Thanks to Martha Conway for this Goodreads give-away and a sneak peak at her new novel!! It's no secret that I love Historical Fiction, so I was very happy to win this book, but it was so much better than I was expecting! This is the story of a family of 5 girls living in a small "village" in 1806. Their parents have just recently passed. Another younger sister has been living in Philadelphia with an aunt and the girls are trying to decide whether to stay and try to run the family store or leave and join their sister in Philly. We get a quick glimpse of their personalities and how they interact, and then danger arrives as four of the older girls are kidnapped by Indians. Susanna, 17, is left behind and she quickly rallies, determined to go after her sisters. The story is more complex than a simple Indian abduction, the family has had good relations with the natives, there is more beneath the surface. Susanna learns that many people are not who they present themselves to be and she has to learn whom she can trust and that will often surprise her.

The novel takes the reader on Susanna's journey as she attempts to find and rescue her sisters. Who helps her, who she meets along the way, the dangers she encounters on her voyage, how she survives, what she discovers about herself and the others she meets; including different bands of natives and a religious group, are what make this book so fascinating. There is so much attention to detail, so much respect for different cultures and beliefs and they are presented from many differing points of view. The landscape itself becomes a character and the descriptions are so vivid and so astoundingly different from what exists now in the part of Ohio that borders Lake Erie south of Toledo.

There are themes of self discovery, personal growth, romance, family ties, loyalty and more in this book and Conway resorts to cliches. Her characters are complex, thoughtful and fully realized. The fates of each sister differ and each path and choice is so interesting. They challenge the reader to wonder what they would have done in each situation under the same circumstances. This was a fairly quick read, mostly because I could not put it down!! This book would be a great Book Club selection as there are so many themes and issues to discuss!!

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Thieving Forest – was recommended to me by a friend and fellow Goodreads reviewer (thank you Sue!). I have a tiny tie to the Potawatomi Indians myself which made it especially appealing. This historical novel, by a new writer, was a page turner – there is no “pokey middle” here, like in so many stories. Four sisters are kidnapped by the Indians, for mysterious reasons, and a fifth sister takes off in the wilderness to find them. Susanna is only seventeen years old and the hardships she endures on her harrowing, realistic journey are vivid. As writer myself, I admire the amount of research that must have gone into this richly detailed book. One thing people may find jarring is the occasional shifts in point of view from the main protagonist (personally I don’t mind breaking this rule.) One of the best books I read this year. ( )

After 4 sisters are kidnapped and taken away through woods and swamp in 1806, the remaining sister who escaped detection goes after them. This is the story of her trials and what became of each sister. Their youngest sister lives in Philadelphia with an old aunt. The story of the other sisters takes place in primitive Ohio.

The book is compelling. I enjoyed it. We learn about early American ways and much about various Native American tribes of the area and hardships faced by all. ( )

When the 5 Quiner's sisters are orphaned, they are left with the decision to continue and run their parents store or return to the big city. Before they can make a choice, 4 of the sisters are kidnapped by Indians. Susanna, the sister left behind, decides to pursue the Indians herself and try and ransom her sisters. One of the sisters, who has a mild fever, is scalped and quickly left for dead by the Indians. 2 of the sisters are traded to another group of Indians and the 4th is ransomed to a group of religious settlers.

Overall, this book felt pretty slow. It seemed that all of the action happened in one or two chapters and the rest was tedium. I did enjoy reading about the captive's experiences, as this is the first book I've read from that viewpoint. Not a bad book, but not a quick fun read either. Overall, I would rate it 3 and 1/2 out of 5. ( )

Thieving Forest is a compelling read with vivid descriptive writing that makes the time period come to life - simply captivating! This tale of survival includes both history and adventure that evolves into a crescendo of suspense throughout. One negative comment - I didn't connect to some of the characters. But, that being said, this is a beautifully crafted novel by a talented author. 4 stars. ( )