Justice at Redwillow by John D. Nesbitt
A Wyoming homesteader finds his newly acquired quarter-section of land the center of unwanted and suspicious attention. Ben Spoonhammer, the old partner who sold Jim Fontaine his 160 acres, held the title to the parcel free and clear, and there’s no legal reason why Fontaine shouldn’t take possession of the little spread and live there peacefully. But Fred Barrett and George Call, a pair of hands from the much bigger Rocking B ranch, seem all too interested in his doings. Despite the high body count—half the cast will be dead by the last sunset—Nesbitt (Don’t Be a Stranger, 2015, etc.) as usual keeps things relaxed and neighborly, even though Fontaine’s neighbors aren’t the kind you’d want yourself. (Kirkus Review)
On Cimarron by Paul Joseph Lederer
As weary settlers begin to infiltrate the Kansas area, a young family of pilgrims settles on a lower stretch of the Cimarron River. Elizabeth O'Day and her husband, Tom, virtually alone in the wilderness, have been told that the area is safe for whites. However, they soon discover a band of Kiowa Indians, their mood uncertain, living nearly across the river from where they plan to build a home. An uneasy peace endures between the people on each side of the river, and the two groups manage a sort of wary interaction. Until the War Between the States erupts nearly simultaneously with the long-standing conflict between Comanche and Kiowa and the winds of bloody war sweep across the Cimarron land from every direction. (Publisher Summary)
Changes by Pamela Nowak
Librarian Lise Dupree has a secret, one that cost her her last job: her mother is half-Sioux. In 1879, this is an unforgivable offense. Now the head librarian in Omaha, she hides her identity and passes as white. However, with the incarceration of her ailing, elderly aunt and the trial of an important chief looming on the horizon, Lise, though still not revealing who she really is, begins to show her pro-Indian sympathies. Zach Spencer, the prosecuting attorney in the Standing Bear case, disagrees with Lise but is impressed with her legal-research skills, and soon his admiration turns to love. The problem is Lise hasn't shared her heritage with Zach, and given his beloved grandfather's attitude toward Native Americans, she's sure that when he finds out, their relationship will end. Nowak has captured the prejudices of the day in this well-written historical romance and has avoided the seemingly omnipresent stereotypes many writers of historical westerns stoop to using. Standing Bear's landmark trial, which determined whether American Indians were "real" human beings or merely ignorant "savages," was a vital part of the path that eventually led to their enfranchisement. (Booklist Starred Review)
