Reviewer: Lori Graham
Title: Morning Sky
Author: Judith Miller
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 0-7642-2999-0
Release Date: March 2006
Genre/Sub-genre: Historical Romance (Inspirational)
Year/Setting: Kansas, 1880 (occasional jaunts to New York City)
Overall Rating: 4.5
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity) Rating: None
Judith's Website: www.judithmccoymiller.com
Morning Sky features two cities in Kansas. Hill City has been established as a white community and Nicodemus as a colored one. The Harban family is one of those colored families who used to be slaves and have achieved freedom. The farm is being run by Ezekiel Harban along with his three daughters – Grace, Truth and Jarena. All in all their lives are going smoothly as they work to create a going venture from their farm and the new community they wish to see flourish.
That smoothness is threatened with the arrival of Ezekiel’s sister-in-law, Lilly Verdue. Lilly is nothing like his departed wife and has a habit for getting herself in trouble. He firmly believes the only reason she is now in Kansas is things went very wrong for Lilly in New Orleans (and he isn’t far from the truth).
Lilly has the habit of stirring things up and making mud. Truth is promised to Moses (he runs a newspaper for the community) and Jarena is promised to Thomas (a buffalo soldier fighting the Indians). Truth works in Hill City for the Boyle family to make money for her fall marriage. Jarena runs a household for her father as she waits for Thomas to come home. Lilly seems to believe some of this should be changed.
They are all relieved when Lilly moves into Hill City for a position and they will be left in peace. Or will they as some of Lilly’s issues catch up with her. Plus Truth is asked by the Boyle family to go to New York City to bring home their daughter, Macia, who they have received word is quite ill.
I know these paragraphs might seem a bit disjointed but in reality this word story flows quite well. I wanted to give you in hints into the plot without giving away too much of it. There is some romance, some history and even a bit of intrigue, not to mention a whole lot of inspiration, as Judith Miller weaves the tale of the Harban family and their friends and neighbors.
The two main characters in many ways are the two sisters, Truth and Jarena. The path life takes them on is full of obstacles to be overcome and triumphed over. They show a great deal of growth and human depth – along with love and loyalty.
Morning Sky is a poignant story of human insecurities and frailties along with the strengths which we can draw upon. While the background of the story is the two cities and the differences between them (race is but one), the star of the story is the similarities as when we get right down to it our hearts are the same.
Lori
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