From Publishers Weekly
After a succinct and colorful recap of events in the well-received Lily , this sequel set in 1880s Texas plunges into its own series of rousing adventures. Twenty-year-old Haywood Beatty knows he's been called a murderer, coward and thief; at the very least, he admits that "nobody had ever said I was a good man." Still, Woody succumbs to his jailed brother Marion's pleas to look after his pregnant, 16-year-old wife Lily until he has served his two-year sentence. But who is looking after whom? Lily is feisty, independent and fearless, and as the two start a 400-mile journey in a rickety wagon to a north Texas farm, an uneasy alliance develops in the face of challenges that might have undone a lesser couple. As the harsh countryside drifts by, Lily barely escapes a rape attempt, Woody slits a man's throat and an impoverished but generous Mexican family helps deliver Lily's baby girl. A finely evoked Texas landscape, a wide variety of mesmerizing and frightful villains, an absorbing story tempered with sweetness and good humor all triumph over the inherent predictability of this romantic western. Lily's fans will be glad to know that another sequel is in the works. Author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-Bonner, a gifted storyteller, doesn't let this sequel to Lily (Algonquin, 1992) serve merely as a bridge to the final installment in the proposed trilogy. Instead, she has produced a "standing tall" book. Haywood "Woody" Beatty is acquitted of murder charges stemming from the gunfight in which his two older brothers were killed. He agrees to "look after Lily" for her husband, his remaining brother Marion, who is serving a two-year jail term for his involvement in the fight. Footloose since his mother's death when he was five, Haywood doesn't know what to make of this pregnant young woman who doesn't shy away from hard work, but who is quick to scold when he cusses. Changing the viewpoint of this book from Lily to Haywood ensures a strong independent narrative rather than a mere continuation of the first book. Seeing Lily through another's eyes reveals her gutsy determination offset by normal fears of pregnancy without her husband nearby. Ne'er-do-well Woody grows with the charge he's been given and tries to mend his irresponsible ways, though not without a little backsliding. Readers will be amazed and charmed by the transformation as he adjusts to his changing feelings towards Lily while remaining a gentleman. This powerful, moving tale with its strong characterizations and eye for detail will win Bonner many new fans.
Pam Spencer, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Pam Spencer, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
