Amethyst (Dakotah Treasures #4)

In 1886 Eastern Pennsylvania her nasty father calls his daughter Amethyst Colleen O'Shaunasy an "idjit" for paying their bills; he ignores how much he wastes getting drunk. He haughtily informs Colleen that she is to bring home her eight year old nephew Joel, who apparently lives in Medora, Dakotah Territory under the care of preacher Jacob Chandler. Taking the train west, Amethyst becomes ill in Minnesota; another passenger tends to her as it is the Christian thing to do. In Medora, she remains somewhat ill; the Hegland family takes her in to their home. Their other guest, Army Major Jeremiah McHenry has just retired from the military and returned to his hometown. As the two guests become acquainted they fall in love, but can Jeremiah persuade the easterner to stay as his wife as he knows she believes she must perform her dad's task though honoring her father has always been difficult and besides she feels that even the kind former officer would turn female relatives into servants. AMETHYST, the fourth Dakotah Treasures novel, is a superb Americana tale that brings to life a long-gone era due to the strong cast. Amethyst (don't call her Colleen as only her father uses that name) is a courageous individual who on her journey west meets caring people, a far cry from her verbally abusive father. Jeremiah knows she would make the perfect wife for him because she is a brave nurturing Christian woman whom he loves and believes loves him too, but he must overcome the relational lessons her father taught her.