Review of "Written in the Stars" by Beverly Herr

First-time author Beverly Herr gets many things right in her debut novel Written in the Stars, a historical fiction about a young woman living 150 years ago in the Midwest. Her life is hard, enduring the abuse of her grandparents after the death of her mother. And, she's never seen her father, and man from Italy, not in the picture. At least that's the story she's been told her whole life.

At sixteen, the truth comes in the introduction of Timber Wolf, a Lakota warrior who aids in her abduction from the home of her uncles, where she has been staying. Scared, but thinking back to her many dreams of an old warrior trying to get her, Emily learns her given name translates to Little Fawn, and her father is the Chief of the Bruele village.

This is a good, long read, 315 pages, published August 18, 2016, on Kindle. Currently, the novel is available for $5.99.

This story reminded me of the female lead in Dances With Wolves, who is abducted at about four-years of age, but by a local Native American Tribe. In this story, the four-year-old is abducted and taken to the white grandparents and then returns to Native American life at 16. Becoming Little Fawn again isn't without wagon-loads of turmoil. There are injustices on either side of the coin flipping through her life, and accepting her will to choose life, lifestyle, and belief system is complicated by her infatuation with Timber Wolf.

The pace of this novel moves from moderate to fast-paced as the dangers of her decisions come to haunt Little Fawn. And, she learns first hand the prejudices and misunderstanding the new white settlers have for the Native Americans. Can there be a true metamorphosis of her soul? It won't be easy.

Fortunately, the characters Emily/Little Fawn interacts with are well flushed-out, not just 30-word paper figures so that the reader can get happily immersed in the story. This is a good book to read on the porch, rain or shine.

Thanks for reading - Al W Moe

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