The Star in the Meadow, by Carla Kelly

The Star in the Meadow, by Carla Kelly

Marco Mondragón and his wife Paloma are living hectic but happy lives at the Double Cross, on the edge of Comanchería. Five years after the death of Comanche leader Cuerno Verde, cautious diplomacy between the tribe and the colonists is underway to end Comanche raids into New Mexico. Paloma’s time has been fully consumed by her two toddlers and newborn son and Marco’s by spring planting.

The Seven Year Audit of 1784 arrives and with it comes auditor Fernando Ygnacio. After years of incarceration for a crime he did not commit, Señor Ygnacio is a broken man. Although his daughter Catalina is bitter about his mistreatment by his superiors, her storytelling abilities captivate the household, including a frequent visitor from the nearby presidio, El Teniente Joaquim Gasca, who has been undergoing his own reformation from rascal to leader.

Unknown to him, Marco has peculiar enemies plotting his downfall. When Paloma and Catalina set out on a visit to Marco’s sister, meant to give Paloma relief from her busy life, the women are kidnapped. Devastated, Marco is torn between love and duty. He yearns to search for his wife, but feels bound by colonial duties to accompany his friend Toshua to Río Napestle, where Comanches have gathered to debate the region’s fragile peace. In his absence from the Double Cross, will Joaquim Gasca and Toshua’s wife Eckapeta be able to find the missing women?

The Star in the Meadow is the fourth and final book in The Spanish Brand series.

“The novel is filled with joy in its descriptions of newborn children; fear and delight during the telling of harrowing Mexican stories; terror during a kidnapping; and charm as a possible romance between two unlikely partners unfolds. The characters’ loyalty and honesty are remarkable because these qualities are coupled with pragmatism, hard work, expectations of cooperation from everyone, and the determination to snuff out all enemies. The Star in the Meadow is classic Western fiction, a terrific yarn that is somewhat contrived but will be treasured for its carefully measured, shifting tones long after the last page is turned. Fine historical fiction!” 

—The Historical Novel Society

Carla Kelly is the author of thirty-seven novels and three non-fiction works, as well as numerous short stories and articles for various publications. Carla’s interest in historical fiction is a byproduct of her lifelong study of history. She has a BA in Latin American History from Brigham Young University and an MA in Indian Wars History from University of Louisiana-Monroe.

carlakellyauthor.com

Buy the book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble:

Or ask for the book at your local library or order from your local bookstore