PositiveThe Washington Independent Review of BooksThe bond that forms between the captain and his charge is deep and deeply affecting. Jiles’ descriptive powers are as mighty as the land she paints. The author is an accomplished poet, as her lyrical language attests on every page ... Historical novels often bury the reader in an avalanche of research that fails to move the story forward. Here, the details are rich and telling ... The only serious criticism of this lovely book is that the last chapter shifts into a rushed, let’s-get this-over-with narrative summary in which much of the action is happening somewhere offstage. The beauty of this novel, and much of its emotional power, comes from the writer’s masterful ability to build absorbing, dramatic scenes.
