I've been thinking a fair bit about this particular story since finishing it the other night. While Peterson writing itself shows the skill and finesse one expects from a writer as prolific as Peterson, the content and characters frustrated me to the point of lowering my enjoyment of the story.
Cassie Barton is described as "sensible and independent" in the book's description but despite having lived mostly independent while her father grieved in a town marked by the railway and increasing activity from revolutionaries she shows so little common sense. She doesn't lock her door, she goes out to dinner with a man who threatened her as a show of Christian goodwill, among other things. All of Cassie's character development was connected to other characters, rather than independent she read as very passive and dependent as a result.
I was equally frustrated with Brandon's storyline. While I fully acknowledge his background was traumatizing and had a lot of potential for the solid redemptive storyline Peterson has favoured in the past. Brandon's communication with his pastor regarding his familial history, while most likely era, reads as very victim blaming/victim shaming which left a bad taste in my mouth as well.
It is also important to note that this story involves domestic violence against women and children as well as two description of killing (one premeditated and one reactionary) for readers who may be more sensitive to those plot themes.
2.5 out of 5 stars
