Three American Christian Fiction Writer award winners; Susan Page Davis, Darlene Franklin, and Vickie McDonough; have teamed up to write a series of books about the Morgan Family of colonial Texas. The series, Texas Trails: a Morgan Family Series, follows four generations of the Morgan family from 1845 to 1896. This six book series will be published in 2011 and 2012. The second book in the series, Captive Trail, was written by Susan Page Davis.
Storyline of Captive Trail
The book opens with a flashback to 1845 and Taabe Waipu at the beginning of her capture by the Comanches. Taabe is punished for speaking English and told she is a Numinu, as the Comanches call themselves, now. She must become acclimated to their ways or continue to be punished.
The story then moves ahead 12 years to Taabe escaping from an unwanted marriage. She takes a horse Peca, the man who wants to marry her, has left as a gift and runs away. The horse stumbles and Taabe is injured. She crawls to the middle of a trail and collapses.
Ned Bright is a Butterfield Overland Mail Company driver. He is transporting two Ursuline nuns to their mission when he comes upon Taabe. The nuns decide to take Taabe to their mission to heal her.
Ned makes it his mission to discover who Taabe really is. He obtains the list of children who have been kidnapped by the Indians and begins contacting these families looking for Taabe's family. He escorts many people to the mission to see her.
Meanwhile, the nuns at the mission have been teaching Taabe how to be white again. She is learning English and the usual things that white girls learn, like cooking, housekeeping, sewing, and deportment. Taabe is a quick learner.
When Peca discovers where she is, Taabe fears that the entire mission, which now includes four girls who are students as well as the nuns, are in danger. She must figure out how to stay with the white people while at the same time defeating Peca and his tribe mates.
Lessons in Captive Trail
Through Ned and Taabe's adventures we learn the meaning of friendship. Taabe is someone that Ned has just met but he desires to help her get those things that mean the most to him. Even when he realizes that he loves her, he still helps Taabe discover who she really is.
Ned and Taabe's adventures as well as those of the supporting characters teach how to stick it out even when things seem nearly impossible. Ned brings several families before he finally finds the Morgans. He could have given up and allowed Taabe to just remain at the mission, but Ned knows that God will assist him with his task.
The lessons of faith throughout the story are tangible. Tree, one of the men who works with Ned, sends his young daughter to be educated at the mission. He has the faith that the nuns will watch over her and God will keep them all safe even in the face of Indian raids.
About the Author
Susan Page Davis is the author of over 40 Christian fiction books. She has a bachelor's degree in history and took a vocational class in horseshoeing. She homeschooled her six children. She uses her knowledge of history to write believable historical books. She is said to even use the inspiration of some of her more colorful ancestors as inspiration for her books.
This is an incredible adventure story. Although the main character is a woman, the book would appeal to men as well. The adventures of the characters make it a quick read.I found myself rejoicing with the characters when good things happened to them and eagerly reading quickly to discover how their problems would be solved. This is an excellent book.
References
www.susanpaigedavis.com
Captive Trail, Texas Trails: a Morgan Family Series by Susan Page Davis
River North Fiction, Moody Publishing, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8024-0584-5
Kelley Huston - A reader of all kinds of books, Kelley is an teacher who loves crafts and scrapbooking. She is a Disney fan who loves all things Disney.
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