Fresh as spring redbud and dogwood blossoms embellishing the banks of the Buckhannon River, An Uncommon Woman beguiled me deep into the pages of story. My desire to experience this frontier settlement through Tessa Swan and Colonel Clay Tygart’s eyes only grew as I spent time with them. Trouble and tensions brewed naturally among Shawnee, Cherokee, and white cultures. Battles over freedom from slavery, growing provisions that were necessary for survival, and the white man’s presence intensified becoming extremely life-threatening.

Tessa Swan’s concerns and fears were valid and understandable and I loved seeing how she faced her heart-wrenching challenges and losses. Somehow, I always feel as though I’ve come away knowing a new friend or friends when I read Laura Frantz’s novels. Stating that this is a novel feels too confining for the experience of delving into the hearts and trials painted with language adorned with the cadence befitting the time, place, and mood Laura shares. I feel that I’ve come away enlightened about those who braved the frontier. Their dangers, worries, and courage to press on—though their very lives were at stake. Yet, this tale also made me embrace the concerns of the Indian tribes struggling with these intruders to their land, their way of life, and future of their children. Disease, a seemingly silent warrior, stole their numbers, making them vulnerable.

An Uncommon Woman is a precious story—another favorite—and definitely highly recommended! Laura’s superpower is to land characters on the page that will not allow me to walk away! Memorable and endearing, these are characters who make me want to walk taller and strive for decency ever harder. Bravo Laura! This story holds my heart, leads me in adventuresome thoughts, and challenges me to consider more deeply those who lived here long and those who settled under terrifyingly dangerous situations.