They met when they were teenagers
in 1856, Luiz Quintano the proud son of an Aztec princess, and Amy Sullivan
the beautiful daughter of a successful rancher. His Spanish father supplied life-giving
water to the ranch and, in return, her father gave Luiz’s father land. Together
the two fathers shared a friendship and the sprawling Texas hacienda, Orilla, hoping
their children would one day marry.
Amy Sullivan took Tonatiuh (Luiz
Quintano’s Indian name) for her lover when she was sixteen. They planned to
wed. But her brothers would not have it. When their own father died, they killed
Luiz’ father and then whipped Luiz to near death and left him in the desert. In
an effort to save his life and convince her brothers she didn’t care for him, Amy
joined in the whipping.
Ten years later, Amy has married
another man, now dead, and has a daughter. Luis, saved by his mother, returns,
as El Capitán, an officer in the Mexican army—intending to reclaim all
that is his. He moves into the hacienda with his army and takes Amy to his bed,
no matter she is now betrothed to another man. Luiz wants only revenge and
thinks he can remain indifferent to her.
This is a classic based on much
research into the history of the time though the romance is definitely in the
foreground. It’s a bit long in the middle and convoluted in the end, but
nonetheless a great story. Luiz could be one of my favorite heroes but I have
to say that Amy got a bit annoying with all her snipping at Luiz once he
returned.
Ryan brings Old Texas to life… the
desert, the dust and the heat. The Indians. The villains. It’s all here. A
great cast of secondary characters, too.
Buy on Amazon:
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