Frontier dangers cannot hold a candle to the risks one woman takes by falling in love.
In an act of brave defiance, Tamsen Littlejohn escapes the life her harsh stepfather has forced upon her. Forsaking security and an arranged marriage, she enlists frontiersman Jesse Bird to guide her to the Watauga settlement in western North Carolina. But shedding her old life doesn’t come without cost. As the two cross a vast mountain wilderness, Tamsen faces hardships that test the limits of her faith and endurance.
Convinced that Tamsen has been kidnapped, wealthy suitor Ambrose Kincaid follows after her, in company with her equally determined stepfather. With trouble in pursuit, Tamsen and Jesse find themselves thrust into the conflict of a divided community of Overmountain settlers. The State of Franklin has been declared, but many remain loyal to North Carolina. With one life left behind and chaos on the horizon, Tamsen struggles to adapt to a life for which she was never prepared. But could this challenging frontier life be what her soul has longed for, what God has been leading her toward? As pursuit draws ever nearer, will her faith see her through the greatest danger of all—loving a man who has risked everything for her?
Lori Benton was born and raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back to the 1600s. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God’s transforming grace.
Lori’s debut novel, Burning Sky, earned the 2014 Christy Award for First Novel, Historical, and Book of the Year.
My Impressions:
The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is another great novel by Lori Benton. Set in the years following the American Revolution, the new nation is feeling its growing pains and settlers clash with Native Americans and newcomers to the frontier fight for independence again. Against the backdrop of hostilities among many factions comes a more personal story of independence for a young woman reeling from the death of her mother and running from the plots of her stepfather. Abetting her on her escape is Jesse Bird, a young man orphaned as a child and raised by the Shawnee. Tamsen and Jesse are compelling characters with complex stories. The setting of the State of Franklin in western North Carolina/eastern Tennessee provided an interesting historical context. The story itself is complex and develops slowly, but that was okay with me. I loved the storytelling, characterization, and the developing spiritual journey for Tamsen in particular. For fans of historical fiction set in the early years of the United States, this one is a must-read. And fans of romance with a little meat will love it as well. I listened to the audiobook and quickly fell into the story. The narrator’s voice faded into the background as Tamsen and Jesse’s story unfolded. Overall, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn was a great read that I highly recommend.
Highly Recommended.
Audience: adults.
To purchase, click HERE. (If you have the Audible Romance package, the audiobook is currently FREE!)
(I purchased the audio version of this book from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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