"A touching historical Western"
Texan Drake Kincaid has to marry by his thirtieth birthday
or lose the family ranch to his uncle. But he hasn't found
the woman he wants to marry -- he knows the "right woman" is
out there somewhere. But time is running out for Drake,
and he is stubborn enough to pick the most unsuitable woman
he can find. So he resolves to do just that on a horse-
buying trip to Tennessee. When he first arrives in Piper's
Hollow he sees a young woman, poorly dressed and barefoot,
who is being picked on by two local bullies. He decides
that she is the properly unsuitable woman to annoy his
family. Pearl Parker struggles to keep her family together. She
sells baked goods and helps people with her knowledge of
herbal folk medicine. But she and her two step-siblings
are often attacked by locals who dislike them due to their
family background. The situation is further complicated
because Pearl has taken in a local girl who was forced into
prostitution by her unforgiving family, and beaten by a
customer. Pearl's half-sister Sarah is growing up and a
local couple are trying to force her to come and work for
them with the excuse of getting her away from Pearl's bad
influence. The husband is a known lecher and Pearl fears
for Sarah's virtue. Pearl agrees to marry Drake to get herself and her charges
away from Piper's Hollow. She knows what his reasons for
marrying are; but she hopes that she can make a good home
for her family, and she hopes that Drake will someday come
to love her for herself. The beautiful woman hidden under
Pearl's disguise may just be the woman to win Drake's heart
after all. THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE is an enjoyable read. Pearl is
strong and brave with a deeply kind heart. She deserves to
be rescued from her unfortunate circumstances, and she is
resolute enough to make the best of whatever life gives
her. She is a great character. But I would have liked
more strength and depth from Drake. He seems almost
stubborn and spoiled in his desire to get back at his
family by marrying a woman he doesn't love. Also, the
bullies who terrorized Pearl in Tennessee are almost
comical rather than threatening when they follow her to
Texas. But overall, THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE is a well-
paced, engaging novel.
Reviewed by Cynthia Meidinger
Posted January 6, 2003
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