Dancing on Coals
Dancing on Coals by Ellen O’Connell. GoodReads review here.
4.5 stars. I deeply admire the way EOC has revealed the complexity of this era in the late 1880s. Right at the cusp of Native Americans being expunged from the Central Plains. Wars were fought on many fronts. Hostility, not humanity, was the only constant. Katherine and Gaetan developed a begrudging bond from circumstances. They each loved and lost, and developed a mutual admiration and trust after having overcome many enemies together. Their romance was a subtle bud and delicate bloom between the upheaval of events. The passion they expressed for each other was keeping in line with the plot and served the story. This is not a straightforward romance as much as a tale of common triumph over trials and tribulations. It is more properly a breathtaking epic. It kept my mind's eye galloping through wilderness. Katherine is one of the strongest female characters I've encountered in this genre, extremely self-possessed and intelligent. There is something so steely about her mind and character that is so admirable. However, at the same time I felt that her lack of neuroticism made her most tender feelings quite hidden, which somewhat diminished my enjoyment of the romance. She is this sensible, intelligent woman who marshalled a violent, powerful man who truly wanted nothing to do with her. Gaetan is the definitive alpha warlord with an insurmountable weight of hatred. He was so masculine and harsh, but unexpectedly soulful and gentle. He almost makes up for Katherine's restraint in emotionality. I loved them as individuals. Together, they were a formidable couple. Other couples in this genre labouring under similar tropes pale next to these two. (Spoilers - ending/characterisation) As another reviewer has observed - having knowledge of how history has played out has made reading this book very heavy. It’s hard to keep up the optimism and the hopes for the elusive happiness. My heart was sinking the more I read about Gaetan and the rest of the tribe. At the back of my head during the read I thought of Cynthia Ann Parker. I knew that there was no way there would be a happily-ever-after for the tribe, let alone Gaetan, unless there were plenty of literary liberties taken. So with that said, when some authorial licence was exercised to present a magical HEA, was I happy? Yes. But I also needed a compelling explanation. The HEA was unsupported by characterisation, in my opinion. Gaetan’s hatred of the white man and desire to preserve his way of life seemed quite intractable. It didn't seem remotely reconcilable until nearly the last two pages. I didn’t think he could or would pivot, and after he pivoted I wasn’t convinced he meant it. I had this sense that Gaetan was cornered by circumstances, by time and tide, and he had also been written into a corner... and was about to be written out of it. I would have preferred a more gradual buildup to his mind being changed, unless I have been remiss and failed to pick up on it. I didn’t exactly see Gaetan redefining his understanding of strength and destiny beyond war to help him survive the inexorable changes to his way of life. A heavy chunk of explanations on how they survived formed the Afterword. Basically Gaetan magically became a machinist and engineer and made a big leap into the 20th century with cars. It was a bit of a stretch. Was Gaetan ever good with machines or related things? I would have expected him going into ranching, or drilling coal oil even (maybe not for that part of the US). So... in my opinion the Afterword was a little lacking, even though there were pockets of charming historical facts that made it more satisfying. So... in my opinion the Afterword was a little lacking, even though there were pockets of historical fact that made it more satisfying. That being said, it seemed as if EOC suddenly crumples a steady story into a pile when she’s decided she’s had enough. With no warning of any more graceful landings, suddenly the story gets called off. EOC writes very well but needs a bit more work on the endings. Overall, I enjoyed the story, worried and shed tears over the characters, laughed and loved with them. An absorbing read.