Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Gallery Books (2000), Edition: First Edition, 311 pages
Description
The year is 1797. John Chapman, an impulsive young man and a sexual outlaw, forsaken in the bitter winter of the Allegheny Plateau, clings to his one tenuous dream: to claim a future in the Western outpost. Unarmed and near death, Chapman is on the brink of giving up when an unexpected rescue changes his course in life forever, and he discovers the true meaning of survival. The mysterious savior is Daniel McQuay, a loner whose overpowering bond with Chapman is as shifting as a shadow, as dark as the prairie tale he spins for the impressionable young man. For Chapman, McQuay's story of a deranged killer clings to his transient soul like a nightmare, tracking him further south and into the safe haven of a gentle Indian woman named Gwennie. His journey also takes him into the intimate deliverance of Palmer, a brash but irresistibly innocent seventeen-year-old settler. As the three adventurers carve a new life out of the endless wilderness, they face the ultimate enemy -- man -- in a life-and-death struggle that unfolds in the shadow of a legendary and avenging evil.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member ocgreg34
In the winter of 1797, young John Chapman -- on the run from the military after his affair with a major is discovered -- treks through the harsh wilderness of the Pennsylvania territory, hoping to stake a claim in the new frontier. He stumbles upon the outpost of Warren and it's sole inhabitant
John escapes and makes his way down the Allegheny, where an Indian woman leads him to an abandoned house. He reluctantly settles in and after a day, is surprised when strangers appear at the door, welcoming him to the settlement of Franklin. Their ease with him taking over the abandoned home surprises him, and he happily agrees to stay on and make a go with the land. The Indian woman -- a quiet, intelligent spirit named Gwennie -- helps him to prepare the land, talking him into planting apples. After all, she is known about those parts as the Apple Woman. He also finds himself falling for a young man of the town named Palmer who is somewhat of a misunderstood outcast, thanks in large part to his brother who happens to be the preacher.
John's attempt to settle into his new life in Franklin is soon thrown into disarray when Daniel somehow finds him and begins a reign of terror on John and his friends that threatens to destroy them and the settlement.
"Frontiers" makes for a good bit of historical fiction, providing a glimpse into the hardships of life in the newly expanding territory of Pennsylvania. The story also introduces the beginning, albeit a fantasy beginning, for a well-known figure in American folklore -- John Chapman, a.k.a., Johnny Appleseed. As the story moves, he progresses from an inexperienced and unsure young woodsman to a man who can hold his own in any fight and who cares about the people and the land around him. Though, I must admit that I was surprised at how sexually charged and explicit the story is, especially given the time period. It's almost like an historical pulp novel, but it never falls into the cheesy Harlequin romance style of writing. It's a good story, and in the end, that's what matters most.
Definitely a good read, and I recommend the sequel, "Firelands".
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Daniel McQuay. After finally convincing Daniel that no one sent him to check on the outpost, John settles in for a long winter made more difficult by his attraction to the muscled mountain man. As the days pass, John learns the fate of the other people who originally kept on at the outpost with Daniel: how they were attacked by the Senecas only to discover that one of their own -- a former preacher named Zach looking for his half-Indian son -- was more of a threat than anything else. But John finds something about Daniel unsettling and soon finds himself running for his life when he uncovers the truth about Daniel's past.John escapes and makes his way down the Allegheny, where an Indian woman leads him to an abandoned house. He reluctantly settles in and after a day, is surprised when strangers appear at the door, welcoming him to the settlement of Franklin. Their ease with him taking over the abandoned home surprises him, and he happily agrees to stay on and make a go with the land. The Indian woman -- a quiet, intelligent spirit named Gwennie -- helps him to prepare the land, talking him into planting apples. After all, she is known about those parts as the Apple Woman. He also finds himself falling for a young man of the town named Palmer who is somewhat of a misunderstood outcast, thanks in large part to his brother who happens to be the preacher.
John's attempt to settle into his new life in Franklin is soon thrown into disarray when Daniel somehow finds him and begins a reign of terror on John and his friends that threatens to destroy them and the settlement.
"Frontiers" makes for a good bit of historical fiction, providing a glimpse into the hardships of life in the newly expanding territory of Pennsylvania. The story also introduces the beginning, albeit a fantasy beginning, for a well-known figure in American folklore -- John Chapman, a.k.a., Johnny Appleseed. As the story moves, he progresses from an inexperienced and unsure young woodsman to a man who can hold his own in any fight and who cares about the people and the land around him. Though, I must admit that I was surprised at how sexually charged and explicit the story is, especially given the time period. It's almost like an historical pulp novel, but it never falls into the cheesy Harlequin romance style of writing. It's a good story, and in the end, that's what matters most.
Definitely a good read, and I recommend the sequel, "Firelands".
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LibraryThing member krysteria
I don't know why, but I think of this book as the gay "Cold Mountain." Even though, historically speaking, it's about 100 years BEFORE that Civil War book.
I found myself really liking the protagonist in this book. Sure, he can't seem to do anything right, but you grow fond of him anyway, even
The travels he takes and the experiences he has really make you root for him in the end, hoping he finds his homestead and meets someone he can settle down with. This guy really gets into some predicaments and he sure is jumpy.
I usually don't like books that have flashbacks to when the main character was younger, told as a journal entry would be told, but the ones in this book, at the beginning of each chapter, were not very long and were usually pretty comical. I liked them.
My problem was with the ending. Granted, they leave you believing it's going to be a happy ending, but the book ends with Palmer going to the fort with his family, so he's actually leaving at the end. Sure, he says he'll be back, but it doesn't change the fact the last scene with him in it, he's leaving. And they just assume Gwennie is okay and the she survived the fire, Chapman just "knows" she's alive somewhere, but they don't actually PROVE IT! I don't like that just left hanging.
Overall though, it was a really enjoyable book to read. I'll rate it a 7.5 out of 10.
I found myself really liking the protagonist in this book. Sure, he can't seem to do anything right, but you grow fond of him anyway, even
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though you are left confused on the first location of the book and how he ended up bedding with an officer. But then you see how haphazard his life is, so you figure you've just jumped into his life in the middle of it.The travels he takes and the experiences he has really make you root for him in the end, hoping he finds his homestead and meets someone he can settle down with. This guy really gets into some predicaments and he sure is jumpy.
I usually don't like books that have flashbacks to when the main character was younger, told as a journal entry would be told, but the ones in this book, at the beginning of each chapter, were not very long and were usually pretty comical. I liked them.
My problem was with the ending. Granted, they leave you believing it's going to be a happy ending, but the book ends with Palmer going to the fort with his family, so he's actually leaving at the end. Sure, he says he'll be back, but it doesn't change the fact the last scene with him in it, he's leaving. And they just assume Gwennie is okay and the she survived the fire, Chapman just "knows" she's alive somewhere, but they don't actually PROVE IT! I don't like that just left hanging.
Overall though, it was a really enjoyable book to read. I'll rate it a 7.5 out of 10.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1999
ISBN
0671027212 / 9780671027216