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Sonora Moonlight by Florence B. Weinberg Twilight Times Books
book review by Terry Lacy
"'Don't ruin Father Ygnacio,' she said, drawing herself up and glaring into his eyes. 'Don't give him tequila.'"
In Sonora Moonlight, the reader follows the activities of a missionary priest in the New World. Set in the 18th century Old West, the story is a well-focused glimpse into a time one hundred years before the cowboys arrived.
Father Ygnacio Pfefferkorn is trying to find the killer of a local rancher, who was half-crucified and beheaded, and puts his own life in peril during his investigation. Cured from malaria by the local medicine man and aided by the beautiful half-Pima, half-Irish Patricia, Pfefferkorn leads us into the novel's strongest point—the unveiling of the local cultures that dominated the area at the time. The painstaking research that went into the writing of this book is evident, and thank goodness, not delivered as dry facts but woven into the work in a seamless fashion. Weinberg delivers small and subtle facts relating to the local Pimas, the Apaches, and the Europeans with ease, giving the reader a glimpse into times and cultures long forgotten.
The well-balanced language is neither overly poetic nor harshly sparse, providing a lulling and comfortable flow that puts readers at ease, allowing them to follow a good story at a comfortable pace. If you love historical fiction or ever wondered about the times when the Spanish conquered the Americas, this is a must-read. And don't overlook the recipes in the back.