Review: The Frontiersman’s Daughter by Laura Frantz

Lael Click is the daughter of a well known Kentucky Frontiersman. Her father has a mysterious past that he will not discuss with her. At one time he was feared to have died because he was taken by the Shawnee Indians.
When this book begins Lael is fourteen and is infatuated with her best friends brother. Before that love can blossom Lael is torn from her family by her father.
She learns from Ma Horn what herbs, roots, plants and bark are useful for treating sickness and injuries. Those skills are called on often in this epic tale of the hard west.
She feels her abilities are challenged when a new doctor arrives at the fort.
Lael lives a tough life. Odd, at one time I thought I wanted to live during those ‘Little House on the Prairie’ times, but since reading The Frontiersman’s Daughter I came to realize how hard it had to have been. I like comfort way to much. I would much rather enjoy reading about those times.
This is a five star book on my scale of one to five. Franz always had me ‘there’ with Lael from the twisting gold leaves falling to the ground or the bitter bite of the cold. The setting in this book is a character of its own, yet it doesn’t weigh down the story with its presence.
Franz excels at story telling. Her characters are well-developed. She even weaves the spiritual journey of Lael through the book in a believable way. I appreciated the lack of violent details, Franz gives enough that you know someone has been shot or scalped yet you don’t have to put the book down in revulsion. I hated to see this book end. It will stay on my keeper shelf to read again. It’s been a long time since I’ve read such a compelling novel.