Rated: ♥ ♥ ♥ . ♥ {3.80}
Action: ♠♠♠.♠ / Emotion: ♣♣♣♣♣ / Romance: ♥♥♥♥ / Sensuous: ♦.♦ / Suspense: ♠♠
Action: 3.5 / Emotion: 5.0 / Romance: 4.0 / Sensuous: 1.5 / Suspense: 2.0 // Historical Flavor: 4.5 // Laughter: 0 // Tears: 4 / Teary: 2
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Setting: The Republic of Texas
Era: 1844
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Joan Johnston is a favorite author because she is such a gifted storyteller, therefore, it was no surprise that Texas Woman, the third and final book of The Sisters of the Lone Star Trilogy was an enjoyable read. However, this was not the best book of the trilogy. Sure Johnston filled the story with the usual exciting action scenes, added a smidgen of suspense, and threw in quite a bit of romance, but, oh my goodness, it took forever to even come to like the heroine.
Johnston opened the book with the same great prologue that was found in the two previous books of the series. And if one had not just read the books back to back, they would have been drawn into the story just as quickly as in the previous two books.
It wasn't until page 118 that Sloan's actions came across as admirable and there was hint that, okay, maybe now she will be likable. After all, shouldn't readers like the heroine? But it was impossible to like Sloan -- mostly because of the way she treated her son -- until page 280. That is a really long time to disapprove of the heroine.
What was it that Sloan was doing to drive the reader nuts? There were several things.
First, Sloan believed that she was her father's daughter and was absolutely, positively not a coward.
Era: 1844
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Joan Johnston is a favorite author because she is such a gifted storyteller, therefore, it was no surprise that Texas Woman, the third and final book of The Sisters of the Lone Star Trilogy was an enjoyable read. However, this was not the best book of the trilogy. Sure Johnston filled the story with the usual exciting action scenes, added a smidgen of suspense, and threw in quite a bit of romance, but, oh my goodness, it took forever to even come to like the heroine.
Johnston opened the book with the same great prologue that was found in the two previous books of the series. And if one had not just read the books back to back, they would have been drawn into the story just as quickly as in the previous two books.
His eldest son would be named Sloan. Sloan would be strong and brave, a proud, capable heir to take Rip's place. Bayleigh would be Rip's surety. He would be the educated one, bred to be a loyal and steadfast help to his elder brother. Rip's youngest son would be named Creighton. Creighton would be the child of Rip's heart, the child he played with and indulged and lavished with his love. Creighton and would be fiery-tempered and bold, demanding everything the Texas frontier had to offer a man, and getting it.However, if one had just finished reading the first two books of the series (Frontier Woman and Comanche Woman), it might be with reticence that they would open this book because the heroine, Sloan Stewart, was just not that likable in these first two books. But then, maybe Johnston was going to reveal where Sloan was coming from -- to show readers the demons she was dealing with and win readers over.
Unfortunately, Amelia gave Rip three daughters. That did not deter Rip Stewart. He named the eldest Sloan, the second Bayleigh, and the youngest Creighton, and set about to make his dreams come true. (page 1)
It wasn't until page 118 that Sloan's actions came across as admirable and there was hint that, okay, maybe now she will be likable. After all, shouldn't readers like the heroine? But it was impossible to like Sloan -- mostly because of the way she treated her son -- until page 280. That is a really long time to disapprove of the heroine.
What was it that Sloan was doing to drive the reader nuts? There were several things.
First, Sloan believed that she was her father's daughter and was absolutely, positively not a coward.
If there is one thing Rip had instilled in her from the day she was born, it was courage. She was his brave girl. She was his strong one. She must never be afraid. She must face her fears and conquer them. To show vulnerability was to be weak. To show weakness was to lose everything. She knew what she was. And she was no coward. (Sloan, page 64)
Never has a woman displayed such cowardly behavior. Ever since Sloan learned she had been betrayed by Antonio Guerrero (in Frontier Woman), she began acting cowardly. There is nothing more cowardly than a woman who will not take a chance on loving -- not only a man, but her own son -- all because she might be hurt in the end. She is going to be hurt whether she acknowledges her love for Cruz and Cisco or not. Sloan is wearing a great big "I'm a coward" sign on the steel barriers she erected around her heart.
Second, Sloan lies to herself if she believes she was going to Cruz Guerrero's hacienda because she had no where else to go. Sure Sloan explains why she choose to go to Cruz's house when she had a rip roaring fight with her bullheaded father and slammed out of Three Oaks, but we all know the truth. How many times do women find excuses to bump into their soul mate after they meet him. Yes, it would have been crowded at Golden Valley (Long Quiet and Bay's home) and she would have been in the way at Lion's Dare (Creed and Cricket's home), but everyone knows she would have been welcomed in both of her sisters' homes. And much as she denied it to herself, Sloan was attracted to Cruz.
Third, Sloan's vacillation about her feelings for Cruz nearly drove one up the wall. Oh my word! It was like readers were on a hill watching Sloan with a daisy, pulling the petals from the flower, saying, "I want him. I want him not. I want him. I want him not." And then she picked up another daisy, and kept pulling more petals.
To be quite honest, Sloan's voice was much stronger than Cruz's during the telling of this story. As Sloan was dealing with her issues, Cruz just kept steadfastly pursuing Sloan.
Maybe Johnston was not able to give Cruz a bigger voice during the telling of his story because she inserted a mini secondary romance in the story between Luke Summers and Refugia Adela Maria Tomasita Hidalgo, Cruz's ward. And while one could not help but want to read Luke's story (after meeting him in the first two books), the way it was told left much to be desired. Johnston never told readers how Luke's personality developed. Why there was such sadness in his eyes. Yes, she gave us a sketchy background about how he knew he was the son of Rip Stewart and why he resented his father, but the feelings, the details, the angst was missing.
Second, Sloan lies to herself if she believes she was going to Cruz Guerrero's hacienda because she had no where else to go. Sure Sloan explains why she choose to go to Cruz's house when she had a rip roaring fight with her bullheaded father and slammed out of Three Oaks, but we all know the truth. How many times do women find excuses to bump into their soul mate after they meet him. Yes, it would have been crowded at Golden Valley (Long Quiet and Bay's home) and she would have been in the way at Lion's Dare (Creed and Cricket's home), but everyone knows she would have been welcomed in both of her sisters' homes. And much as she denied it to herself, Sloan was attracted to Cruz.
Third, Sloan's vacillation about her feelings for Cruz nearly drove one up the wall. Oh my word! It was like readers were on a hill watching Sloan with a daisy, pulling the petals from the flower, saying, "I want him. I want him not. I want him. I want him not." And then she picked up another daisy, and kept pulling more petals.
Completely unnerved by her body's tingling reaction to his touch and the husky sound of his voice, Sloan sought some way to break the growing spell between them. (Sloan, page 80)So while Sloan is racing through the book, being strong-willed, determined to do things her way, determined to thwart all of Cruz's actions to find their way to a happily ever after, Cruz is relentless in his determination to make Sloan his. Never has a hero had to work so hard to convince the woman he loves that he will not betray her . . . that he will love her forevermore. Sloan was so resistant for so long, it was impossible not to think, 'what does Cruz see in Sloan?' Why doesn't he just threw in the cards and find someone who isn't so much trouble? For Pete's Sake, Cruz waited four long years to claim Sloan after she made an agreement with him to raise her son. An agreement, by the way, that Sloan didn't plan to honor.
There was a rightness about the feel of her body aligned with his. But the pure, wanton desire that spiraled through her was a threat she wasn't ready to meet. (Sloan, page 90)
She knew what it would mean if she succumbed to his demands. She did not want to be his wife. She did not want to give control of her life to another man. How could her body respond so treacherously to his caress? (Sloan, page 90)
"I don't want to be your wife, Cruz." . . . "Your brother would always stand between us. Even if he didn't, we both want our own way too much for us ever to be able to get along. I'll never agree to leave Three Oaks . . . And you're bound to Dolorosa. So you see, there really isn't any hope for this marriage." (Sloan, page 90)
To be quite honest, Sloan's voice was much stronger than Cruz's during the telling of this story. As Sloan was dealing with her issues, Cruz just kept steadfastly pursuing Sloan.
Maybe Johnston was not able to give Cruz a bigger voice during the telling of his story because she inserted a mini secondary romance in the story between Luke Summers and Refugia Adela Maria Tomasita Hidalgo, Cruz's ward. And while one could not help but want to read Luke's story (after meeting him in the first two books), the way it was told left much to be desired. Johnston never told readers how Luke's personality developed. Why there was such sadness in his eyes. Yes, she gave us a sketchy background about how he knew he was the son of Rip Stewart and why he resented his father, but the feelings, the details, the angst was missing.
Seventeen year old Tomasita was a very important secondary character in the telling of Cruz and Sloan's story. Tomasita was raised in the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Madrid, Spain and believed that she was betrothed to Cruz when he took her from the convent to his home, Rancho Dolorosa. Rather than telling readers about Tomasita's story and how she came to fall in love with Luke (in rich, emotional detail), Tomasita was used as a tool to show Sloan a parallel to her own story and to finally "see the light" about her chance for love with Cruz and Cisco.
Tomasita was a beautiful, meek, submissive, young thing that was the perfect wife for Cruz -- in the eyes of his stern, overbearing mother, Doña Lucia Esmeralda Sandoval de Guerrero. Johnston did an excellent job of painting a picture of the world's most horrible mother-in-law. Doña Lucia was determined to get rid of Sloan so Cruz would marry Tomasita. Johnston has a way of inserting secondary characters into her books that really add a rich flavor to the story and Doña Lucia is one of those well-developed characters.
Sloan's sisters and their husbands made cameo appearances in Cruz and Sloan's story. While it was nice to see what was happening to the happily ever after of {1} Frontier Woman's Jarrett and Cricket, and {2} Comanche Woman's Long Quiet and Bay, it was sad that none of these characters really had a role in this book. It seems that once Johnston tells a story, those characters are relegated to the back burner.
Nevertheless, the story was entertaining, engrossing and easy to read. As is usual in a Joan Johnston book, readers found valid reasons for staying immersed Texas Woman, the third book of The Sisters of the Lone Star Trilogy. {1} Cruz Almicar Guerrero, a handsome hero that was strong enough to fight for what he wanted. And what he wanted was Sloan. {2} Sloan Stewart, the weakest aspect of the book because she came across as unlikeable way too often during the telling of her story. Nevertheless, she was an intelligent, strong, determined heroine. {3} The inclusion of plenty of action scenes to keep the story moving at a steadfast pace. {4} Sloan may have been unlikeable, but she managed to bring readers to tears several times, proving Johnston could keep readers emotionally invested in this book. {5} The element of romance was strong throughout the story as Cruz struggled to convince Sloan she was the one for him. {6} A slight aura of suspense invaded the story as Cruz became involved in political shenanigans. {7} The inclusion of several well-placed love scenes added some spice and sensuality to the story. {8} Historical facts and figures and the setting added a rich historical flavor to the story. {9} Memorable and well-written secondary characters added greater depth to the story: {a} Luke Summers; {b} Tomasita Hidalgo; {c} Doña Lucia Guerrero; {d} Sir Giles Chapman; {e} Alejandro Sanchez; {f} Betsy Randolph; {g} Cisco Guerrero; {h} Louis Randolph; and, of course, {i} Rip Stewart. This is the second read of this book for me. It probably won't be the last re-read simply because Johnston tells such a great story and the first two books of the series are worth re-reading.
{Not the best review! Kind of just gave up on it!}
--Vonda M. Reid (Friday, October 17, 2014 : 5:12 p.m) [343]
Tomasita was a beautiful, meek, submissive, young thing that was the perfect wife for Cruz -- in the eyes of his stern, overbearing mother, Doña Lucia Esmeralda Sandoval de Guerrero. Johnston did an excellent job of painting a picture of the world's most horrible mother-in-law. Doña Lucia was determined to get rid of Sloan so Cruz would marry Tomasita. Johnston has a way of inserting secondary characters into her books that really add a rich flavor to the story and Doña Lucia is one of those well-developed characters.
Cruz must marry Tomasita. She was of noble blood. She was pure. And she was as mallable as butter softened by the sun. Doña Lucia would settle for nothing less in her son's wife. (Doña Lucia, page 125)Another important secondary character was Rip Stewart. Sloan probably argued with Rip because they were so much alike. And although Rip had no idea how to show his daughters demonstrative love, he proved that, in the end, he only wanted the best for those daughters. Rip may have stayed mostly in the background of Sloan's story, but when he was present, he came across as the bigger-than-life man that he was.
She would be first in her own home, first with her son -- no matter what steps she had to take to accomplish it. (Doña Lucia, page 129)
Sloan's sisters and their husbands made cameo appearances in Cruz and Sloan's story. While it was nice to see what was happening to the happily ever after of {1} Frontier Woman's Jarrett and Cricket, and {2} Comanche Woman's Long Quiet and Bay, it was sad that none of these characters really had a role in this book. It seems that once Johnston tells a story, those characters are relegated to the back burner.
Nevertheless, the story was entertaining, engrossing and easy to read. As is usual in a Joan Johnston book, readers found valid reasons for staying immersed Texas Woman, the third book of The Sisters of the Lone Star Trilogy. {1} Cruz Almicar Guerrero, a handsome hero that was strong enough to fight for what he wanted. And what he wanted was Sloan. {2} Sloan Stewart, the weakest aspect of the book because she came across as unlikeable way too often during the telling of her story. Nevertheless, she was an intelligent, strong, determined heroine. {3} The inclusion of plenty of action scenes to keep the story moving at a steadfast pace. {4} Sloan may have been unlikeable, but she managed to bring readers to tears several times, proving Johnston could keep readers emotionally invested in this book. {5} The element of romance was strong throughout the story as Cruz struggled to convince Sloan she was the one for him. {6} A slight aura of suspense invaded the story as Cruz became involved in political shenanigans. {7} The inclusion of several well-placed love scenes added some spice and sensuality to the story. {8} Historical facts and figures and the setting added a rich historical flavor to the story. {9} Memorable and well-written secondary characters added greater depth to the story: {a} Luke Summers; {b} Tomasita Hidalgo; {c} Doña Lucia Guerrero; {d} Sir Giles Chapman; {e} Alejandro Sanchez; {f} Betsy Randolph; {g} Cisco Guerrero; {h} Louis Randolph; and, of course, {i} Rip Stewart. This is the second read of this book for me. It probably won't be the last re-read simply because Johnston tells such a great story and the first two books of the series are worth re-reading.
{Not the best review! Kind of just gave up on it!}
--Vonda M. Reid (Friday, October 17, 2014 : 5:12 p.m) [343]
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Books In The Series: "The Sisters of the Lone Star Trilogy"
| # | Date | Title | Hero | Heroine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | 08-1988 | Frontier Woman | Jarrett Creed | Creighton "Cricket" Stewart, youngest sister |
| 02. | 04-1989 | Comanche Woman | Long Quite / Walker Coburn | Bayleigh "Bay" Falkirk Stewart, middle sister |
| 03. | 10-1989 | Texas Woman | Cruz Almicar Guerrero | Sloan Stewart, eldest sister |
| secondary: | Luke Summers | Refugia Adela Maria Tomasita Hidalgo |
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Characters Found In "Texas Woman"
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Don Cruz Almicar Guerrero | [Hero] tall, lean Castilian Spaniard; Antonio's elder brother; corded muscles in arms (3) implacable strength (4) blue eyes; arrogant (9) thick black hair (11) strong; quick; hard, sinewy body; fierce eyes; aristocratic features; intransigence in jutting chin rent by a shallow cleft; daring Spanish cavalier; brute strength; iron will (12) calloused fingertips (14) unyielding dominating stance; icy blue eyes revealed nothing (22) bullheaded man (23) descended from royal Castilian stock (25) the Republic recruited him as a double agent (32) The Hawk: British code name (33) forbidding face; fierce as a hawk; handsome; deep blue eyes crowned by slashing black brows; proud cheekbones; blade of nose; full lips; slightly cleft chin; kindhearted (44) strong; well formed; eyes as blue as the Texas sky; crow-wing black hair; attractive; arrogant; demanding; used to giving orders and having them obeyed (51) muscular shoulders; flat belly; hard, proud lines of his body; blatant masculinity; white teeth (74) steely hardness; fair patron (129) whirls of thick black hair covered his bronze chest (171) |
| Sloan Stewart | [Heroine] full breasts; slender waist; wide, child-bearing hips (4) future heir to Three Oaks; trained by Rip to make calm, rational decisions (6) calluses adorned her fingertips and palms of her small hands; her fingernails were broken to the quick and grimy; wore planter's clothing, gingham shirt, osnaburg trousers, and Wellington boots; waist-length sable-brown hair was her one vanity (6) responsibilities as overseer of Three Oaks (12) heart-shaped face; large, intelligent brown eyes topped by delicately arched brows; short, straight nose; angled cheekbones leading to her confident chin; full, inviting pink lips (12) freckled cheekbones (14) 22/23-y-o (16) large, liquid-brown eyes; an inner fire that burned far more brightly than in any other woman Cruz had ever known (18) strong-willed woman (23) loved the land (32) 5'4" (76) courageous; strength of will; intelligent (154) independent, determined to do everything her own way (197) beautiful young woman with fire in her eyes (283) |
| . . . | . . . |
| Luke Summers | [Secondary Hero] took part in the capture of Alejandro; drew women like a Texas marsh drew mallards; young Texas Ranger lieutenant; tall; rangy; dark brown hair was streaked with blonde from the year he had spent at hard labor in a Mexican prison (15) had been captured at the Battle of Mier; high cheekbones; narrow nose over a wide, full mouth; hazel eyes that looked gold or green at various times, depending on his mood; 22/23-y-o; eyes bespoke a life filled with some unutterable sadness; magic with a lariat; incredibly perceptive (16) flat brimmed hat; lanky young man; open-throated dark blue linsey-woolsey shirt; fringed buckskin trousers; knee-high moccasins; muscular thighs (46) did not look like Rip; whipcord lean; strong, square jaw; must look like his mother, who had to be beautiful (64) gold-flecked hazel eyes; tall, lean body was slouched deceptively and an easy-going, loose-limbed posture (120) has same birthmark as Rip (195) 23-y-o (232) |
| Senorita Refugia Adela Maria 'Tomasita' Hidalgo | [Secondary Heroine] young woman Cruz brought to Rancho Dolorosa from Spain (28) unbelievably beautiful (31) unresisting obedience to Lucia's will; very young; had lived nowhere but El Convento del Sagrado Carozón, under the strict censure of the nuns; smoldering streak of rebellion (36) her father and Cruz's father signed a betrothal contract when she was a child (40) 17-y-o; slender arms; silky ebony hair; heart-shaped face; vivid, sapphire-blue eyes; possessed the joy in life, and the innocent belief in happily ever after, that had been stolen from Sloan (41) natural ebullience (42) milk white skin (75) beautiful blue eyes; winsome smile; as tall as Cruz; a distant cousin; royal Castilian blood flows in her veins (76) lush black lashes (187) |
| . . . | . . . |
| Ana | [Rare Appearance] Guerrero servant (42) |
| Mother María de los Angeles | [No Appearance] head of El Convento del Sagrado Carozón; harsh (43) |
| Ambrosio de Arocha | [One Appearance] showed interest in Tomasita at the fandango; fine man; wealthy rancher; recently widowed (95) doted on first wife; 46-y-o (232) thin, erect, very stern-looking man; distinctive, dark eyes; had a pointed beard and a thin mustache; gray-haired (248) |
| August | [One Appearance] had a room at back of Three Oaks stables (335) |
| Joaquín Carvajal | [One Appearance] showed interest in Tomasita at the fandango; fine man; wealthy rancher; looking for a well-bred wife (95) 22-y-o (232) |
| Sir Giles Chapman | [Secondary Character] Cruz's British contact; short, rotund Englishmen dressed foppishly in bright colored silks and satins; adopted the foolish clothes as a disguise; together with his bloodshot eyes and florid jowls, they had kept many a man from discovering the shrewd brain that resided beneath his shiny bald pate; crisp British accent; authoritative (33) |
| Charity | [No Appearance] Luke's mother (194) |
| Bayleigh "Bay" Falkirk Stewart Coburn | [Rare Appearances] [Heroine of Comanche Woman] Rip's middle daughter; stolen by marauding Comanches; spent three years living in a Quohadi village as a Comanche war chief's prized possession; rescued by Long Quiet (24) soft-spoken; had core of iron down her back (47) |
| Long Quiet / Walker Coburn | [Rare Appearance] [Hero of Comanche Woman] half-bread Comanche; Bay's husband (23) gray eyes (347) |
| Whipp Coburn | [No Appearance] Long Quiet and Bay's son (73) |
| Creighton "Cricket" Stewart Creed | [Rare Appearances] [Heroine of Frontier Woman] ran off and married Jarrett Creed (22) Sloan's best friend; pregnant with second child (45) |
| Jarrett Creed | [Rare Appearance] [Hero of Frontier Woman] Texas Ranger; married Cricket (22) handsome (347) |
| Miranda "Muffin" Creed | [One Appearance] Creed and Cricket's daughter (368) |
| Jesse Creed | [No Appearance] Creed and Cricket's first child (45) nearly 2-y-o (347) |
| Father Vicente Delgado | [One Appearance] priest who lived in Gonzales; married Cruz and Sloan (159) benevolent bearded face (165) |
| Esteban | [One Appearance] Guerrero vaquero; Sloan sat with his wife as she birthed child (285) |
| Felipe | [Rare Appearances] member of band of bandidos; older, rail-thin, leather-faced man (136) |
| Frank | [One Appearance] Texas Ranger; escorted Sloan back home to Three Oaks from San Antonio (16) |
| Ana María Guerrero | [One Appearance] Cruz and Sloan's daughter (367) |
| Antonio "Tonio" Guerrero | [No Appearance] Cruz's brother; Sloan's former lover, bore him a bastard son (3) plotted with the Mexican government to overthrow the Republic (4) charming, rakish smile that tilted up at one corner more than the other; dark eyes sparkling with devilry (5) low, smooth, coaxing voice; younger son of a Spanish Don (6) coldly and calculatedly used Sloan to carry messages (7) legacy of selfishness and greed (18) mother's favorite son (39) |
| Francisco "Cisco" Guerrero | [Secondary Character] Sloan and Antonio's 3-y-o son (5) "a child born of deceit" (29) incredibly soft skin; chubby legs; spoke a mixture of English and Spanish child words (30) attacked by a renegade Comanche and nearly killed (31) sable locks (42) Diablito: Cruz's nickname (42) had Cruz's blue eyes, same noble nose; cleft in a chin was a miniature of Cruz's; had Antonio's smile, one side of his mouth tilted higher than the other (96) blue eyes; curly brown hair; high cheekbones; cleft chin; the innocent face of a child who had borne the brunt of her anger (280) |
| Juan Carlos Guerrero | [No Appearance] Cruz's father (21) passed away three summers ago (25) |
| Doña Lucia Esmeralda Sandoval de Guerrero | [Major Secondary Character] Cruz's mother (5) patrician cheekbones; hair parted and held in its tight bun at her nape, was still black as a raven's wing; body was slim and firm, without the gaunt bony appearance that occurred in many tall women as they aged; her creamy complexion was unwrinkled except for the corners of her eyes; looked more youthful than her 53 years; too young to be a widow whose household would soon be the province of a younger woman (36) harsh (42) |
| Valeria Guerrero | [No Appearance] Cruz's first wife; arranged marriage; comely; compliant; obedient because she had no thoughts of her own; died giving birth to Cruz's stillborn son (18) |
| Jorge Guitierrez | [No Appearance] bandido that ended up hanging in Alejandro's place (144) |
| General José Joaquin Herrera | [Actual Historical Character / No Appearance] Mexico's new president, replaced Santa Ana; a man disposed to peace with Texas (217) |
| President Houston | [Actual Historical Character / No Appearance] president of the Texas Republic (33) |
| Ignacio | [Rare Appearances] leader of band of bandidos; Mexican; tiny eyes disappeared into the sagging flesh of his cheeks when he grinned; bulging stomach was so huge that even his striped serape couldn't disguise it (135) corpulent face (137) Alejandro's brother (141) |
| Dr. Anson Jones | [Actual Historical Character / No Appearance] a man pledged to support Sam Houston's policies favoring annexation, was elected to replace Houston as the next president of the Republic (217) |
| Josefa | [Rare Appearances] Cisco's caretaker (42) heavyset woman (191) |
| Josey | [One Appearance] Texas Ranger; escorted Sloan back home to Three Oaks from San Antonio (16) |
| Juan | [One Appearance] one of Cruz's vaqueros; left behind at Conestogas to bury the dead (133) |
| Angelique "Angel" LeFevre | [Brief Appearance] more beautiful now than she was 4-y-a; scars from wolf attack hardly showed (297) petite, blue-eyed blonde whose golden hair was styled in lovely sausage curls that framed her face and bounced when she moved her head (314) |
| Beaufort LeFevre | [Actual Historical Character / Brief Appearance] former American chargé to Texas (225) charming Louisiana drawl (322) |
| Luis | [One Appearance] one of Cruz's vaqueros; left behind at Conestogas to bury the dead (133) |
| María | [One Appearance] curandera; healer (271) wizened old woman, who wore ragged clothes and generally smelled of the poultices she devised (273) |
| Paco | [Rare Appearances] Guerrero servant; brought message to hacienda about broken down wagon (128) |
| Miguel Padilla | [Rare Appearances] Cruz's foreman (128) rangy vaquero; face as ageless as a mountain peak, eroded by wind and weather; wore spurred winged boots and rawhide chaparejos of the vaquero (282) wily; dark brown eyes (284) |
| James Knox Polk | [Actual Historical Character / No Appearance] a virtual unknown; of Tennessee, a friend of Sam Houston's and a man in favor of westward expansion, was elected to replace President John Tyler (217) |
| Ramón | [One Appearance] young boy riding with bandidos; pockmarked face (140) |
| Betsy Randolph | [Secondary Character] parents killed by Comanche; blond hair (118) 5-y-o; from Pennsylvania (138) |
| Elizabeth "Lizzie" Randolph | [No Appearance] Louis's wife; Betsy named for her (240) |
| Franklin Randolph | [No Appearance] Betsy's cousin; 9-y-o; from Pennsylvania; taken by Comanche (138) |
| Jenny Randolph | [No Appearance] Betsy's sister; killed in lightening storm (253) |
| Jeremiah Randolph | [No Appearance] Betsy's cousin; 10-y-o; from Pennsylvania; taken by Comanche (138) |
| Joseph Randolph | [No Appearance] Betsy's father; from Pennsylvania; killed by Comanche raid (138) |
| Louis Randolph | [One Appearance] Betsy's uncle (240) a big man; dressed like a farmer in a dark gray homespun shirt, baggy denim overalls, and short, heavy black boots, all of which had seen a great deal of where; had shaggy light brown hair and ears that stuck out from his head like handles on a sugar bowl; brown eyes sparkling with good humor (277) heavily calloused hands; gentle touch; deep, sincere bass voice that rumbled in his broad chest (278) |
| Susanna Randolph | [No Appearance] Betsy's mother; from Pennsylvania; killed by Comanche raid (138) |
| Alejandro Sanchez | [Secondary Character] grizzled-faced Mexican bandido in San Antonio jail (3) wide silver and turquoise bracelet on his right wrist; killed Antonio 4-y-a; stealing Guerrero horses and cattle and raping women of the pueblo; hostile eyes; cruel smile; sharp-boned face (4) treacherous; cunning (11) row of crooked teeth beneath bushy mustache (224) no conscience; didn't fight fair, didn't fight clean (225) |
| Sancho | [One Appearance] Guerrero mestizo servant (270) |
| Stephen | [One Appearance] slave at Three Oaks; managed Rip's household since Amelia's death (30) |
| Amelia Stewart | [No Appearance] chosen by Rip to marry because she was the only daughter in a nearby Scots family of seven healthy children (1) |
| Rip Stewart | [Major Secondary Character] Sloan's father; owner of cotton plantation along the Brazos River; dreamed of having 3 sons; married Amelia (1) recovered from his stroke; must use a cane to get around; pushes himself too hard; ornery as ever (16) flinty gray eyes; auburn hair, tinged now with silver, fell in careless hanks over his brow (21) stern gaze; stroke made it awkward for him to rise from a chair with grace (22) square jaw (25) as hard and uncompromising as the land he had fought to tame (32) giant of a man whose hand trembled on his cane (56) a massive, barrel-chested man; strong, square jaw (63) |
| Rafael Summers | [One Appearance] Luke and Tomasita's son (368) |
| Uncle Billy | [One Appearance] old man; Sloan left in charge of field hands (45) burly Negro (63) |
Locations, Settings Found In "Texas Woman"
| Location / Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| Setting | Republic of Texas |
| Era | 1844 |
| El Convento del Sagrado Carozón | the Convent of the Sacred Heart; in Madrid: where Senorita Refugia Adela Maria Tomasita Hidalgo was raised (36) |
| Ferguson's Hotel | in San Antonio; where Josey and Frank were having lunch; where Cruz stayed the night (16) |
| Golden Valley | Long Quiet and Bay's home (57) |
| Gonzales | primarily Spanish-speaking Texas town; northeast of San Antonio along the Guadalupe River; where one of the few priests to be found in the Republic was known to be (158) |
| Lion's Dare | Creed and Cricket's home (57) |
| Rancho Dolorosa | royal Spanish decree granting land in Texas to Guerrero family (23) southeast of Three Oaks along the Brazos River; the largest cattle ranch in Texas; thousands of hectares of land (25) |
| San Antonio | where Alejandro Sanchez was in jail (3) |
| Three Oaks | Rip Stewart's plantation (6) |
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"Texas Woman" Quotations (that re-tell the story)
| 13 | "And though I was often tempted, I did not ask of you my soul's desire. I did not take from you that for which my body hungered. I waited. And I hunted down my brother's murderer." (Cruz) |
| 18 | she possessed a mind and a will that challenged his own. (Cruz) |
| 19 | he had convinced himself that once he and Sloan were living together as husband and wife, once she was carrying his child, those issues would resolve themselves. (Cruz) |
| 26 | She refused to take the chance of falling in love again. Love made her foolish. Love had made her lose control of her life. (Sloan) |
| 31 | It was better, she had decided, not to love at all. It seemed the only way to avoid the pain that seemed irrevocably to come along with loving. (Sloan) |
| 31 | You can't keep ignoring the fact you've got a child," Rip continued. "When you're as old as I am, you realize you don't get a second chance in this life. If I had a son out there somewhere, you can believe he'd know I cared about him." (Rip) |
| 31 | She would never allow herself to love him. And she could never be the willing and obedient wife she was sure he expected her to become. (Sloan) |
| 37 | Since his father's death, he had found himself in almost constant conflict with his mother. (Cruz) |
| 47 | Patience was something he had learned young, right along with disappointment. (Luke) |
| 47 | She felt an affinity to the young ranger she simply couldn't explain. (Sloan) |
| 50 | Luke looked into Sloan's chocolate-brown eyes and saw a kindred soul. She knew the bitterness of betrayal as he did. She trusted no one; nor did he. She was alone, as he was. (Luke) |
| 51 | "Did you ever think maybe you could use someone to lean on once in a while, someone to share your troubles and lighten the load?" (Luke) |
| 52 | Luke felt a well of anger rising inside him and struggled to subdue it. He shouldn't care what Sloan Stewart did with her life, but he couldn't seem to distance himself from any woman in distress. A legacy from childhood, he thought with disgust, when his mother had needed someone to rescue her from the mire and he had been too young to help. (Luke) |
| 55 | His recent close brush with death had created a fierce need in him to ensure the continuity of Three Oaks. He had counted it nothing short of a miracle when Luke Summers had arrived on his doorstep that morning and announced, "I'm your son." (Rip) |
| 56 | "I won't share Three Oaks." (Sloan) |
| 57 | Rip had made her what she was -- a woman with a man's dreams and capabilities -- and there was nowhere she could be herself except here at Three Oaks. (Sloan) |
| 60 | Rip simply could not take Three Oaks from her now. Not when it was all she had left. (Sloan) |
| 73 | She knew it was lunacy to let mere pride stand in the way of help, but there it was, and she found it an insurmountable barrier. (Sloan) |
| 79 | Sloan would have laughed at the absurdity of the situation, except she was afraid she might become hysterical. Cruz's authoritarian announcement rankled, but at the same time, she could hardly defy him and return to Three Oaks under the circumstances. The feeling of being trapped returned. (Sloan) |
| 81 | It wounded him to know that she had loved his brother in a way she could never love him. (Cruz) |
| 83 | For years he had lived in the belief that someday she would come to him. She was finally here. And she would never be leaving Dolorosa -- or him -- again. (Cruz) |
| 92 | "You're a man. And a man will say or do whatever is necessary to get what he wants from a woman." (Sloan) |
| 97 | She felt the invisible bond that stretched between them and shut her eyes against its power. (Sloan) |
| 102 | Sloan felt a queer tightness in her chest. She recognized it as jealousy. She had told Cruz she didn't want to be his wife. Only now that she saw him with Tomasita, she realized she didn't want him to be some other woman's husband, either. . . . Either she wanted to be Cruz's wife or she didn't. Which was it? (Sloan) |
| 106 | "No one would dare to provoke me the way you do." (Cruz) |
| 115 | It never occurred to Sloan to wait for Cruz, because she was used to doing things for herself, used to taking action were action was warranted. Nor did she consider what Cruz's reaction would be to her precipitous journey. It simply didn't matter. (Sloan) |
| 149 | "There's a price for everything," she said. "I'm not so heartless as you think, Cruz. I have not denied my son a mother's love and felt nothing." (Sloan) |
| 154 | She wasn't sure which distressed or more, the fear of dealing with Cruz woman to man or the fear that she would be ceding him control of her life. (Sloan) |
| 154 | She was afraid he would make her feel . . . things . . . she didn't want to feel ever again. (Sloan) |
| 160 | The hacendado looked grimly satisfied. The woman looked grimly resigned. They both looked grimly determined. (Father Delgado) |
| 184 | "I don't think any of us really knows what we're capable of doing until the need arises. Then I think we sometimes surprise ourselves." (Sloan) |
| 188 | He wanted her -- in a way he had never wanted another woman. There was something about her that shook him up inside. (Luke) |
| 195 | Sloan had never thought of her father as an ordinary person with ordinary flaws. He had always been someone larger than life, the bedrock of Three Oaks, the stubborn, opinionated head of the household. Now she realized he was only a man, one who had made a terrible mistake once upon a time. It was a mistake he clearly regretted and one that would likely haunt him the rest of his life. (Sloan) |
| 195 | "Seems to me your marrying Cruz would be the perfect answer to all our problems," Rip said. "You would be mistress of Dolorosa , and I could leave Three Oaks to Luke. Everything would be even all around." (Rip) |
| 196 | "Except I don't want Dolorosa. I want Three Oaks," Sloan retorted. (Sloan) |
| 196 | "We don't always get everything we want." (Rip) |
| 196 | Perhaps she was going to plow bullheadedly forward in the wrong direction just to get her own way. (Rip) |
| 197 | For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do. (Rip) |
| 202 | What would happen if she stayed with him? She had to make him understand before it was too late how important it was to her to make her own decisions. (Sloan) |
| 203 | By now she should be used to it -- betrayal from those you loved most. She glanced sideways at Cruz. // Was it any wonder she didn't want to put her life in his hands? Someday he would betray her too. (Sloan) |
| 205 | "I can envision no future that does not include you" (Cruz) |
| 205 | "I can't promise you anything. I may not be able to give you what you want." (Sloan) |
| 207 | "I'm not like Tomasita, Cruz. I could never let you make my choices for me. I make my own decisions. I always will." (Sloan) |
| 221 | She was afraid to love him; she was afraid she already did. (Sloan) |
| 243 | She did not think she could bear it if she found out Cruz was a liar, just like his brother. (Sloan) |
| 245 | It wasn't rational, but there was nothing reasonable about her deep-seeded fear that those she cared for most were destined to be torn from her. (Sloan) |
| 251 | "If that was all I could ever have, I was willing to take the risk to have it. When I gave myself to him, I thought he wanted to marry me. I did not understand that he did not feel the same way about me as I did him." (Tomasita) |
| 260 | It was only now that he had betrayed her that she realized she loved Cruz Guerrero with a depth of soul and spirit she had never imagined possible when his brother had broken her heart. Though that wound had somehow healed, she was certain this one never would. (Sloan) |
| 269 | "I cannot explain myself now. You will have to trust me." (Cruz) |
| 287 | "Please do not offer me hope where there is none." (Tomasita) |
| 292 | He had never before comprehended how much this woman needed a position beside him -- in more places than at the dining table and in bed. (Cruz) |
| 293 | For now he had to learn to share with her, to include her in the parts of his life that he had hitherto kept separate. (Cruz) |
| 294 | How could she love him and distrust him at the same time? (Sloan) |
| 312 | she had been given another chance to be a wife and mother (Sloan) |
| 335 | Sloan had always considered herself brave, but she thought maybe she was about to make the most courageous decision of her life. The decision not only to love Cruz, but to trust his love to be constant no matter what challenges they faced over the years to come. (Sloan) |
| 350 | "Nothing can tear us apart," he said, his voice hoarse with feeling, "so long as we are determined to be together." (Cruz) |
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"Joan Johnston -- Texas Woman" Review and Information Links
| Rated | Posted | Site | Notes, Comments, Etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| -- | -- | Joan Johnston's Website | Author |
| -- | -- | Joan Johnston's Facebook | Author |
| . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| 4.46 average | {35 reviews} | Amazon | as of: November 15, 2014 |
| 4.19 average | {21 ratings} | Barnes & Noble | as of: November 15, 2014 |
| -- | -- | Fantastic Fiction | List of Joan Johnston's Books |
| -- | -- | Fict Fact | List of Books In The "Sisters of the Lone Star" Trilogy |
| -- | -- | Fiction DB | List of Joan Johnston's Books |
| 3.99 average | {424 ratings} | Good Reads | as of: November 15, 2014 |
| 3.57 average | {21 ratings} | Library Thing | as of: November 15, 2014 |
| 80 | -- | Mrs. Giggles | made me laugh out loud at the way she described this book |
| -- | -- | Order of Books | List of Joan Johnston's Books |
| 3.90 average | {105 ratings} | Paperback Swap | as of: November 15, 2014 |
| positive | -- | Reviewer's Choice | --Sissy Jacobson // detailed synopsis // nice closing // love graphics |
| 5.00 average | {2 reviews} | Shelfari | as of: November 15, 2014 |
| 3.80 | 11-16-2014 | Wolf Bear Does Books | shorter post on Amazon, Fiction DB, Good Reads, Library Thing, Shelfari |
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♥ Disclaimer: I Purchased This Book
♥ Very Subjective Rating
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