Comanche Woman

November 18, 2002
A prequel to Johnston's previous The Cowboy
and The Texan, this simply written saga is set in 1843, when white settlers and Comanches battled bitterly for possession of Texas. Although born to a white father, Long Quiet embraces the ways of his Comanche mother and harbors hatred for the "White-eyes" who have pushed his people off the land. Then one day he spies Bay Stewart, daughter of a wealthy cotton planter, and instantly (and implausibly) falls in love with her. When she is abducted by Comanches, he spends three years seeking the red-haired beauty before he discovers her hidden among a tribe led by Many Horses, a warrior whose life Long Quiet conveniently saves. In return, Many Horses allows Long Quiet to marry Bay. Two of Long Quiet's most difficult challenges still remain, however. First, he must woo Bay, and then he must decide whether he should renounce his beloved heritage or live, ostracized, among the Comanches. Johnston's intricate family connections boggle the mind and her secondary characters lack dimension. Still, this is a brisk romance chock full of compelling conflicts and strong local color.

November 15, 2002
Known to Comanches as Long Quiet and to whites as Walker Coburn, Long Quiet treads a fine line between the worlds of his mother and father. For three years he has searched for Bayleigh Stewart, who was taken hostage by Comanches, because he can't forget the impression she made on him in a ballroom in Boston. However, he doesn't hold out much hope that he'll find her or that she'll remain unscathed by her captors. By a quirk of fate he gets a solid lead, follows it to an encampment deep in Comanche territory, and finds Bayleigh unharmed because the Comanches believe that she has powers that can be used for good or ill. Bayleigh is not sure what to make of Long Quiet, nor is she sure that she wants to go back to the family that never found her good enough. Although not as exciting once Long Quiet convinces Bayleigh to return home, Johnston's serious historical is interesting both culturally and romantically.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)