5 stars for Without the Thunder by Gifford MacShane #historicalromance #multiculturalromance #oldwest #bookreview
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  • N. N. Light
    • Apr 25
    • 3 min read

5 stars for Without the Thunder by Gifford MacShane #historicalromance #multiculturalromance #oldwest #bookreview



Title: Without the Thunder

Author: Gifford MacShane

Genre: Historical Romance, Multicultural Romance

 

Book Blurb:

 

An outcast Society belle falls in love with a Navajo man. Can they defeat the woman who’s driven to destroy their happiness?

 

After falling from grace with her family in Philadelphia, Alicia Beaufort is shunted off to relatives in the Arizona Territory. Disturbed at first by the things she learns about the West, she gradually comes to realize that White’s Station has what she’s always longed for: simplicity and peace. Yet all is not quite as it seems in the tranquil village.Alicia begins to keep company with Tommy Twelve Trees, a Navajo man and gifted blacksmith. But she soon finds herself in conflict with her aunt, who hates Tommy because of his race, and who is sending lie-filled letters to her family back home.

 

While Alicia does her utmost to save her reputation with those she left behind, the man who ruined her arrives in White’s Station. Alicia is terrified that her past will become known—that the villagers and Tommy, whom she’s come to love, will turn against her.

 

With her family relationships in chaos and past transgressions looming, Alicia knows she has to fight for the future she wants with Tommy, but she has no experience to draw on.

 

Can Alicia find the strength to take a stand against her family and former lover? Or will all her dreams come to naught?

 

My Review:

 

Alicia sees White’s Station in the Arizona Territory as her chance for freedom from her family but never thought falling in love with a Navajo man would bring her ruin and disgrace. Will she stay and fight for her own little patch of happiness? Without the Thunder is a stunning historical romance set in the heart of the Old West. The descriptive narration and setting plunge the reader into the story. The historical accuracy is superb. But it’s the characters which make Without the Thunder an unforgettable read.

 

What strikes me more than anything else about Without the Thunder is the historical accuracy Gifford MacShane brings. It’s clear the author has done her research. Every aspect of this story, from the setting to the narration to the dialogue, is 100% accurate. I truly escaped to the Old West with Without the Thunder.

 

The characters are written with an expert pen. Gifford MacShane breathes life into these characters, and they fly off the page.

 

If you’re looking to escape to the old west, I recommend you start with Without the Thunder. A truly remarkable historical romance.

 

My Rating: 5 stars

 

Buy it Now:   

 

 

 

 

Author Biography:

 

Gifford MacShane is the author of historical fiction that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. Her novels feature a family of Irish immigrants who settle in the Arizona Territory. With an accessible literary style, MacShane draws out her characters' hidden flaws and strengths as they grapple with physical and emotional conflicts.

 

Singing almost before she could talk, MacShane always loved folk music, whether Irish, Appalachian, or the songs of cowboys. Her love of the Old West goes back to childhood, when her father introduced her to Zane Grey. She became interested in Irish history after realizing her ancestors had lived through the Great Potato Famine. She’s combined these three interests into a series of romances, each with traditional song lyrics and a dash of Celtic mysticism.

 

The DONOVAN FAMILY SAGA includes WHISPERS IN THE CANYON (Book 1), THE WOODSMAN’S ROSE (Book 2), RAINBOW MAN (Book 3), WITHOUT THE THUNDER (Book 4), and THE WINDS OF MORNING, a prequel novella requested by her fans.

 

MacShane is a member of the Historical Novel Society and is an #OwnVoices writer. An avid gardener, Giff cultivates pollinator plants and grows tomatoes (not enough) and zucchini (too much). A self-professed grammar nerd, Giff currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband Richard, the Pied Piper of stray cats.

 

Social Media Links:

 

Website:        https://giffordmacshane.com

BlueSky:        https://bsky.app/profile/authorgmacshane.bsky.social

Twitter:         https://twitter.com/AuthorGMacShane

 

Reviewed by: Nancy

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