An Uncommon Enemy

Eden Murdoch #1

by Michelle Black

"There is no word in the Cheyenne language for forgiveness." On the day after Thanksgiving, 1868, George Armstrong Custer and the Seventh Cavalry attack a sleeping Cheyenne village on the banks of the Washita. Ironically, it later becomes known that the village attacked was that of Black Kettle, the foremost peace chief of the Cheyenne Nation. Amidst the heartless and senseless slaughter of men, women, and children, the Seventh Cavalry discovers a white woman living among the Cheyenne. Her name is Eden Murdoch, and she was presumed dead years before. While the army expects to use her for propaganda purposes and to refute the accusations that the Cheyenne village posed no threat to white settlers, Eden refuses to take part in any such propaganda: to acknowledge that the army "rescued" her from a "savage" society. Eden avoids giving the details of her story to any of the officers; she will say only that she considered her Cheyenne husband and his other wives family. Custer's young and inexperienced aide-de-camp, Captain Brad Randall, is assigned the task of looking after Eden and locating her family. Beginning to doubt Custer's actions and struggling to act honorably, Brad is both fascinated and perplexed by Eden's eccentric behavior. He becomes obsessed with learning the truth behind Eden's bizarre journey, and when Eden begins to reveal it to him, his own future changes. Eden and Brad unexpectedly set in motion events that will echo all the way to the Little Bighorn.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery

330 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

Michelle Black is the author of six novels of the Victorian West, including the bestselling AN UNCOMMON ENEMY. Her latest, Séance in Sepia, debuted in October 2011, and features real-life feminist firebrand, Victoria Woodhull as its protagonist. She in a Queen Anne Victorian home near Boulder, Colorado.

She was born in Kansas and studied anthropology in college. She went on to law school and graduated with honors. In 1993, she moved to Colorado and began to focus on her fiction writing. For three years, she owned a bookstore in Frisco, Colorado, a small town nestled high in the Colorado Rockies.

While researching her first Eden Murdoch novel, An Uncommon Enemy, she began to study the Cheyenne language and became involved in the movement to save our Native American languages from extinction. Her company, WinterSun Press, began to publish a Cheyenne language course called "Let's Talk Cheyenne" in a not-for-profit collaboration with a linguist on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana.

She loves to travel and particularly enjoys visiting the “homes and haunts” of her literary heroes, Hemingway’s Key West, the Yorkshire Moors of the Bronte sisters, Jane Austin’s Bath, as well as perennial favorites—Paris, Tokyo, Venice.

In 2008, she spent several weeks on a Buddhist pilgrimage to India and was privileged to study with her favorite Buddhist writer and the foremost proponent of secular Buddhism, Stephen Batchelor. The pilgrims visited all the sites associated by the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Uncommon Enemy. Michelle Black. 2001. Forge. 387 pages. ISBN 0765340658.

Michelle Black's An Uncommon Enemy is the first out of three books in a series entitled "Mysteries of the Victorian West" featuring Brad Randall and family. An Uncommon Enemy takes us back to the days of General George Custer in fall of 1868.

Eden Murdoch is a white woman living among the Cheyenne indian tribe, captured by Custer when his men invade and attack their village. As Eden mourns her slaughtered Cheyenne family, she befriends Captain Brad Randall and opens up to him about her life with the indians and the story of how she came to live with them over four years ago.

Michelle Black paints an eerily accurate picture of Custer and his men and bases An Uncommon Enemy on true events; specifically on the discovery of a mysterious white woman described in Custer's old journals. The novel is an all-around good story if you're in the mood for some entertaining, yet well-written literature. Even if you're not typically a fan of westerns, An Uncommon Enemy falls into the category of historical fiction. The novel does not feel lengthy by any means, but I wish it had had more depth!

Eden's character reminds me a lot of Clare Randall in the "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon. This is due to the vastly different living conditions Eden is thrust into when she is separated from her Cheyenne family and how she learns to cope as she secretly plans her escape.

I regret to say that although An Uncommon Enemy is an enjoyable read, it doesn't move me much in terms of emotions. The novel passes the time, but may be unforgettable as time passes. It's a rare occasion when I review a book and have nothing much to comment on about it! Nevertheless, I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series, which include Solomon Spring (2002) and The Second Glass of Absinthe (2003).

Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up reluctantly. Reading about massacres and cruelty is not my idea of entertainment. Fortunately, the Washita tragedy is addressed indirectly (for the most part).

Complex tale. Quite a few varied points of view -- appreciated. (Much like politics today -- people greatly misrepresented events, the more dramatic/tragic/vicious stories were the ones that got circulated and exaggerated.)

Now I want to learn more about Custer (who is not a person I would admire) and about the Washita tragedy.

[Phair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Covered lots of history from different pov than usual. Liked the quotes that headed each chapter. Around this time I was very into Dr Quinn TV series and this covered a pivotal event- Washita masacre- beyond what we saw in the episode. Many of the characters in this book echoed characters in the Quinn-verse so that added to my enjoyment. There was romance but it was realistic and the book delved into other kinds of love besides romantic.

[Bree (AnotherLookBook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m on a bit of a Native American historical fiction kick. This was good but not as wonderful as the two books I read just before this. The writing felt slightly inelegant at times, which sometimes bled over into character development, but I just took it as part of the no-nonsense style of the narrative and kept going. Planning on reading the sequel next.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

An Uncommon Enemy by Michelle Black is the first book of the Mystery of the Victorian West series set in 1868-9 Kansas. Eden Murdoch (Cheyenne name Seota) has lived with her Cheyenne husband Hanging Road and her Cheyenne 'sisters' (his other 2 wives) for 4 years since her capture during an Indian raid on a stagecoach. Hanging Road has been more than kind - he has respected her and encouraged her to help him with healing rites. She is devastated to be captured once again - this time by General Custer's army. They think they are rescuing her, but they treat her as 'permanently soiled goods', as do the townspeople of Reliance. General Custer has been widely criticized in the national press for unprovoked slaughter of peaceable Indians. His own officers doubt his orders. Custer eagerly seizes upon Eden's rescue as an opportunity to justify all his behavior in the national press, and he assigns Captain Brad Randall to 'protect' her. What Custer really wants is for Brad to befriend and trick Eden into revealing horrific details of her former capture, that Custer can use to glorify himself as a hero for rescuing her. Of course, Custer also hopes to gain information about the Cheyenne that he can use against them in future battles. Randall is engaged to the daughter of a wealthy and influential man high up in political and military circles back East. He is serving 'Out West' not by choice but as a favor to his future father-in-law, and to meet his fiancée's expectations. As Randall befriends Eden, while meanwhile dallying with a town prostitute, he is emotionally torn. As the army prepares to depart, Randall helps Eden make a brave and daring move that dramatically changes her life once again. Eden and Randall's story is told within the context of the actual history of specific battles. Chapters begin with snippets of news coverage or communications between military commanders. It's also a story of a deep and abiding love.

[Virginia Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very easy read - I read it in 2 days - but had a lot of reading time while traveling. It is historical fiction about Gen. Custer's soldiers and the Indians in the area of Oklahoma and Kansas. The history about Gen Custer's battles are filled with controversy and this account has total sympathy for the Indians. Custer comes across as driven entirely by ambition and his hopes for glory. The characters are fictional but there is some basis for the fact that a white woman was set "free" as a result of the raid because of a single mention in one sentence of Custer's journal. In the book, the woman was content and happy with her Indian family and grieved the loss of her Indian husband and female friends. The slaughter of babies, women, animals by the army is vividly described in the book and Custer is shown as cruel with more concern for the welfare of his pets than for the treatment of the Indian people. If you previously viewed Custer as a hero, this book may change your mind.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I must say I won this on First Reads..Getting that out of the way, I loved this book. The characters sucked me in, as well as the storyline. The author did a great job of bringing the reader into the story, particularly looking at biases of the time and such toward the American Indian and the role of General Custer in their destruction. Although her other books in the series did not get as great remarks from GR readers, I still plan to finish out the series to form my own judgement, but this was a great book.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved this book as part of a First Reads giveaway.

When I first started reading this book I wasn't sure I would like it. The rescued woman, Eden Murdoch, at first acted very out of character for the way I visualized a woman of those times would act. I came to like Eden and to also appreciate all of the other strong characters.

The story was fast moving and kept me up late into the night.

[Donia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I applaud all attempts at historical fiction but I found myself speed reading through this book. I don't normally do this. The story was entertaining; a light read and more so towards the end but I felt it was too forced and a bit juvenile in its style. There were a few teary paragraphs less for the plot than because I've always felt heartbroken for the way the American Government treated the American Indians.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time I've read anything from this genre. I was pleasantly surprised. It was an easy read. The story line surprised me from time to time. I would think it was going one way and it would go in a totally different direction. Other times it was predictable. Overall, I would recommend it. It was a good break from some of the more technical reading I have been doing lately.

[Lawane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good Historical Fiction but when all of the characters except one or two is fictional (and not even the main characters) it leaves something to be desired. This was an entertaining book to read but I was prepared for something a little more historical in nature.

[Joann Ulrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from the Goodreads website. I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book- not really something I would have choosen. But, I was pleasantly surprised. It was interesting and kept my attention-I read it in 3 days.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won a signed copy of this book from goodreads. While I am sure others will appreciate this book, I did not find it to be exceptional. Perhaps this genre is just not for me. Give it a try, if you enjoy this genre.

[Dianna Rostad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the way Black drew Custer, the entire army, and the public policy of that time. Ignorant and ruthless.

Her protagonist could have been a little sharper in focus, but it was a good read all in all.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but then, I love the genre. There are three books in this series, but this first one is by far the best.

[Allen Elggren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of intrigue in the U S Army/Cheyenne indian wars in the 1870. Custer comes off almost as a scoundral.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was not really into this kind of fiction, but I really enjoyed this story. Glad I didn't miss it!

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done, very believable without being cheesy.