Member Review

I learned so much reading this book that I walked away feeling smarter than I was when I started! Jaime Lisa Forbes writes about the pioneer days in 1800s Nebraska with the familiarity of someone who has done their research.

At the same time, 'Sunny Gale,' is a startlingly intimate look into the life and thoughts of a young woman just starting out her life and trying her best to find what she wants most. The main character of the book is Hannah Brandt, a young girl who grows into a woman before the reader's very eyes.

Hannah loves horses. She has ever since she first saw a wild filly on her parents property in rural Nebraska at the tender age of 14. That particular experience did not end well for her, as her attempts to befriend the horse ended in her step-father shooting it so that Hannah would stop wasting the family's limited food supply on the horse. But, as Hannah grows into a woman, she continues to express her love of horses through working with the rodeo.

Hannah's husband, Luke, and her mother both disapprove of her joining the rodeo, but Hannah knows that it is where her heart lies, and she will give up anything she has to in order to stay close to that world.

'Sunny Gale,' was, for me, a stunning look into the mind of an uncompromising woman, and a beautiful historical novel that left me with a warm feeling in my chest.

I have read Jaime Lisa Forbes' writing before in the form of her book, 'Eden' and I remember having the same warm feeling after that one. She is such a talented writer I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next! I recommend reading both that book and this one for a great historical fiction experience!