Review: Although a sweet story, the historical background isn't there to support it.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 13, 2014
I read this because I'm somewhat versed in the history of Fort Gibson and have been to the reconstructed fort many times.  From almost the first, I knew the kind of historical accuracy I expect in a historical novel of any type was lacking.  Descriptions of the fort are not accurate in the least.  People in this period did not use the term "lunch" for the noon meal.  The Cherokee Indians who lived near the Fort had all been forced from their homes in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky by Andrew Jackson's Indian Removals.  For the Cherokee (and I am proud to have some Cherokee in my own DNA) the trail of tears was a tragic event.  Cherokees DID not scalp anyone nor did they attack stage coaches (which the entire premise that the stage coach veered so far off course is ridiculous) so I am both appalled and offended by the "slaughter" depicted in the book.  Furthermore, there is a reason why the Cherokees are one of the "Five Civilized Tribes".  The Cherokees removed to Oklahoma were not wild savages - back east, they were plantation owners and farmers, many of them wealthy.  This is historical fact.  If the details in this book were more accurate and some research had been done, I might have wanted to read more of the Fort Gibson series but I don't.  The romance portions of the book presented a sweet enough story but it has some unbelievable moments as well.