Poignant and Emotional

Cheryl St. John has been an auto-buy for me for some time, although I don't have any of her books as keepers. But her books are always satisfying, solid reads. This one didn't disappoint.

Prairie Wife by Cheryl St. John (HH 739)
(2005, Western) 2/17/05
Grade: 4.5

The book is set in Nebraska in 1867. The hero and heroine have been married for a few years, and as the book opens, they are burying their 3 year old son. It's a heart wrenching beginning. The book then jumps ahead a year, as Amy and Jesse are struggling with their grief. Amy has locked herself away so she won't be hurt again, and Jesse is sleeping in the bunkhouse with a bottle of whiskey. Can they find a way back to each other
again?

Cheryl St. John doesn't write unique plots - although there are a couple of interesting turns in this book, I could have predicted just about everything that happens. Even the "exciting twist" that happens at the 3/4 point is familiar from dozens of westerns. But in her books, they don't feel like cliches. She creates characters that you care about, emotions that mean something. Although the book was a bit slow, especially in the first half, I really enjoyed it. I cared about Amy and Jesse, and their gradual journey back to each other was poignant and sweet. It's a kind of book you rarely find any more.

This is a kind of story that just doesn't fit in a Regency Historical format - it wouldn't be the same in a different time and place. These characters are quintessentially American Western. It's a type of story that we're losing, because of the insistent purblishing focus on a few types of books. It's sad to think that so few of these stories are being written now. Cheryl St. John could be called the heir of LaVyrle Spencer, and I think there are readers out there who are still hungering for this kind of book. I hope they find this one.