 |
When the heiress of Thorn, a huge Texas ranch, goes missing, its future is threatened. Thorn is passed down through generations of feisty women, all only daughters, for whom the land and their stewardship of it forms a sacred, unbreakable bond. Emma is soon to take over the ranch, but one day she doesn’t come back from an outing to the far reaches of the property. Josie, Emma’s mother, breaks down and stops attending to ranch business. Meanwhile, Emma discovers The People on the land, and Emma’s appearance brings hope to them. Although endeared to The People through her host, Kai, and wanting to stay, she also wants to return home.
The plot centers around Emma’s and Josie’s parallel plights of facing what they’ve come to take for granted. While Emma questions her convenient, secure, modern way of life due to her experience with The People, her mother, Josie, questions whether her dogged devotion to Thorn has outshone the same feeling for her daughter. The dual soul searches create a dignified, passionate, and layered tale in a rugged yet picturesque landscape. Emma’s escape attempts show her ingenuity and bravery and speckle the inwardly focused narrative with graphic action. Clear communication and direct dialogue also move the story along, reserving drama for lyrical prose passages.
As The People present Emma with physical and emotional challenges she faces tirelessly, Josie’s desperate attempts to overcome her grief through blaming a ranch hand for Emma’s disappearance make for a double climax toward which the plot drives. Flashbacks into the characters’ pasts infuse the chronological tour of events, setting the pace on a human timeline and developing resilient, thoughtful individuals. Emma’s understated romance eases the book into a happy resolution after the tension. This book testifies to the rewards of fighting for enduring connections between family members and home.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review