonist. Many came to the Colonies because they had a past. I came to admire the character of Martha and toward the end had a new understanding for her father. Thomas was lovable from the beginning. There was something special about him. Patience was easy to dislike. She came across is a spoiled, self centered person. The plot moves back and forth from Martha to Thomas. There are a lot of secondary characters. I had a bit of trouble sorting through them. Toward the end of the book, it became clear the part they played in the story.

While this is a fictional account like most good books, there is a bit of history woven in. The plot is dark, dispelling the myths that Colonial life was “romantic.” I have not read the Heretic’s Daughter. This book stands well alone.