Unflinching and plainspoken, Tessa Swan is not your typical 18th-century woman. Born and bred on the western Virginia frontier along with her five brothers, she is a force to be reckoned with. Quiet and courageous, Clay Tygart is not your typical 18th-century man. Raised by Lenape Indians, he returns a hero from the French and Indian War to the fort that bears his name, bringing with him Tessa’s … him Tessa’s long-lost friend, Keturah, a redeemed Indian captive like himself.
Determined to avoid any romantic entanglements as fort commander, Clay remains aloof whenever he encounters the lovely Tessa. But when she is taken captive by the tribe Clay left, his hand–and heart–are forced, leading to one very private and one very public reckoning.
Intense, evocative, and laced with intricate historical details that bring the past to life, An Uncommon Woman will transport you to the picturesque and dangerous western Virginia mountains of 1770.
more
Laura Frantz is on a very short list of auto-buy authors for me. And I don’t mean ebooks–I take great delight in seeing as many of her spines on my bookshelf as possible. I know that with her stories, I will get history, vivid imagery, beautiful prose, heartachingly dear characters, and an all-immersive experience. An Uncommon Woman delivered all of this, just as I expected it would. It’s a novel meant to be taken slowly, and rewards those willing to take it at its own pace. I can’t wait to see what Laura will bring us next.
I didn’t want this story to end, but like all good things, end it did. I instantly wanted to hug the book, and then flip back to the beginning and start it all over again! I laughed, I cried, I held my breath in anticipation and sighed with contentment. Vivid, realistic, and filled with drama this story is everything I could have asked for and more!
Occasionally a book will come along that so envelops my imagination that not only am I feeling what the characters are going through but I hear the soundtrack of the story playing in my imagination as I read. This story played like a movie in my head as I walked in the very footprints of the characters. Sometimes those prints were boot prints, sometimes barefoot prints and other times moccasin prints, but I was right there in the thick of it, and loving every moment!
Pick up your copy today and take an exceptional journey back in time with Tessa Swan, Clay Tygart, Keturah and a full cast of delightful characters that are sure to steal your heart and imagination! You, like me, may just find a new favorite book for your “keeper shelf”!
(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I am not required to write a review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.)
Another stunning masterpiece for Laura Frantz. I couldn’t put it down!
I loved listening to the audio version of An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz. She brings frontier experiences to life so well. The theme of friendship was meaningful and well woven into the story. Tess was a wonderful heroine, and I was eager to see what would happen to her and her family. Very well done and highly recommended.
I have started 2020 with what will most likely prove to be one of my favorite reads of the year.
Laura Frantz has been one of my favorite authors since I first read The Frontiersman’s Daughter. She brings a unique voice to fiction that soothes the soul and allows the imagination to take flight to a distant time, filled with the adventure and hardships in the settling of a new world. Her stories are pervaded with memorable characters that are filled with strength and integrity that is unmatched.
In an Uncommon Woman, Ms. Frantz brings an endearing couple together in a time filled with danger on the far reaches of the colonial settlements. I found Clay Tygart’s struggle between the two worlds of his upbringing, that of his Indian captives and his Quaker roots symbolic of the inner struggle of the birth of a new nation, one that was not easy.
The heroine, Tessa Swan, is indeed an uncommon woman. I found this quote compelling:
“She would be a woman of strength and honor, however humble.”
Under Ms. Frantz masterful pen, characters larger than life inspire this reader. Her books will always hold a spot on my keeper shelf, to be returned to again and again.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
What praise can I give Laura Frantz’s An Uncommon Woman that hasn’t been given? She has written with beauty and precision the kind of story that absolutely grips me in this frontier tale. I was thoroughly swept away into a world of danger, humanity, and romance.
Frantz’s characters, especially that of Tessa, the story’s heroine, shine through with the sort of vivid personality all writers want to capture, but not all do. When I met Tessa, it wasn’t long before I realized that the cover artist had rendered her perfectly. See that expression on her face? Know that when you read this book, you’ll envision her just like that.
You’ll clearly imagine other characters like Tessa’s aunt, “a fearsome wrinkle of a woman”, her brave and sometimes impetuous brothers, her long-lost and unusual childhood friend, and of course the hero Clay, called “Ghost Eyes” by the natives, because “his blue eye, it sees heaven. His brown eye, earth.”
I was also pleased with the creative yet accurate way that Ms. Frantz rendered some actual historical characters in the story, especially the volatile Simon Girty, someone with whom most modern readers are probably not very familiar. His presence immediately set me on edge. (If you know much of Simon Girty, it’ll do the same to you.)
The peril of the times and the situations settlers faced in that over-mountain wilderness enthralls me. I can’t imagine their level of endurance. Ms. Frantz portrays such with beauty and truth, and she doesn’t shy away from harsh realities. An Uncommon Woman was an uncommon book, provoking in turns happiness, sadness, and content. This may have become my favorite of Laura’s books, hearkening back to the likes of The Frontiersman’s Daughter and A Moonbow Night.
Tessa Swan is an amazing woman. She is bright, passionate, and strong-willed. She is also beautiful, compassionate, and hard-working. But, Tessa is also just like every woman who’s ever walked the face of this earth — she, too, has insecurities and fears and doubts. While it is clear that Clay, the fabulous hero of An Uncommon Woman, is very attracted to Tessa for a plethora of reasons, Tessa still worries that she is not good enough for him. I completely understand Tessa’s feelings, as unfounded as they may be. For the most part, I’m pretty confident in the woman God has made me, but every now and then I, too, struggle with thoughts that I’m not good enough or pretty enough or skinny enough or smart enough for my husband. In Tessa’s case, she knows that Clay has access to genteel, upper-class women, women who have access to the best clothes money can buy and are always put together daintily and prettily. These women definitely do not have grime under their nails from working the land. Tessa has a blessed life — she’s educated where most are not, she has a loving family, and her needs are definitely met — but Tessa works for a living. Her hands are not pristine and her clothes are workworn. How could she ever compare to a back-east belle?
What I love so much about Tessa is she refuses to give in to these depressing thoughts and comparisons. In fact, a verse from Proverbs 31 comes to mind, which “renews her courage and straightens her shoulders” (113). She acknowledges that she may not be fancy like the ladies back east, but she does have the Bible to strengthen her. Tessa understands that God has made her a woman of strength and honor no matter how humble her circumstances (113). Isn’t this so beautiful? And it’s super encouraging too. Our worth as women is established by the loving Creator who made us, not by fickle society. Tessa’s example of going to her Bible to be reminded of how God sees her is the BEST message, and a reminder I think a lot of us ladies need today. The next time I’m feeling a little uncertain in my skin, when I’m feeling a little down or frumpy, I’m going to do what Tessa does — I’m going to go to God so He can remind me of my true value.
An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz is a beautiful illustration of a Proverbs 31 woman hard at work. Tessa Swan is a superb heroine, and I am really going to miss her. She is a heroine I will remember long after finishing this book! If you are looking for a story that is well-crafted and beautifully penned, that takes you on a journey during a tumultuous time in our American history, and that is delightfully romantic, I highly recommend An Uncommon Woman. It’s truly a breathtaking story!
I received a review copy of this novel in paperback form from the author via her publisher, Revell. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Like all of Laura Frantz’s other books, this one deserves to be savored. I wanted to read it quickly, yet I didn’t want to go too fast and have it end too soon. This book is rich in detail that will totally immerse you in the story. I immediately loved Clay and Tessa. I keenly felt their losses. I know this is a book that I will definitely read again! I loved it so much!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I’ve been a fan of Laura Frantz’s works for years now and I have to say An Uncommon Woman is now in my top two favorites by her!
Queen of frontier novels, Laura Frantz’s vivid descriptions allow her readers to feel like they are actually there with the characters. With themes of friendship, forgiveness, and sweet romance, this story will take your breath away and bring tears to your eyes. Masterfully written and beautifully told.
Another compelling tale by Laura Frantz filled with intriguing characters, lush descriptions that engage the senses, and immerses readers in the setting. An Uncommon Woman explores the fascinating history of relationships between the settlers and native Americans prior to the American Revolution. Her attention to detail and accurate historical events is appreciated by those of us who love history and enjoy a truly romantic love story.
This may be my favorite by Laura Frantz to date!
In An Uncommon Woman author Laura Frantz transports readers to a setting she has mastered, the 18th century Appalachian frontier. Sensory-rich description brings the landscape to life; traverse perilous forest trails, shelter with raw relief in the rough but welcoming environs of a fort, experience the tension of an isolated homestead that might stand peaceful today but lie in smoking ruins tomorrow. Peopled with characters as resilient and compelling as the terrain they inhabit, An Uncommon Woman is an engaging story that had me up late turning pages.
Author Laura Frantz has an amazing way of immersing you into the story, where the characters and the story are so real. The frontier and all the struggles that came with living in 1770 come alive by the pen of Laura Frantz. I was almost bereft when I got to the end of the story. I wasn’t ready to be done! I seriously could have kept turning pages. Will there be a sequel!? I would love that.
Fantastic Historical fiction!
Such an amazing story! I could not put it down!
Tessa’s life has always known danger, she longs for peace.
Her best friend has returned after many years of captivity. Though she has changed much, she is still a sister of the heart. I loved the intense friendship between the two women even when parted.
Matchmaking Great Aunt Hester was a wonderful character as was Maddie
Clay has many troubles of his own and believes harm will come to everyone he loves. But there is something special about Tessa Swan. I enjoyed the stolen kisses and the unconventional romance.
Tessa is a no-nonsense kind of woman with a bit of stubbornness to her.
I loved her and Clay together!
I have both read and listened to this book, I highly recommend it!
Aimee Lilly is a wonderful narrator and she sings!
An Uncommon Woman is Frantz’s best novel so far, which is saying quite a lot. There are so many elements I love about this story: how the plot flows unerringly in a gripping narrative that captures the heart; how it is always true to period and place; how Frantz portrays with unsparing realism the tensions of frontier life, always roiling in the background like thunderclouds riven by heat lightning on a sweltering July day. I especially love how the characters, including the minor ones, are unerringly delineated so that each rises off the page to flesh and blood life. Especially so Tessa Swan and Clay Tygart, caught in “an uncertain dance,” as they are drawn powerfully to each other amid danger and heartbreak. The ending is perfect, as against all odds these two very uncommon people face a joyful future together in a consummation that will have readers sighing with delight.
Laura Frantz is at the top of her game as she hit it out of the ballpark. She captures the Historical period of the late 1700’s in western Virginia with seamless perfection. These courageous and strong people fought the elements, the land, as well as the Indians who were trying to preserve their people. Follow the River is one of my favorite books and this is now running side by side with it. The writing is so poetic that you are immersed in the characters and can feel their struggles, fear, and yes the sparks of romance blooming. Tessa Swan is a woman to admire, but the lesser character of her childhood friend Keturah became the true heroine in my opinion. She exemplified what true love for a friend meant. John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. I can’t sing the praises of this book enough, as if you love History coming to life and characters you will love then don’t miss out on this one. I didn’t want it to end.
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
This book, Y’all! This book is a historical lover’s dream!
Laura Frantz brings the 1770’s to life in a very real way. With her vivid imagery and storytelling Ms. Frantz has created real, believable characters and their world of fort life in 1770 Virginia to life on every page.
The budding romance between Tessa and Clay is swoon-worthy and shows Laura Frantz’s talent at her finest.Tessa’s desire for a flounced petty coat at the opening in the book just shows her sweetness. Clay was the perfect hero for this story. His care for not just Tessa but the entire Swan family was endearing.
While I wanted to read this quickly the moment I received it, I wasn’t able to because of the holidays and it turned out for the best because this book is meant to be savored.
As with all of Laura Frantz’s books the faith element is perfectly placed and sinks right into the reader’s heart.
I highly recommend this book, it will enrich your life!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Twenty-four year old Tessa Swan, a distinct, resolute young woman of courage, undaunted strength, and faith, well understands life on the Virginia frontier in the rugged year of 1770. If the harsh and demanding life doesn’t kill you, the Indians very well may. Such is Tessa’s day-to-day existence.
Tessa’s life holds no time for men outside the five brothers she cooks and cleans for on a never ending basis until Clay Tygart rides into her life returning her old friend, Keturah. Colonel Tygart is an arresting looking man with a very interesting past. As their lives become enmeshed while trying to survive frontier life, difficult choices must be made by each of them testing their faith, dedication to family, and hope for better life.
This beautiful story focuses on the enduring power of friendship, persistence in the face of crushing loss, and a depth of faith that doesn’t give up. The historical detail in the book highlights life on the Virginia frontier and encompasses the struggles of survival, the reality of the encroachment of the frontier into Indian territories, and the very real difficulties of assimilating the captured back into their past lives.
This book is a must read for fans of frontier historical fiction or historical fiction with a bit of romance. I loved this book and highly encourage you to read this captivating story of Tessa and Clay and life on the Virginia Frontier.
This ARC copy was received from Revell and Netgalley.com. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.
#AnUncommonWoman #NetGalley
This story took me a little while to get into yet once I did, it was great.. There is so much information and I could imagine the way of speaking would be just like that written. All description took me into every scene. The author is amazing.
I gave this a 5 star because it is such a great book picked this up and didn’t want to put it down!