Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Agee's (The River Wife, 2007) sixth novel is a haunting tale set in the Nebraska Sand Hills in the years following the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. Her saga revolves around three generations of the Bennett family: J. B. Bennett, a rancher; his estranged wife, Dulcinea; their two teenage sons, Cullen and Hayward; and J. B.'s father, Drum, a harsh, manipulative man responsible for the fracturing of this previously closely knit family. Agee deftly portrays how the forced separation of Dulcinea from her boys and J. B. affects each character, especially Cullen and Hayward as they approach adulthood without the influence of a caring mother and only that of their domineering grandfather. The second plotline involves Rose, a Lakota woman close to Dulcinea whose family was devastated by Wounded Knee, and who still seeks revenge. Agee brilliantly interweaves these two stories of loss, guilt, and vengeance, which play out against the vivid backdrop of the Sand Hills, the breathtaking yet unforgiving land where each family is struggling to maintain its roots. Another beautifully rendered and thought-provoking novel from Agee, who calls this land home.--Donovan, Deborah Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Agee's (The River Wife) emotionally rich tale is as wild and sprawling as the Midwestern plains. This is the Nebraska Sandhills a decade after the army's massacre of more than 200 Lakota at Wounded Knee in 1890. When middle-aged white rancher J.B. Bennett and the younger Native American Star are murdered, apparently together, their families collide. J.B.'s wife, Dulcinea, estranged from her sons through the machinations of his J.B.'s father, Drum, seeks reconciliation with her boys even as she wrestles to maintain rights to the ranch that Drum wants back, no matter the means. Meanwhile, Rose's efforts to solve the murder of her sister, Star, threaten her long friendship with Dulcinea. The evolving friendship of Dulcinea and Rose is a poignant counterpoint to the cruelties born of ignorance and greed in the face of cultural difference. The story's several parts-gritty Western, family saga, mystery-work together for a memorable tale of heartbreak and redemption. Agent: Emma Sweeney, Emma Sweeny Agency. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
The Sand Hills of 1890s Nebraska are a harsh, demanding place. Rancher J.B. -Bennett is trying his best to flourish in adverse conditions, despite his controlling father, absent wife, and estranged son. But he doesn't get much of a chance; within the novel's first few pages, he finds a murdered Lakota woman on his land. Unfortunately for him the killer is still around to get rid of any witnesses. These two murders set the tone for this historical saga. Dulcinea, the absent wife, returns to avenge J.B. and reconcile with her sons, but it is not as easy as she had hoped. Meanwhile, her friend Rose investigates the death of her sister, the Lakota woman killed alongside J.B. The roots of these events lie in the decade-old horrors of the massacre of more than 200 Lakota people at Wounded Knee. With larger-than-life personalities, sudden violence, and the relentless influence of landscape and weather, this Western by the author of The River Wife is an evocative story of survival, and the lengths people will go to for wealth and property. VERDICT With strong historical content as well as a murder mystery, family dysfunction, and a hint of romance, there is plenty here to keep readers satisfied. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/16; library marketing.]-Melanie Kindrachuk, -Stratford P.L., Ont. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
