Sarah's Secret: A Western Tale of Betrayal and Forgiveness Paperback – Import, 31 January 2017

Sarah's Secret, a debut, historical novel by Bev Scott, is at its core, an adventure story of American, 19th century pioneer days that brings the reader along dusty trails, through the plains, and into the humble adobes of dugouts and shanty towns. Reminiscent of the Little House on the Prairie books in its vivid and authentic detail of daily life amid the challenges of weather and isolation, Sarah's Secret seeks to tell the truths of frontier life by revealing both its freedoms and vulnerabilities.Certainly, the frontier offered the freedom to run from the law, to break the law, and to hide secrets. Pioneer women, alone and remote, were often viewed as commodities: the mail order bride, the workhorse, the breeder, destined to a harsh life of drudgery, abuse, and early death. The wives and women in this book are no exception. Yet we see their resilience and independence, a strength born of hardship and tested by obstacles. As both Peggy and Sarah persevere, it becomes their adventure.Yet, how both male and female characters test the limits of freedom is the central conflict of this book: how their moral compass guides them, their physical conditions change them, and how the long-reaching arm of the law both evades and discovers them. It is a true American story, yet the author allows the well-drawn characters to tell it, scene by scene, as they come to terms with responsibility. This is an excellent book, well-crafted and researched, a mirror to the American past and present.

Lindas Book Obsession Reviews“SARAH’S SECRETS: A Western Tale of Betrayal and Forgiveness” by BEVERLY SCOTT Beverly Scott, author of “Sarah’s Secrets” does a wonderful job of describing the setting and plot for this story. Based on the author’s questions of her own family life, Beverly Scott takes us back in time to the 1880s to the old west, and Pioneer days. Life was simple but it was difficult to survive. There were Native Americans (Indians), wild animals, illnesses and the severe weather conditions that made it very difficult to live. It was hard to trust strangers in hard times looking for food or water. The genres of this story are Fiction, and Historical Fiction, with the author taking poetic license to add the historical details to the fictional characters. There are major secrets and betrayals that will cause conflict with the main characters. The author describes the characters as complex and complicated, courageous, brave, and struggling with secrets and to stay alive. The author takes us on an adventure as Sarah and Sam tell their stories of their lives in the wild west. Sarah is left as a widow with children to take care of five children after Sam’s death. Sarah is a former school teacher but in these times, single women and widows do not usually get jobs easily. The trip back home to her family is treacherous and dangerous. Worse of all is the betrayal and consequences that Sarah has to learn to live with. I liked Sarah and found her to be extremely tolerant and courageous. She was a wonderful caretaker and mother. I appreciate that the author describes the importance of family, friends, love, hope, faith and forgiveness. I would highly recommend this book. I received a copy of this book for my honest review.

What a wonderful read of longing, commitment and trauma. I was spellbound throughout the entire story. In the flash of one moment, the trajectory of a man’s life and of those who loved and depended on him changes forever. The developing plot draws the reader in as we wait to see how this one action reaches into and impacts the lives of future generations. Set against the backdrop of a post-Civil War nation, when thousands headed west to escape their past, disappear into the horizon, and remake themselves, this biography is a rich study of pioneer ethos and the risks faced every day. The women touched by this man, who kept his secrets close, are heroines of courage, steadfastness and goodness. Beverly Scott is an author who has a way of painting word pictures that make you feel like you are a part of the story as it unfolds towards the discovery of his devastating secrets.

Normally I don't enjoy history and only bought this book because I know the author. BUT when I read it, I was amazed as she described Sarah's life. This book reminded me of "The Alienist," in which I gained a totally new understanding of turn of the century New York City, (who ever considered that horses who died were left to rot in the city streets?).Equally revealing about the harshness of pioneer life during that same time, this story follows the life of Sarah, as she moves away from her family and follows her much older husband to establish homesteads across the prairie. I never thought about what it took to build a one-room dugout with one window where 4 people would live, eat, sleep, and cook in sub-zero temperatures!Vivid details of culture, isolation, and the struggles and strengths of early pioneers show Scott is a terrific researcher. While a novel, the foundation of the story is based on her grandmother and the grandfather, who died before Scott was born - and the mysteriously whispered family secrets that shrouded their lives. Read this book and discover a wholly different world, but one that encompasses the emotions of love, disappointment, faith, and determination that are eternal.

This was a very interesting and compelling story. I felt that Beverly Scott's creativity as a writer really kicked in with the second part of this book, which was written from Will's (or Sam's) viewpoint. In the last section of the book, which was taken from Sarah's viewpoint, I really became attached to Sarah and her family, and found myself pulling for her. The mystery about Sam's past was a constant element in this story, and I think that Beverly Scott did a masterful job of withholding just enough information to keep me wanting to find out more. I feel that she also did a good job of capturing what life would have been like one hundred years ago.