Challenge the Wind

Written by Debra Tash

263 pages

Published by Amber Quill Press

Review by Thomas Scott

Receives:

The lives of three families intertwine and merge in the end in this action-filled romance about the American Revolution. Challenge the Wind is a classic England versus America story that grips you from the beginning of the book to the very end. Debra Tash manages to deliver details about the Revolutionary War in a way that is palpable and not overwrought as war novels can do. Instead of feeding us passages of war details, the details are interwoven into the story and help move the plot along.

In the winter of 1777, Matthew Smith leads a band of British Army deserters and seizes the home of Sarah Lloyd and her family. He forces Sarah to care for his injured officer, Sergeant Quinn. Through his experiences with Sarah and her family, Matthew learns to see her as other than just an American and an enemy. Sarah’s son and husband are soldiers in the war, and after her husband is killed her son Adam becomes a hero by helping other soldiers with medical attention. Meanwhile, Sarah’s daughter Molly (who is also Adam’s twin) falls in love with a British officer, Major Allen, who returns her love but their relationship seems doomed from the start, because how can a relationship between an American and a British officer be successful during the Revolutionary War? In the end, these characters intertwine and we see that love is the common denominator during a trying, violent war.

These are well-drawn characters who struggle during the war with tough choices as they must balance between their beliefs in the war and their love and concern for their families. The family bond is a strong theme in this novel, as is love and seeing past boundaries that are drawn by others. The narration is strong and well-balanced, and Tash proves that she is a master storyteller. This novel is recommended for fans of the American Revolution, as well as those who simply enjoy well-told stories about families and love. ______________________________________________________________

Thomas Scott is a freelance writer from Los Angeles, California. He lives with his wife and their three daughters.