In "Courting Anna," Cate Simon has created a fascinating protagonist. Anna Harrison is one of two lawyers in Carter’s Creek and one of approximately a hundred women lawyers in 1880s Montana Territory.
Having lost her fiance, also a lawyer, some years before the story begins, Anna is surrounded by a halo of Widowhood that protects her independence and boosts her respectability in the town.
But Anna is still a human being with human desires. After she clears Jeremiah Brown (unbeknownst to her, a wanted criminal under another name), she initiates an intimate encounter with him. She’s not done this before, but Brown has called forth something in her that she can no longer ignore. And after all, he’s leaving town, so no trouble there.
Right. Brown may have left town, but their relationship continues, for he is as drawn to Anna as she is to him. She meets him in other towns while keeping up her Carter’s Creek law practice - and her respectability. In essence, she is living a man’s life. But not being a man, Anna must be cautious to keep her respectable position and her law practice. Her love for her profession and her enjoyment of the town’s respect protect her from delving too deeply into her emotions.
It is where her independence and security confront her love for Jeremiah that the real strength of "Courting Anna" lies, in a way that women of 2019 would certainly (still) understand.
With a sure command of history (and herstory) of the American West, Cate Simon creates a strong, likeable person in Anna. Her other characters don’t fail: Brown who both loves and stands up to Anna, a lively cast of Carter’s Corner citizens - who, like any small town bunch, keep some interesting secrets close to their vests. I also like how Simon tosses a nineteenth century title, such as "Middlemarch," into Anna’s lap now and again. Being a lawyer, Simon can draw a rich courtroom scene for us and give Anna believable legal strategies to further the story. These details all serve to intensify Anna’s struggle when love, law, independence, and her own body challenge those terms.
"Courting Anna" is a special story, a wonderful romance, and, oh yes, highly recommended.
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Top reviews from other countries
Kindle Customer
Looking for a good read - here’s one I highly recommend!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2019
Amazon Customer
The story is worth reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2019