I’m glad to see Westerns making at least a small comeback, but even in the new Westerns, you rarely see a heroine like Jenny Jones. Glad I got the chance to read this one!
The Promise of Jenny Jones by Maggie Osborne
(1997, Western) 8/29/12
Grade: 4.5
Just when Jenny Jones is ready to die in front of a Mexican firing squad, a desperate mother comes to her and offers to change places – if she will take her 6 year old daughter Graciela to California to live with her father. Jenny grudgingly agrees, but with Graciela’s cousins in murderous pursuit, Jenny joins forces with Graciela’s uncle Ty Sanders – a man she finds uncomfortably attractive.
This unique and fast paced book kept me turning the pages from beginning to end. The only flaw was the romance, which faltered a bit especially in the first half. (The book was so suspenseful that I kept wanting to scream, “stop making eyes and each other and RUN!”) Jenny was a great character, completely different from a typical romance heroine and yet very sympathetic. I normally don’t like books with children in a primary role, but Jenny’s reluctance to deal with Graciela gave this an unusual spin in comparison to the usual sweet kid stories. Ty was less well developed but the romance started to work in the last part of the book. Overall, a very entertaining read.
It’s so random, what’s available in ebook form and what is not. Several of Maggie Osborne’s other books are available but this one is still paper only – even though it’s probably her best known book.
Karen Wheless
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