Silken Savage

The book I ordered arrived quickly and in great shape. I am very pleased with my purchase and who I purchased it from.

Like many others, my first copy of this book was so worn out from reading that I had to replace it. The love story told in this book is full of heartache and truth. While some reviewers have said that the whipping of Tanya early on was too much, in reality, this is what would happen to a captive that tried to escape. That's just it. The book is full of what a romance is really like - full of struggles and very difficult moments. It's not all "bows and bonnets". The historical accuracy of the book seems "right on" also. Though I do not claim to be an expert in Native American history, this book inspired me to do some research. Everything from the Sun Dance ritual to the details of the massacre of the village and the death of Black Kettle holds historic fact. The book is based mostly near Pueblo, Colorado, where Tanya is headed when she is captured. She is returned to her family there for a period of time. (My heart ached when she and the boys were separated from Panther.) My father lives in Pueblo, so when I visit it seems very neat to think that I am in the area that such a story could have been dreamed of. One odd thing, though. In the end, (spoiler alert here!), Lt. Young is killed chasing Tanya and Panther just north of Pueblo. (Dont' worry...you won't shed any tears on that snake!) Oddly enough, there is a "Young's Hollow" just north of Pueblo. I haven't been able to find out how it got its name. If you read this book, you will find that the characters stay with you. The author builds and portrays them so well. If you love Native American romance novels, you will surely love this one.

This was my first Catherine Hart read, and it was not my last! However, I must say that this one stayed my favourite the whole time! Tanya Martin is captured by Cheyenne Braves along with several other white women and taken to their camp. She is then branded by the brave who kidnapped her and her hatred for him becomes stronger. She tries to run away but fails. In return, he beats her and takes her clothes so she cannot run away. At this stage in the book, you are feeling nothing but the strongest of hatred for these Indians and you don't see how that will change. But it does change, drastically!! Slowly, the brave named A Panther Stalks begins to tame his wildcat, and that is how Tanya gets her tribe name Little Wildcat. Through trials and tribulations they hold fast to one another and their love, and Catherine Hart has succeeded beautifully here in telling us how they loved, why they loved and if they can ever merge their two worlds together. I thought that the unending love between A Panther Stalks and Little Wildcat was told just wonderfully! My favourite part of the book was when the army attacked the Cheyenne village. I thought that it was told so vividly, you could almost hear the screams and you felt so terrible when Wildcat got taken away from Panther. I thought that the rituals were portrayed very well such as the Sun Dance. And that makes you think of what it must have been like for the tribes!! Catherine Hart really evokes the senses with this novel. She makes you feel what the characters are feeling. That alone tells us how much of a brilliant author she is. I would reccommend this book to everyone who needs a pick-me-up as it is an endearingly, passionately, humourously and lovingly crafted novel.

Catherine Hart has captivated and peaked my interest many times over with Silken Savage. The details are extremely close to actual events and depict the hardships and terror associated with their way of life. With Tanya and Panther, Catherine Hart has created a captivating love that spans the test of time and prejudice to show that two people so opposite can belong in each others worlds, but she doesn't stop there!!! She takes up where Tanya and Panther left off as their children walk their paths to love and acceptance with a following book...the true love in these books is defiant and enduring. Both books are excellent and captivating!!!!!!!

The best book I have ever read, I have read this book well over 50 times and I love it more with every reading.