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Dutch Country Brides #2
Rain Shadow
A Guarded Heart
Raised among the Lakota Sioux, Rain Shadow was the picture of an Indian princess. Exotic. Ethereal. But away from the glamour of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, she was a mother alone. An orphan in search of her past. And, armed with a six-shooter, easily the most perfect woman Anton Neubauer had ever seen...
Anton Neubauer was as sure and steady as the land he worked. Here was a man who believed in family and tradition. A man with roots. A man who was everything Rain Shadow had ever dreamed of--and knew she could never have...
Raised among the Lakota Sioux, Rain Shadow was the picture of an Indian princess. Exotic. Ethereal. But away from the glamour of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, she was a mother alone. An orphan in search of her past. And, armed with a six-shooter, easily the most perfect woman Anton Neubauer had ever seen...
Anton Neubauer was as sure and steady as the land he worked. Here was a man who believed in family and tradition. A man with roots. A man who was everything Rain Shadow had ever dreamed of--and knew she could never have...
299 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
67 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl St. John
71 books553 followersCheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous RITA nominations, Romantic Times awards and are published in over a dozen languages.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 4, 2013
predictable and boring. halfway through when the villain appeared I gave up.
July 21, 2025
For a book published over 30 years ago this one holds up pretty well. The author avoids the noble savage trope that has permeated the genre over the years and even though the hero is stuck on traditional gender roles (a heroine who can hunt, fish and do "men's chores?!") he never (ever) looks down on the heroine, which is notable given she's a never-married, single mother. This was St. John's debut back in the day and it features a lot of the hallmarks of her later (especially the America-set Harlequin Historicals) books. An enjoyable read.
September 8, 2016
A Different Western Romance
Set in 1894 in Pennsylvania Dutch country, this is the story of Rain Shadow, a white woman who, as a small child, was rescued by a Lakota Sioux from a wagon train the Crow Indians had attacked. Two Feathers adopts her as his own and raises her among his people. Rain Shadow is in her mid twenties when the story begins and the single parent of an illegitimate son, Slade. She is also a player in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show traveling the country. Her dream is to out shoot Annie Oakley so she can use her fame to find her family of origin.
When the show’s train is derailed in Pennsylvania, her son’s leg is broken and they are required to stay behind where farmer Anton Newbauer offers them shelter in his family home. Anton is a widower with a son the same age as Rain Shadow’s. Anton is looking for a wife. Unbeknownst to Rain Shadow, the father of her son is looking for her.
It’s an interesting story with much of it taking place on the Newbauer farm. The last scenes of the shooting match are the most exciting. Anton was a worthy hero struggling with his own issues from his first marriage. And the two boys were charming. There was a bit too much introspection for me but it may not be an issue for others.
Set in 1894 in Pennsylvania Dutch country, this is the story of Rain Shadow, a white woman who, as a small child, was rescued by a Lakota Sioux from a wagon train the Crow Indians had attacked. Two Feathers adopts her as his own and raises her among his people. Rain Shadow is in her mid twenties when the story begins and the single parent of an illegitimate son, Slade. She is also a player in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show traveling the country. Her dream is to out shoot Annie Oakley so she can use her fame to find her family of origin.
When the show’s train is derailed in Pennsylvania, her son’s leg is broken and they are required to stay behind where farmer Anton Newbauer offers them shelter in his family home. Anton is a widower with a son the same age as Rain Shadow’s. Anton is looking for a wife. Unbeknownst to Rain Shadow, the father of her son is looking for her.
It’s an interesting story with much of it taking place on the Newbauer farm. The last scenes of the shooting match are the most exciting. Anton was a worthy hero struggling with his own issues from his first marriage. And the two boys were charming. There was a bit too much introspection for me but it may not be an issue for others.
July 6, 2013
The story starts with an Indian man who finds out a wagon which has been robbed and its occupants have been killed. However, one person has survived the ordeal, a small girl with black hair and violet eyes. The name of the Indian man was Two Feathers and he undertook the care of the girl and named her Rain Shadow. He didn't hide the true from the girl and he was always supportive regarding her decisions. The second chapter will start years later when Two Feathers and Rain Shadow are part of cowboy shows and apparantly the female character is very good shooter. They were traveling by train to the next destionation of the show. However, the train derail which cause the train to leave its tracks and many people and animals were hurt and some of them even died. I forget to mentioned that the female character has a 7 years old son. He was a result of mistake she did when she was 16. She fall in love with one of the cast members of the cowboy show and he left her and the show to marry another woman.
The name of the male character is Anton and his ancestors are german. They came to America and with a lot of efforts they build successful farm. He has a son as well from his first marriage and the name of the boy is Nickolaus. His first marriage was unhappy because he was not able to become close to his wife no matter how he was trying and she always stayed distant from his family. The train derail in the town where he lives and he was one of the volunteer to help people to get out from the train. He will find the boy of the female character and take the child to his home because he was not able to find any relatives. Rain Shadow and Two Feathers will survive the train accident and she found out where her son was taken. Anton is looking for a wife and a mother for his son but he refuses to be hurt again and he is looking for marriage of convenience. His first wife was pregnant in the seven month and the cause of her death is fire. Anton feels constantly guilty because he was not able to save her and he has a lot of nightmares about the accident.
Rain Shadow is very reluctant to stay in his house because she feels uncomfortable in white men's households. She is force to stay because the doctor's orders were that her son should not be move in order his leg to heal properly. Both characters felt attraction from the moment they saw each other. Rain Shadow wants to find her real family and she wants her boy to have good education and live life as a white man. The only trace she has about her family is a necklace which she wear when she was found. I really like that the author focus on the differences in Indian and White man lifes. It was difficult for the female character to adjust her life to the new environment and the author outline effectively all the emotions without becoming a big drama. Both boys became very close and they wanted to become brothers.
The father of Rain Shadow's son will be part of the story as well. When we heard about him for the first time he was dining with prominent family. He divorced his first wife and he is looking for a new victim. He is coming from a rich family but his father disowed him therefore he is looking for easy way to make money. He is dining with very prominent and rich family and he is hoping to catch the eye of the daughter. However, he gave up the plan because he finds out that she will receive her money when she reaches the age of 30. He doesn't want to wait 10 years to obtain the money. He went with her father to have a cigarrette. Then, he saw a portrait of a woman with very unusual necklace. He remembered that the same 16 years old girl he seduced had the same necklace.
He track down her and try to influence her to forgive him and to come with him. She doesn't believe a word he is saying and she knows his arrival have another purpose. He started to harrass her constantly and he had big fight with Anton in which occasion Anton was hurt badly. He found out that he has a son and has a new plan which involves to introduce his son to his father with the hope that his father will restore his position. Anton will marry Rain Shadow in order to protect her and her son. The marriage will be annul when the father of her son stop harrasing the family. The father of her son kidnapped her son and Anton's son and they went after him to get the children. They found him and Anton was force to kill him. I'm not going to say how the book finish, just to keep the intrigue. In this book, I miss the romance between the main characters and for me they didn't look like people who are falling in love.
The name of the male character is Anton and his ancestors are german. They came to America and with a lot of efforts they build successful farm. He has a son as well from his first marriage and the name of the boy is Nickolaus. His first marriage was unhappy because he was not able to become close to his wife no matter how he was trying and she always stayed distant from his family. The train derail in the town where he lives and he was one of the volunteer to help people to get out from the train. He will find the boy of the female character and take the child to his home because he was not able to find any relatives. Rain Shadow and Two Feathers will survive the train accident and she found out where her son was taken. Anton is looking for a wife and a mother for his son but he refuses to be hurt again and he is looking for marriage of convenience. His first wife was pregnant in the seven month and the cause of her death is fire. Anton feels constantly guilty because he was not able to save her and he has a lot of nightmares about the accident.
Rain Shadow is very reluctant to stay in his house because she feels uncomfortable in white men's households. She is force to stay because the doctor's orders were that her son should not be move in order his leg to heal properly. Both characters felt attraction from the moment they saw each other. Rain Shadow wants to find her real family and she wants her boy to have good education and live life as a white man. The only trace she has about her family is a necklace which she wear when she was found. I really like that the author focus on the differences in Indian and White man lifes. It was difficult for the female character to adjust her life to the new environment and the author outline effectively all the emotions without becoming a big drama. Both boys became very close and they wanted to become brothers.
The father of Rain Shadow's son will be part of the story as well. When we heard about him for the first time he was dining with prominent family. He divorced his first wife and he is looking for a new victim. He is coming from a rich family but his father disowed him therefore he is looking for easy way to make money. He is dining with very prominent and rich family and he is hoping to catch the eye of the daughter. However, he gave up the plan because he finds out that she will receive her money when she reaches the age of 30. He doesn't want to wait 10 years to obtain the money. He went with her father to have a cigarrette. Then, he saw a portrait of a woman with very unusual necklace. He remembered that the same 16 years old girl he seduced had the same necklace.
He track down her and try to influence her to forgive him and to come with him. She doesn't believe a word he is saying and she knows his arrival have another purpose. He started to harrass her constantly and he had big fight with Anton in which occasion Anton was hurt badly. He found out that he has a son and has a new plan which involves to introduce his son to his father with the hope that his father will restore his position. Anton will marry Rain Shadow in order to protect her and her son. The marriage will be annul when the father of her son stop harrasing the family. The father of her son kidnapped her son and Anton's son and they went after him to get the children. They found him and Anton was force to kill him. I'm not going to say how the book finish, just to keep the intrigue. In this book, I miss the romance between the main characters and for me they didn't look like people who are falling in love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2014
Summary: A romance between a white man and a white woman who is wearing Indian clothes. They both have crazy exes and one son each.
I read this book pretty quickly, but two stars still. Here's why:
1) The heroine's self-hatred and sense of inferiority from being raised as an Indian were palpable, and her desperation to be accepted into the white man's world was off-putting. This could have been toned down a bit w/o diminishing the story. As a toddler, a lone Indian had rescued her from the wreckage and death caused when some different Indians attacked her family's wagon train. This Indian then raised her as his own daughter. However, she seemed to have marginal appreciation for the culture in which she was raised. Her attachment to it seemed superficial at best and she never took it on as her heritage. As an adult, she played the role of an Indian Princess in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Her "Indianness" seemed a like a role she played in her overall life as well, impacting how she dressed and wore her hair, but not her character, religious beliefs and how she raised her son. Her name is even changed (or restored) to a white name by the end. In her mind, the man who saved her and raised her was insufficient as a role model for her own son, so she needed to get back to her white family or as the story continues, look to a white man to help raise him.
2) The heroine's skin tone was much darker than a white woman's, but she wasn't truly Native American. So, she has something of the “exotic beauty” of an Indian, a race which would have made her objectionable historically, but the hero and all is family immediately acknowledged her as white, which of course made her acceptable. This was disturbing to me, and it was also a really easy and convenient way to overcome to the challenges inherent in an interracial relationship at that time.
3) An interracial or inter-cultural relationship would have been some real conflict to address, instead the story focused on insane and unworthy exes. :/
4) There was scant info given about the hero’s Pennsylvania Dutch culture, except where necessary to highlight the heroine’s lack of culture and heritage.
5)Too many things in the story didn’t add up.
• It seemed as if the Indian who raised the heroine was the only Indian she’d ever known. Did he have no tribe, no people, no other family with which she could to connect? No roots anywhere? It strained belief that he raised her singlehandedly with no help from anybody else, but that’s what the story would have you believe.
• At the age of 23, the heroine had never seen plates placed on a table for dinner and had never bathed in a tub. You’d have thought she hardly knew anything about plates and forks or “civilized” hygiene practices. All this, even though she’d traveled all over the United States and Europe? Even though she’d taught herself grammatically perfect, accent-free English and insisted that her son speak it at all times? Yeah right. Not buying that with all she’d seen and done otherwise. It was a cheap and unbelievable way to make her seem exotic, untamed and different, when she was really a white woman in Indian clothes.
• The mystery of the heroine’s white family was resolved in just a few paragraphs and a very short period of time. Sorry, but mailed letters just didn’t travel to an from the US to Europe and South America *that* fast. The mystery of her darker skin tone was never resolved really, but I guess that really didn’t matter since she was still white.
• There were no objections from anyone about her having an illegitimate son. This was anachronistic at best.
This book kept my attention enough to finish, but I didn't like it.
I read this book pretty quickly, but two stars still. Here's why:
1) The heroine's self-hatred and sense of inferiority from being raised as an Indian were palpable, and her desperation to be accepted into the white man's world was off-putting. This could have been toned down a bit w/o diminishing the story. As a toddler, a lone Indian had rescued her from the wreckage and death caused when some different Indians attacked her family's wagon train. This Indian then raised her as his own daughter. However, she seemed to have marginal appreciation for the culture in which she was raised. Her attachment to it seemed superficial at best and she never took it on as her heritage. As an adult, she played the role of an Indian Princess in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Her "Indianness" seemed a like a role she played in her overall life as well, impacting how she dressed and wore her hair, but not her character, religious beliefs and how she raised her son. Her name is even changed (or restored) to a white name by the end. In her mind, the man who saved her and raised her was insufficient as a role model for her own son, so she needed to get back to her white family or as the story continues, look to a white man to help raise him.
2) The heroine's skin tone was much darker than a white woman's, but she wasn't truly Native American. So, she has something of the “exotic beauty” of an Indian, a race which would have made her objectionable historically, but the hero and all is family immediately acknowledged her as white, which of course made her acceptable. This was disturbing to me, and it was also a really easy and convenient way to overcome to the challenges inherent in an interracial relationship at that time.
3) An interracial or inter-cultural relationship would have been some real conflict to address, instead the story focused on insane and unworthy exes. :/
4) There was scant info given about the hero’s Pennsylvania Dutch culture, except where necessary to highlight the heroine’s lack of culture and heritage.
5)Too many things in the story didn’t add up.
• It seemed as if the Indian who raised the heroine was the only Indian she’d ever known. Did he have no tribe, no people, no other family with which she could to connect? No roots anywhere? It strained belief that he raised her singlehandedly with no help from anybody else, but that’s what the story would have you believe.
• At the age of 23, the heroine had never seen plates placed on a table for dinner and had never bathed in a tub. You’d have thought she hardly knew anything about plates and forks or “civilized” hygiene practices. All this, even though she’d traveled all over the United States and Europe? Even though she’d taught herself grammatically perfect, accent-free English and insisted that her son speak it at all times? Yeah right. Not buying that with all she’d seen and done otherwise. It was a cheap and unbelievable way to make her seem exotic, untamed and different, when she was really a white woman in Indian clothes.
• The mystery of the heroine’s white family was resolved in just a few paragraphs and a very short period of time. Sorry, but mailed letters just didn’t travel to an from the US to Europe and South America *that* fast. The mystery of her darker skin tone was never resolved really, but I guess that really didn’t matter since she was still white.
• There were no objections from anyone about her having an illegitimate son. This was anachronistic at best.
This book kept my attention enough to finish, but I didn't like it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2016
This is not a full review, but rather a few thoughts:
--This story is the second in a series, but I don't feel that I missed anything by not reading the first book.
--One of the main plot lines was the heroine looking for her family, and I felt that it was wrapped in an unsatisfactory manner with a few lines at the end of the book.
--There was one of those minor obstacles between the hero and heroine that make a reader say, "Really? That is keeping them apart?". Luckily, there were also more major and believable obstacles that are the main focus of the plot so the minor one isn't too annoying.
--The name of the series, Dutch Country Brides, made me think it was what I would call a sweet or clean romance. However, it was more of a hot romance; not as hot as full-on erotica, but it might make a reader of Christian romances blush.
--This story is the second in a series, but I don't feel that I missed anything by not reading the first book.
--One of the main plot lines was the heroine looking for her family, and I felt that it was wrapped in an unsatisfactory manner with a few lines at the end of the book.
--There was one of those minor obstacles between the hero and heroine that make a reader say, "Really? That is keeping them apart?". Luckily, there were also more major and believable obstacles that are the main focus of the plot so the minor one isn't too annoying.
--The name of the series, Dutch Country Brides, made me think it was what I would call a sweet or clean romance. However, it was more of a hot romance; not as hot as full-on erotica, but it might make a reader of Christian romances blush.
July 27, 2013
Reading the updated ebook,Cheryl St. John takes readers back to the days of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. In this peek of western life, we find a woman called Rain Shadow and a man named Anton Neubauer who are on the lookout for certain expectations of what they believe they need.
As you turn the pages of this story, it will tug at your heartstrings as this mismatched pair pushes against what they desire most--each other. With a nudge from inescapable passion and some help from two young boys and two old men, love can't help but win.
I highly recommend this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the first book in this series--Heaven Can Wait
As you turn the pages of this story, it will tug at your heartstrings as this mismatched pair pushes against what they desire most--each other. With a nudge from inescapable passion and some help from two young boys and two old men, love can't help but win.
I highly recommend this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the first book in this series--Heaven Can Wait
July 17, 2013
If I weren't a fan of Cheryl St. John's books already I would be after reading this one! The story pulled me in from the start and I hated to put it down. Rain Shadow is a strong and brave woman. Raised by her adoptive Indian father after a wagon train is attacked she travels with the Wild West show until a train accident changes her path.
I appreciate the author's attention to details. Every turn and question is brought together in a satisfactory conclusion by the books end.
I appreciate the author's attention to details. Every turn and question is brought together in a satisfactory conclusion by the books end.
July 17, 2013
This book was amazing, it makes you feel like you are right there for the ride. It was a great story where some helps someone turn into the wonderful women she turned out to be. By letting her live the life and not hiding things from her.
July 7, 2013
An enjoyable historical romance between an indian woman and an amish/PA dutch widower. A fast predictable read.
September 11, 2016
Kinda flat. Started interesting but didn't seem to gain momentum.
April 3, 2020
A train accident sidelines the Wild West Show, on their way to their winter quarters. Rain Shadow's son, Slade, is seriously injured and widower Anton Neubauer takes the child to his nearby home to recuperate. Rain Shadow finds where her son is and sets up camp on Neubauer's land.
Rain Shadow was orphaned in a wagon train when she was about three. Two Feathers rescued her and raised her as a Lakota Sioux. Over the years, Two Feathers and Rain Shadow teamed up with Buffalo Bill. Rain Shadow became an excellent shot and decided that she wanted to challenge the star of the show -- Annie Oakley. The challenge has been arranged when the wild west show reconvenes in the spring.
Anton Neubauer needs a wife who will take care of his son, Nicholas, and himself. When he meets Rain Shadow, a prickly, independent woman who doesn't want any favors, he knows he is not interested in her. He needs someone with all the homemaking arts and Rain Shadow totes a gun, instead.
This is a very complex plot when Slade's father arrives and decides he wants to be part of his son's life. Although Anton has been planning on a different wife, he marries Rain Shadow to protect her from the machinations of Slade's father. After all, they can always part as soon as the danger is over. Right?
I'd been looking for this book for several years. I decided that I wanted it as a text, and because this was one of Cheryl St. John's earlier books, there weren't a lot of copies around. Now I see that Amazon has brought it back as a Kindle selection. It isn't necessary to read the first book in this two-part series, but the first book sets the scene of Anton and his first wife, Emily.
NeubauerBrothers
1. HeavenCan Wait (1994)
** 2. RainShadow (1994)
Rain Shadow was orphaned in a wagon train when she was about three. Two Feathers rescued her and raised her as a Lakota Sioux. Over the years, Two Feathers and Rain Shadow teamed up with Buffalo Bill. Rain Shadow became an excellent shot and decided that she wanted to challenge the star of the show -- Annie Oakley. The challenge has been arranged when the wild west show reconvenes in the spring.
Anton Neubauer needs a wife who will take care of his son, Nicholas, and himself. When he meets Rain Shadow, a prickly, independent woman who doesn't want any favors, he knows he is not interested in her. He needs someone with all the homemaking arts and Rain Shadow totes a gun, instead.
This is a very complex plot when Slade's father arrives and decides he wants to be part of his son's life. Although Anton has been planning on a different wife, he marries Rain Shadow to protect her from the machinations of Slade's father. After all, they can always part as soon as the danger is over. Right?
I'd been looking for this book for several years. I decided that I wanted it as a text, and because this was one of Cheryl St. John's earlier books, there weren't a lot of copies around. Now I see that Amazon has brought it back as a Kindle selection. It isn't necessary to read the first book in this two-part series, but the first book sets the scene of Anton and his first wife, Emily.
NeubauerBrothers
1. HeavenCan Wait (1994)
** 2. RainShadow (1994)
October 3, 2021
I liked this book and the characters but there could have been more scenes with the side characters.
At the beginning I didn’t like Anton or Rain Shadow because they were both stubborn in different annoying ways. Then when they started to learn how to interact with each other, I liked how their relationship progressed.
I liked Johann and Two Feathers, especially their meddling but they were only shown in about two scenes and I wanted to see more of them. Also, most of Anton’s family isn’t really shown so you don’t get to see how they interact with Rain Shadow. I liked both of their sons but I wanted more scenes with them as usually they are left in the background.
I liked most of the plot but I didn’t really like how some things happened at the end.
At the beginning I didn’t like Anton or Rain Shadow because they were both stubborn in different annoying ways. Then when they started to learn how to interact with each other, I liked how their relationship progressed.
I liked Johann and Two Feathers, especially their meddling but they were only shown in about two scenes and I wanted to see more of them. Also, most of Anton’s family isn’t really shown so you don’t get to see how they interact with Rain Shadow. I liked both of their sons but I wanted more scenes with them as usually they are left in the background.
I liked most of the plot but I didn’t really like how some things happened at the end.
May 6, 2019
What a great book! I smiled, got anxious while reading, and, enjoyed the romance. Rain Shadow led a life of harsh times, yet was happier than most ever could be in the late 1800’s. She could hunt, fish and shoot better than most men. I had to grin when she challenged all those who knew her. Rain Shadow was an even bigger challenge to those who loved her. Along with her father, Two Feathers, and her son, Slade, she traveled with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. She guarded her tiny family “like a badger with a litter.” I loved that line! When she met Anton Neubauer, her life changed. I’ve read many other books by this author and this one of her best.
October 19, 2019
I love a historical romance that has interwoven actual happenings and real life characters with extraordinary fictional characters and intriguing plot twists! Cheryl St. John's novel does that and so much more. From the opening scene with the meeting of her adopted Lakota father, Two Feathers, Rain Shadow captured my heart and her story stirred my imagination.
June 18, 2019
Short read
I didn't care for the way the author wrote using a Dutch dialog. Was expecting that and hard to follow the storyline.
I didn't care for the way the author wrote using a Dutch dialog. Was expecting that and hard to follow the storyline.
August 22, 2025
Rain Shadow was a complete bad ass. Nowt much more to say really, I love it when the heroine is straight up awesome.
November 22, 2019
Living just near Butler PA, I wondered if the author had ever been to my area.
The characters, while fairly well developed, never really made me feel engaged, and the book seem to take forever to read. I was expecting more details about the necklace Rain Shadow wore, and that part of the story seemed to just fizzle out.
The characters, while fairly well developed, never really made me feel engaged, and the book seem to take forever to read. I was expecting more details about the necklace Rain Shadow wore, and that part of the story seemed to just fizzle out.
June 6, 2015
I am a huge (read MASSIVE) fan of western novels. It surprises many... My first love was Louis L'amour. So, I read many westerns with an informed and often dubious eye. I want fresh, I want new, I want the hardship of settling the west, without all the scalping and "totin'" - and Cheryl St. John delivers in spades!!
The book opens with a lone Indian watching a little girl wander amongst a devastated wagon train, and what unfolds is sheer beauty. Taking the girl under his wing, Two Feathers raises Rain Shadow as his daughter and takes her on a journey that I've never read before. The two become members of Buffalo Bills Wild West Show. Ms. St. John carefully recreates the showmanship, costumes, and life of a travelling show - which functions under very harsh environs.
When the train that the cast, crew, and critters are travelling on derails in Pennsylvania - bound for Philadelphia - the townspeople rush to their rescue. Anton Neubauer finds himself hosting Rain Shadow, her son Slade, and Two Feathers while the boy recuperates. Anton, though not prejudiced against Indians, doesn't quite fully grasp what it means to have Rain Shadow and family in his life on a daily basis.
Gradually he grows to understand the many worlds that Rain Shadow lives in - the lost girl from a wagon train, the Lakota Sioux warriors daughter, mother, and the Princess from the Buffalo Bill Wild West show... and Annie Oakley's rival. Between being rankled and smitten, Rain Shadow and Anton come to a place where friendship helps them each solve the biggest mysteries of their lives.
An absolutely thoroughly engaging book! I truly loved this and will definitely read more of Ms. St. Johns work.
The book opens with a lone Indian watching a little girl wander amongst a devastated wagon train, and what unfolds is sheer beauty. Taking the girl under his wing, Two Feathers raises Rain Shadow as his daughter and takes her on a journey that I've never read before. The two become members of Buffalo Bills Wild West Show. Ms. St. John carefully recreates the showmanship, costumes, and life of a travelling show - which functions under very harsh environs.
When the train that the cast, crew, and critters are travelling on derails in Pennsylvania - bound for Philadelphia - the townspeople rush to their rescue. Anton Neubauer finds himself hosting Rain Shadow, her son Slade, and Two Feathers while the boy recuperates. Anton, though not prejudiced against Indians, doesn't quite fully grasp what it means to have Rain Shadow and family in his life on a daily basis.
Gradually he grows to understand the many worlds that Rain Shadow lives in - the lost girl from a wagon train, the Lakota Sioux warriors daughter, mother, and the Princess from the Buffalo Bill Wild West show... and Annie Oakley's rival. Between being rankled and smitten, Rain Shadow and Anton come to a place where friendship helps them each solve the biggest mysteries of their lives.
An absolutely thoroughly engaging book! I truly loved this and will definitely read more of Ms. St. Johns work.
November 19, 2016
Good Historical Fiction
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. A few discrepancies, but I was able to overlook those. I could totally relate to Rain Shadow as a single mother, she was taken advantage of at 16, but was determined to make a better life for her son. Her insecurities were easily understood.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. A few discrepancies, but I was able to overlook those. I could totally relate to Rain Shadow as a single mother, she was taken advantage of at 16, but was determined to make a better life for her son. Her insecurities were easily understood.
May 1, 2013
Liked it better than the first one, cute story
December 4, 2013
When Cheryl St. John is good, she's really good. I totally enjoyed this western historical. The feel for the times was really good. The setting around the Wild West Show was interesting and different. The heroine was strong and knew what she wanted. The hero was a lovely beta hero, good and decent. The relationship between them was lovely and played out over time so that it was realistic.
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