Distant Echoes

by Judie Aitken

Jesse Spotted Horse had every good reason to shoot a documentary on the history of Native American boarding schools -- he promised his Lakota grandmother he would reveal the true story.

Kathleen Prescott had every good reason to stop the film from being made -- she inherited one of the schools from her ancestors and fear bad publicity.

But neither Jesse nor Kathleen had any reason to expect the power of mutual attraction -- or the magic of an heirloom brooch -- to bridge the gap between them. Now, as the sparks begin to fly, the handsome Lakota and the prim young beauty are swept through time to the distant year of 1886, where the echoes of the past are as real and alive as the beating of their hearts. Together, in this forgotten time and place, they must face the truth -- about their heritage... and their desire.

Genres: Time Travel

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 2, 2003

Reviews

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am sure I would have loved this romance when it was first published in 2003.

I would have overlooked that Kathleen Prescott was a bit too snooty when she first met Jesse. Up to that point, her entire life had been spent watching over her family’s heritage. Jesse, a Native American and film maker, was making a documentary exploring that same heritage. It involved white people during the 1800s removing children from various tribes in the Anerican West and placing them in white-run schools back east. They were deprived of their families, their clothes and even their hair.

Ms. Aitken started each chapter with an authentic but different quote by someone who actually lived during this fiasco. It was heartbreaking in many ways.

This language which is good enough for a white man and a black man, ought to be good enough for a red man.

~John D. C. Atkins,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1887

Long story short, Jesse and Kate travel back in time to learn what really happened to Jesse’s ancestor and Kate’s family run school. It was an eye-opening experience for both of them.

Side Note: I don’t believe this story is currently in an e-format. If you read the paperback, be aware the font is small.

[Knight Of · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard quite a bit about the history of the boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. I've only just begun to learn of the horrors surrounding them. While I still don't have a good grasp of what life was like in them I was glad to know this book dealt with that history. I will likely learn about the terrible boarding school as the years go on.

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the hero receives news that his film project has been green lit and he gets the funds to begin production he is over the moon with excitement. Finally, his people's story will be told and he will see pride in his grandmothers’ eyes. When the heroine receives news that the council has approved filming to happen in her museum she is angry and frustrated. This project can only mean to corrupt the legacy of her family and paint the schools that took in Indian children in a bad light. When they meet, the hero and heroine of course don't see eye to eye on the issues. She believes the school was good and that her great great grandfather helped the children. He knows that the children were stolen from their families and left to be abused and terrified at the hands of white people who thought them nothing but savages. But suddenly, their forced partnership becomes something of a friendship. As they work side by side on research and the heroine shares with him her extensive knowledge of the running of the school, they come to realize they don't have to be enemies. The heroine is a very lonely woman who knew no warmth or affection growing up and now is shy and timid when approached for another but her vast knowledge of the school. The museum is her life, or as the hero calls it- her prison. Without it she feels she is worthless but beneath the frumpy clothing, stern personality and wide rim glasses, he can see a timid woman looking to break free. She in turn can admit to herself that for the first time a man has gathered her attention. He is quite a presence with his long-braided hair and wide shoulders but it's his sweet personality and charming smile that wins her over. Suddenly, she finds herself eager to please him in whatever way she can. Even if it means accepting a role in his film playing her ancestor. But during filming there is a barn fire and when the hero and heroine escape the blaze they find their world changed forever.

It's the heroine that realizes first that they've travel back in time and the hero is stunned by the remarkable change in her demeanor as she hatches and plan for them to go undercover until they can return to the future. She will pose as the replacement English teacher and he as the additional Indian who has arrived with the new batch of children. Though their plan makes any communication between them dangerous, they rely on each other for trust and a taste of home. The world they find themselves in is not black and white. There is a lot of suffering and tears like the hero thought there would be. The child as scared and the hero is treated with scorn and disgust. But there is also good. The heroine can speak warmly towards her students and see pride in their eyes as they teach her their language and excel at their education. The hero and heroine find chances to meet in the darkness and each encounter brings them closer and closer together until they are not just friends but rather 2 people who share the deepest of connections. The heroine is horrified by the treatment of the boys and of the hero as well but she can't risk making waves else she be cast out and lose her chance to return to the future with the hero. No, she must find out the reason she was sent back in time and hope they can make it safely back to tell the true story in the hero's film.

Wow. I was not expecting this book and as such I am amazed by how much I love it. The history both good and bad was so rich and it explored sensitive subject matter with dignity and grace. It didn't shy away from the harsh reality of the times but rather painted a clear picture of just how life was like at the time. I was utterly captive from the start to the finish. The first thing that caught me was the lovely story the hero and heroine meeting. Though he didn't feel attraction to her at first because she was rather cold and frumpy but he saw the spark within her and the horribly low self-esteem she suffered from. She saw a magnificent man who showed her a taste of what a real life should be and every little bit of encouragement he gave her made her fly. But when the fell into the past I was excited to see that that budding romance was not diminished by the political storyline. It wove nicely into the story of the Indian children and in fact grew stronger because they had that bonding of being 2 people lost in the world. I am in love with this book and thought it was fantastic. Well done Judie Aitken. I will eagerly read more from the author.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time Travel romance of a woman and American Indian man from 2003 going back in time to 1886.
Enjoyed learning a few things about the American Indian culture and how the white man tried to educate them.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read, however I was disappointed in the ending being so abrupt.

[Mary23nm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, but I had read "A Love Beyond Time" first, and I liked that one better.
I give it 3 1/2 to 4 stars.

[Saleh MoonWalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Onvan : Distant Echoes - Nevisande : Judie Aitken - ISBN : 425192113 - ISBN13 : 9780425192115 - Dar 336 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2003