HEARTH SONG – Lois Greiman
Home in the Hills , Book 2
Kensington Books
ISBN: 978-1-61773-602-5
February 2016
Contemporary Fiction

Near Hope Springs, South Dakota - Present Day

Bravura Lambert, Vura for short, works very hard with her father in construction. She has a daughter to raise who has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism (Asperger's). In reality, Lily Belle is a bright and lovable five-year-old who charms everyone…even animals…and especially horses. Among those who love her—aside from her mother—are her grandfather; her mother's half-sister, Sydney, and Sydney's fiancé, Hunter Redhawk, who own a horse ranch and sanctuary. (Their story is told in 2015's HEARTH STONE.)

One more completely smitten by Lily is Tonk Redhawk, another mostly Native American hunk and a foster brother of Hunter's. Tonk sees a rare spirit in Lily and longs to teach her the old ways of the People. He's also taken with Vura, but fights the attraction with all he's learned in Alcoholics Anonymous. After all, she's married!

Against her will, Vura feels something toward Tonk, but she maintains an antagonistic attitude toward him. She still has hopes for her marriage. Dane, whom she hasn't seen nor heard from in months, works in the oil fields of North Dakota. He suddenly shows up having quit his job and bought an expensive new car.

It quickly becomes apparent that Dane, though he can turn on the charm at will, is not a very loving husband or father.

These books quickly catch attention with their many individual characters, often with varying touches of Native American heritage. It's not hard to empathize with the protagonists or, in HEARTH SONG, to fall in love with Lily. Try it, and you'll see.

Jane Bowers