The Peacemaker

Copeland, Lori. The Peacemaker. Tyndale Fiction: 2004. ISBN: 0842369309.

Plot Summary:
Wynne Elliott is on a mission. Nursing wounded pride and a heart full of revenge, she leaves her home in Georgia and heads out west alone to find Cass Claxton. It is not proper for a lady to travel alone, especially since the end of the Civil War. The roads are full of bandits and desperate people. Wynne is headstrong and bent on carrying through her revenge; shooting Cass on sight. Cass left Wynne standing at the altar and took all of her money. With no family left, she must take care of herself and recover the funds. Disaster it seems is still Wynne's companion. Her stagecoach is robbed and she loses the rest of her small means. Stranded, alone, and broke in a Missouri town all hope seems lost, has God forsaken Wynne because her heart is set on revenge?

Critical Evaluation:
The Peacemaker is the first in a series by Lori Copeland titled: Men of the Saddle. This book relies on stereotypes and a Calvinistic belief in God to appear to have a plot. The characters are not fully formed and much attention is made to their physical appearance. Sappy and contrived the thin plot is completely predictable with 'God' moving the plot along. There are some historical facts included in the book that spark a bit of interest, but this book has a very limited appeal. I am still trying to figure out how the title relates to the story. A few passages are a bit creepy, one example is, "There she'd stood in her bodice and white cotton bloomers, the crimson cloud of hair making her look even younger than her nineteen years. He'd never seen a woman look more vulnerable -or more attractive." This seems like an odd statement coming from a man who is thirty. This character is portrayed as an upright, God fearing man, and this recollection is presented as proof that he is falling for the innocent, needs-someone-to-take-care-of-her-girl. Another problem is the dialog is flat and repetitive. On page 201, "Cole hoped the storm would distract the outlaws." The next paragraph on page 202, "Cole kept his head down, hoping the approaching weather would distract the outlaws."

Reader's Annotation:
Revenge is not always sweet. Sometimes turning the other cheek is the best option.

Information About the Author:
Prolific author, Lori Copeland has been writing since 1982 and has 95 titles to her credit. Until 1995 Lori wrote romance novels. Feeling the pull to use her ability in God's service, she began writing Christian Fiction exclusively. She lives in the Ozarks with her husband, Lance and has 3 grown sons, a handful of grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Genre:
Christian Fiction/Historical/Romance

Curriculum Ties:
Post Civil War Era
Missouri's status during the war: slavery verses free

Reading Level/Interest Age:
9th +

Challenge Issue
Religion

To be prepared for a book challenge you must read the book! And encourage all involved in the process to read the book, not just the questionable passages.
Make sure the institution's procedure is followed, this is a protection for all.
ALA provides written guidelines it would be handy to have a hard copy available.

Why Book Included:
I needed a book from this genre so I just picked one off the shelf, big mistake.