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Liz has been cut loose from the only world she’s known when her husband asks for a divorce. Her wounded daughter, Cokey, focuses all her anger on Liz. Liz needs to learn who she is without her harsh, critical husband in her life, turning to another man just puts her fragile heart in more peril.
Clyde is just coming into his fullest power as an artist, focusing on his Native American heritage. With the support of Liz’s childhood friend, Maria, who has developed a zealous passion for her Indian heritage, Clyde is becoming recognized worldwide. Divorced from an Anglo, Clyde knows only unhappiness lies in tying himself to someone who doesn’t share his love of the Native America culture.
Liz, looking for a place to heal when her husband walks out, takes Cokey and goes home for the summer to her parent’s ranch resort in New Mexico. The resort manager Clyde Hawkins, has become a firm friend of Liz’s parents but the sparks that fly between Clyde and Liz can never cool down to mere friendship. Maria, the art gallery owner who sponsors Clyde’s beautiful paintings, is so protective of Clyde, Liz backs away. Sensitive to racism, Clyde takes Liz’s distant behavior as a sign she has no interest in getting involved with an Indian.
The pitfalls are deep, the conflicts are profound, but the heat is undeniable. Mary Verdick takes a lifetime of love for the American Southwest and uses it as the backdrop for a classic love story. With a respect that is reminiscent of Tony Hillerman, Verdick intertwines the art work and lore of the Pueblo Indians to give her story a depth that transcends romance.
Reviewed by Mary Connealy
for The Road to Romance
August 22, 2004
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