Review: Inherit the Sky
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 24, 2012
George Arliss said, "Humility is the only true wisdom by which we prepare our minds for all the possible changes of life." Caine Neiheisel, of 'Inherit the Sky' by Ariel Tachna, has many good qualities, but humility is his best. Caine bravely sets off for Australia, to carry on a family tradition, running his deceased uncle's sheep station. When he arrives, he finds that he doesn't have the support of his foreman, Maklin Armstrong, which he desperately needs. Besides the normal conflicts involved with someone new coming in to take over, they clash like crazy. It doesn't take long to figure out why he and Maklin have such a hot and cold relationship; Maklin is gay and very much in the closet.Caine is an awesome person. In spite of all the difficulties he's had in life, he still chooses to go to a place he's never been before and to a profession he knows nothing about. Buoyed by determination, he attempts to learn all he can about sheep farming. He understands that the best way to learn is from the ground up and he's willing to do so, respecting that Maklin and the others know much more than he does. Caine's humility helps him gain the respect of the men. His strength lies in his self-respect and in his respect for others; but it doesn't mean he will let others disrespect him, particularly Maklin. He loves Maklin and wants a relationship with him, but is not willing to sacrifice being true to himself to have it.Maklin is an interesting character. He's run the station for so long that the idea of someone coming in and taking over has him on edge. When he finds that Caine has no intention of changing the way things are done, at least until he knows enough to suggest improvements, he eases up; but his lack of social skills makes him nearly impossible to comprehend. He doesn't have the introspection it takes to determine how he feels about Caine or himself; but, to his credit, he gives it a good try because he loves Caine and wants their relationship to be more than he's had in the past. When things start to fall apart, Maklin crawls back in his shell. Only once near tragedy strikes, it shocks Maklin into facing his fears and admitting how much he loves Caine and how badly he wants to be with him.Ariel has created a world which has many of the essential elements of a great story. Her characters are wonderfully crafted; they are strong, believable, and admirable. Caine and Maklin show an amazing amount of character growth which endeared them to me even more. I had no idea what life was like on a sheep station, but Ariel's descriptions not only added to the ambience of the story, but were quite informative without being preachy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a different kind of love story, in an exotic place, with cowboys and horses and a respect for tradition. Ariel, thanks for the great journey!This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for a review on QMOBooks.com