Uncommon Woman

I love historical fiction, but it isn't often I read books including Native Americans. How refreshing!

This story is set in the 18th century and focuses on the lives of Tessa Swan and Clay Tygart. Tessa's upbringing was on the fringe of danger concerning the Lenape Indians, but she was protected by

Show More

her brothers. She is determined, stubborn, and leans on prayer. Clay was kidnapped as a child and raised by the Lenape. His life centers on keeping peace, but battles with his unexpected attraction to Tessa.

Great action, adventure, and romance. A fast read with a satisfying end.
Source: I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) from LibraryThing.

Show Less

An interesting historical fiction read. This book starts off a little slow and confusing, but definitely picks up the plot with some interesting plot twists and a love interest. Great read for a beach or cold winters day.

I just received this Early Reader title. So far, it seems to be interesting. Unfortunately I have been having a difficult time finding time to read much. I will come back to this review when I finish the entire book.

Laura Frantz is a great writer, so I was thrilled to be selected for this ARC book. (My favorite is The Mistress of Tall Acre, so I pretty much compare all her other books to this one.) I would like to tell all readers that the story is well-written. The beginning failed to hook and bait me, but I

Show More

kept plodding on because I know Ms. Frantz has the skills to create dynamics. After the first one hundred pages, the story finally took a more interesting turn. From that point on, it got so much better and it was easier to retain my attention.

I felt for both Keturah and Tessa. All these years, Tessa longed to be reunited with her dear friend, but she's almost a complete stranger to them now. Then you consider what it was like for Keturah to be taken from her family and raised among a band of Indians, giving up her culture to assimilate herself into their way of life for mere survival. While this story is fictional, I can only imagine the psychological impact it had people who really did experience this.

Then there is Clay who is a man (with a little mystery to his past) whose own past shaped him. He too was taken from his own people and raised among the natives. He learned the language(es) and adapted to their cultural ways. He used his knowledge to his advantage and it served him well.

Aside from the storyline, I liked learning about the dyes, the medicinal herbs found in the regions, and how it was used to help both the natives and the frontiers people. I also found it interesting in the one paragraph where it mentions that believers were often buried facing the east as they anticipated the return of Christ. I had never picked noticed that in any of my travels, but I am deeply fascinated by that. I will have to start paying attention now whenever I see the burial grounds of early American settlers.

All in all, it's a good book. I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.

Show Less

Life in the backwoods border of the wilderness is not easy for strapping men, let alone women and children. Tessa has grown up battling hunger, seasons, wild animals, and constant attacks by the local Indian tribes. While this is all a normality of frontier life, she longs for more, a life not

Show More

lived in constant fear of disease, accident, and death. While life is hard, Tessa does not complain, she lives with her mother and five brothers, helping to care for them and run their ferry. She does not tarry about thoughts of men and love, until Clay Tygart arrives to take command of the troops at Fort Tygart. Clay has no desire to open his heart; his past has only been filled with misery, sorrow, and death. Captured by the Indians as a boy, he worked hard to fit into their life and tribe, until he was recaptured by the white man and forced to submit to his former life. While Tessa and Clay struggle with their growing feelings for one another, a new arrival to the fort brings both anger and joy...and fear as the Indians seem to be leaving signs of an impending mass attack on Fort Tygart and it's local inhabitants.

A great book! I literally could not put it down! I really hope Ms. Frantz is working on a sequel...so many characters to follow up on! I not only enjoyed the story, but also learning so much about 18th century life and culture. I looked up many words that I did not know and in turn, found a few colonial recipes to try someday! A great book and meticulously researched! Looking for more about the Swans and the Tygart families! Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewers and Revell for the advanced readers copy!

Show Less

Tessa grew up in the wild lands of Western Virginia, she's plain spoken, having endured a hard life on the frontier. Clay is a hardened colonel, who only wishes to completed his work and life on the fort. Will they find their path to life together?
Life on the frontier is difficult, to say the

Show More

least. Clay's past experiences will help them through what they will endure, as well as a childhood friend of Tessa's.
I have always loved Frantz's novels, although this wasn't my favorite, I still enjoyed it. 4 stars.
I received this novels through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers.

Show Less

This was such a well-researched and well-written piece of historical fiction. Tessa Swan lives on the frontier of 1770's America with her widowed mother and five brothers. Her father died at the hands of hostile Indians (as they were then called). The Swans and other settler families live in

Show More

constant watchfulness of the next attack. The author paints a vivid picture of the anxiety-ridden and hardscrabble life of these early settlers, surrounded by bands of fierce, tomahawk-wielding warriors of the Shawnee, Lenape, and Wyandot tribes. Tessa has only known this frontier life, but dreams of one day seeing what life is like back East, over the mountains. Clay Tygart arrives to take command of the newly constructed fort, and Tessa is immediately captivated, as is Clay with Tessa. However, he has suffered much loss and is determined to focus on his job of protecting the settlers, not on romance. His own background includes time spent in captivity with a tribe, as well as fighting against the Indians in the French and Indian War. He is determined not to be distracted from his duties, but it is hard to put aside thoughts of the unique and lively Tessa. Frantz does a wonderful job of bringing the reader into Clay's story as well as Tessa's and all the surrounding characters, especially the tragic and beautiful Keturah. The author provides brilliant characterization and an engaging plot.

I do agree with another reviewer that a great deal of the action happened toward the end of the book, and the story became a true page-turner. I would have enjoyed having another chapter or two at the end to take the story a bit further along in time, and would actually love a sequel.

Show Less

This is the second book I've read by Laura Frantz and it was great. I was reluctant to put the book down and devoured the pages. I was also sad to come to the end.

Laura Frantz brought to life her characters. They were very real. She also put you in real life colonial frontier. You could feel like

Show More

you lived there or were at least watching things unfold. The story flowed well and was very interesting.

The editing was very well done. That may sound odd, but a poorly edited book can ruin a story.

I was gifted this book through the Revel Reads program. I am not required to leave a positive review and this review is my honest opinion and freely given.

Show Less

Tessa, her brothers, and mother live in 1770 Virginia. What we now know as West Virginia is filled with danger and as a frontier woman, Tessa has little time for the finer things in life. Clay Tygart was raised by the Lenape Indians and is a much sought after hero of the French and Indian War. On

Show More

his way to command the fort that bears his name, he meets Tessa. Not wanting to be tied down, he steals clear of the pretty frontier woman. Then something happens that makes Tyhart realize how much he cares for Tessa. Hopefully it is not too late to let her know how much he cares.

Show Less

A delightful story of the hardships and struggles living near Indian territories in the late 1700s. Tessa is a strong determined woman, who finds happiness midst the turmoils.

Laura Frantz has made a name for herself as one of today's best Historical Fiction writers. Her frontier books have earned her a legion of fans, including me. I was excited to read her newest book, An Uncommon Woman. Frantz has amazing descriptions that make the reader feel like they are right

Show More

there in the story.

An Uncommon Woman is about a beautiful young woman named Tessa Swan. Not only possessing beauty and a kind heart, she is a tough frontier woman. She lives with her mother and five brothers. Life is difficult and dangerous. Tessa and her family must be prepared to drop everything and race to the local fort at a moment's notice when Indians are sighted. Tessa has never felt attracted to any man until she meets Colonel Clay Tygart. Clay is legendary and the fort is named after him. He was taken captive by Indians when he was young. Clay and Tessa both fight the growing feelings they have for each other as they seek to live their lives on the treacherous frontier.

While I liked the book, I felt it wasn't as good as some of her previous novels. Sometimes the plot dragged a little, and I had a slightly difficult time keeping up with the many characters. The romance between Tessa and Clay wasn't as nice as some of her other characters. But, overall it is a good read for Laura Frantz fans.

Show Less

2020 is already shaping up to be a spectacular year for Christian fiction. There are so many exciting new releases scheduled for the months ahead, and those published in this first month of the year have set a high standard. It is such a joy to see favorite authors, as well as debuts, writing books

Show More

that somehow surpass their previous titles while continuing to explore deep spiritual truths. Last year I read my first Laura Frantz novel, “A Bound Heart”, and was moved by the love and heartache in the story. Because I enjoy early American settings and particularly the Colonial period, I knew that I had to read “An Uncommon Woman.”

Laura Frantz has a unique way of telling a story, not relying on the archetypal pleasurable plotline. Fittingly, such is the case with “An Uncommon Woman.” The narrative maintains a somber tone, yet faith and relationships keep it from becoming lugubrious. While we often do read fiction to escape from the vagaries of life, it also helps us to feel less alone in our own struggles and can instruct us. Frantz does not romanticize life on the western Virginia frontier in 1770 but rather writes of it in its volatile actuality. The tensions between not only the settlers and the Native American tribes but also between the tribes themselves results in living “on the razor’s edge of peril.” For “[h]ere on the savage border, things changed in a heartbeat, a breath. Life was lived in the shadow of lasts.” I was surprised to learn about how vulnerable those living outside a city (“overmountain” in this book) were on a continual basis. Truthfully, this is one of the reasons that I love this book so much; this unflinching approach gives me a renewed respect for the settlers and inspires me by their sheer tenacity.

Conflict with and between the Native Americans is a key element in this story, as is diversity. Colonel Clayton Tygart, kidnapped by Lenape Indians as a boy and a hero of the Seven Years’ War, is “the white Indian, a so-called redeemed savage brought back from the brink of heathenism in the nick of time.” As such, he straddles both worlds, which makes his character all the more intriguing, and the fact that he has heterochromia symbolically underscores his duality. Likewise, Keturah Braam inhabits this mediate position after living half of her life as a captive and must try to reconcile both identities. Two periphery characters who captured my interest are Jude and Maddie, former slaves, because they are respected by the central characters, which is a pleasant surprise given the time period. As for Tessa Swan, I expected her to be the titular character, but I think that it refers more to Keturah, although both are unconventional. Tessa is a fascinating heroine who is accustomed to but weary of life on the frontier because “[a]ll her life had been spent looking over her shoulder. Such unceasing, ingrained guardedness wore a body down.” Nevertheless, she never shirks her duty, and most importantly, she remains steadfast in her faith in God: “She wasn’t fancy, but she had the Bible to bolster her. She would be a woman of strength and honor, however humble.” When trials arise, this faith is the necessary element that sustains her, as it should be ours. As Joshua 1:9 affirms, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Show Less

Unflinching and plainspoken, Tessa Swan is not your typical 18th-century woman. Born and bred on the western Virginia frontier along with her five brothers, she is a force to be reckoned with.

Quiet and courageous, Clay Tygart is not your typical 18th-century man. Raised by Lenape Indians, he

Show More

returns a hero from the French and Indian War to the fort that bears his name, bringing with him Tessa's long-lost friend, Keturah, a redeemed Indian captive like himself.

Determined to avoid any romantic entanglements as fort commander, Clay remains aloof whenever he encounters the lovely Tessa. But when she is taken captive by the tribe Clay left, his hand--and heart--are forced, leading to one very private and one very public reckoning.

Intense, evocative, and laced with intricate historical details that bring the past to life, An Uncommon Woman will transport you to the picturesque and dangerous western Virginia mountains of 1770.

Show Less

Title: An Uncommon Woman
Author: Laura Frantz
Pages: e-book
Year: 2020
Publisher: Revell
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Tessa Swan is a young frontier woman, living in the territory that will eventually become West Virginia in 1770. Native Americans are a real and deadly threat. There is a fort nearby,

Show More

but otherwise there is little protection from them. Tessa’s father was killed in an Indian raid, and her older brother Jasper has a deep and bitter hate toward Indians as a result. Tessa lives with her mother and brothers. Her best friend when she was younger was captured by Indians, which has left a void in her life ever since. Word has been received that a commander is on the way for the fort speculation among the settlers rises as to who might be a likely candidate for his wife. Many think Tessa will fill that role. However, upon his arrival, another woman may become Mrs. Tygart.
Clay Tygart is a man who was captured by Indians as a child, then returned to a Quaker family not his own. He has served in the Seven Years War valiantly. The local fort in the West Virginia territory is named after him. He has left civilization for the fort to take command of the fort, organize the settlers and hopefully keep everyone safe. Along with him on the trail are his two African American friends, who are freed slaves, Mattie and Jude, as well as a former captive of the Lenape tribe who is to be reunited with her family after several years in captivity. However, not everyone is accepting of the newly returned woman, especially Tessa’s brother Jasper. She fears what he might do to this woman who still speaks the Lenape language and conducts herself as a Native American.
I enjoy this author’s works because of the rich details included about the time period, the setting/landscape, the food, the clothing and the way of life lived at that time. I like history and learning and find the colonial time period in the early formation of America interesting. This story was a little slow with lots of conversation and rehashing of events. I would have liked the romance to play a little more of a role in the story and perhaps a little more action, but this was still a good historical novel. I look forward to reading this author’s next historical work, which will be filled with interesting history!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.

Show Less

If Laura Frantz’s name is on it, that is enough to tell me I’m going to love a novel, and most probably, consider it a favorite. An Uncommon Woman is no exception. Ms. Frantz takes the reader back to colonial Virginia, but the far side of the Appalachians, where the Buckhannon River runs free

Show More

and life is hard. At a time when the Colonies are bursting at their seams, some have traversed the mountains to make the wildlands their home. But with Indian tribes both mistreated and feared, life on the frontier is unstable at best.
Laura Frantz has an enviable way with words that mesmerizes the reader as she paints a comprehensive word picture of the dangers of the forts established at this time.
“How would I feel if” is the question I find myself asking when reading a Laura Frantz novel. One can’t help but be drawn into the lives of Tessa and her bereft family, who are honoring her pa by continuing the life he staked out for them. Yet Tessa remembers a fearful time in childhood that affected the whole community. She also longs to return to the East, a refined land she has never seen.
Colonel Clay Tygart, for whom the fort is named, is an enigma both in appearance and personality. A “white Indian,” where will his loyalties lie when the Indian unrest breaks loose?
The secondary characters of Keturah, Tessa’s brothers, Tessa’s ma and the neighbor fill in the background to help weave a taut, suspenseful narrative that exposes human prejudices for what they are.
Vengeance-based feelings against people who might differ from oneself, held accountable for someone else’s actions. I wanted to cry at times, at others beg and plead with characters and whole groups of people to think more clearly, with forgiveness.
This is a story of many loves. A few romantic. * Sigh. * Several familial, but each different depending on the character of the persons involved. One strong friendship that supersedes all, beautifully portraying that “friend that is closer than a brother.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book. This in no way affects my opinions, which are solely my own.

Show Less

An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz
pages: 382
published by: Revell Publishing and Baker Publishing
Reviewed by: T. Hoover, USA

An original adventure story spanning from Pennsylvania to the Western Borderlands in Western Virginia.

Tessa Swan is a 24 year old lass, who dreams of a more modern existence,

Show More

overmountain-where the struggle to survive isn't such a life and death struggle, every day. Her family operates Swan Ferry on the Buckhannon River. Her father was killed by indians; her 5 brothers working so hard in the fields and at the ferry; she and her mother struggling to keep the farm going-mountains of foods to cook every single day.

Clay Tygart, has always had to struggle to survive. Around 7 years old, he was stolen by Indians-his mother and father killed. Later, he was rescued by Whites and forced to live with the Plain People, since they were the closest thing he had to living relatives. He, accompanied by Jude and Maddie, a married couple that had been with him for a long time, on their way to Fort Tygart in Western Virginia, to take over as the Post Commandant. He is afraid to love anyone or to let anyone get close, he has lost every single person who ever loved him.

The Post needs constant operations, to keep up with the warring Indians and sending out scouts, constantly. Clay and Tessa try to fight any feelings that they have towards each other, but it is futile.

Quite pleasant story, there are murders, blood, kidnappings-all sorts of things you would expect on the Western Front.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing and LibraryThing and was under no obligation to leave a review.

An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz
pages: 382
published by: Revell Publishing and Baker Publishing
Reviewed by: T. Hoover, USA

Show Less