The Search
(Across the Great Divide, Book II)
By Michael L. Ross
(Across the Great Divide, Book II)
By Michael L. Ross
Where do you go when home is no longer an option?
The guns of the Civil War have ceased firing, and the shots are but an echo... yet the war rages on, deep inside Will Crump's soul. His "soldier's heart" is searching for peace, and in that quest Will joins the westward movement, setting his path on a collision course with adventure, loss, and love.
The Westward Expansion floods the sacred, untouched lands with immigrants, bringing conflict to the Shoshone, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. Amidst the chaos Will finds safety in the shadow of the US Army, but the army brings battle-hardened troops into Red Cloud's War, pulling Will into a tornado of conflict. Broken treaties and promises leave both sides searching for answers. Will's search leads him to a battle for survival, and there he finds a love that could change him forever.
Dove, a young Shoshone woman, is a survivor of the Bear Creek Massacre. After being kidnapped and escaping from the Cheyenne, she joins Will's search, seeking where she belongs. Dove longs for more than the restricted role placed on women in her tribe. If she can learn to trust a white man, he just might help her find home... and hope.
Together, Will and Dove must search for understanding, and reach Across the Great Divide.
Publication Date: December 15, 2020
Publisher: HistoricalNovelsRUS
Page Length: 217 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
MY THOUGHTS
If ever a book is deserving of its own soundtrack then it is most certainly this one. The majestic beauty of the frontier has been brought vividly back to life in Michael L. Ross' new release—The Search (Across The Great Divide, Book 2).
Having not read Book 1, I was a little apprehensive about reading this novel. But, having been assured that this book did standalone I cautiously agreed to read and review it. To my delight, I quickly discovered that if I have not known that is was Book 2 in a series, I would never have come to that conclusion by myself. This novel stands very firmly on its own two feet, and apart from wanting to know precisely what happened to Will during the Civil War and the years he spent as a prisoner-of-war, I did not feel that I had missed anything from not reading Book 1 first.
This is a story of forbidden love and emotional healing. The story of Will Crump is incredibly moving. Based upon an actual historical person, this novel fills in the missing years of Will's life. With careful consideration and understanding of the era, the author has penned a plausible story for what happened to Will during those missing years he spent in the mountains. With the ongoing American Indian Wars, it made sense that despite Will's desperate desire for peace, he would end up being dragged into the conflict.
Will struggles with his emotions throughout this novel. He is also a deeply religious man who tries to live an honest Christian life, and although he sometimes doubts his prayers are heard, he never renounces his God, not even for the woman whom he is falling in love with. Thus being religiously conflicted, Will battles to make sense of his growing desire and love for the young Shoshone woman he saved. Dove becomes Will's salvation, his redemption. She certainly brings him a level of peace that even the mountains would not have been able to give him. But there is so much against them, so many obstacles to clear that there is a sense of the ill-fated in their relationship. As a couple, Will and Dove were adorable, and they certainly complimented each other as beautifully as the sun does the moon, but they do come from two very different worlds and interracial relationships, especially when it came to marriage, was frowned upon. Nevertheless, I found myself rooting for this couple and really hoping for a positive and romantic outcome.
I really enjoyed reading The Search. I can honestly say that this book will stay with a reader a long time after they have turned the last page. I know it will stay with me for a very long time.
Michael L. Ross
Best-selling author Michael Ross is a lover of history and great stories. He's a retired software engineer turned author, with three children and five grandchildren, living in Newton, Kansas with his wife of forty years. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, and still loves Texas. The main character of "Across the Great Divide", William Dorsey Crump, is one of the founders of Lubbock and Shallowater, Texas. Michael knew Will's granddaughter when he was a child. He has written a scholarly article on Will Crump for the Texas Historical Society, published in the Handbook of Texas Online, and has sold short stories in the past. This is his first novel and the first in the Across the Great Divide series, now an Amazon bestseller.
Michael attended Rice University as an undergraduate, and Portland State University for his graduate degree. He has degrees in computer science, software engineering, and German. In his spare time, Michael loves to go fishing, riding horses, and play with his grandchildren, who are currently all under six years old.
He sees many parallels between the time of the Civil War and our divided nation of today. Sanctuary cities, immigration, arguments around the holiday table, threats of secession - all are nothing new. Sometimes, to understand the present, you have to look at the past- and reach Across the Great Divide.
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