My Outcast Heart

My Outcast Heart
Anna C. Bowling
Awe-Struck E-Books
ISBN: 1-58749-536-8
Fiction, Historical Fiction
Reviewed by Qetesh

This is a wonderful story about the love between a Grandfather and his Granddaughter. Tabetha woke early and went out to feed the chickens. She grabbed her Grandfather’s coat. Grandfather had been very ill for some time but he wanted to be able to do for himself as long as possible. She began to get worried when her Grandfather went to fetch some water and did not return. She went outside and followed his footprints through the snow that led deeper into the woods. She began to have doubts when she spied her grandfather’s hat next to a log. The footsteps came to an end and she began to wonder frantically which way to go. She began to run and caught her foot on a root or low branch, and fell, busting her lip. The hand that reached down to help her up was not that of her Grandfather. The man’s knuckles were branded with T’s, which stood for the fact that he was a thief. He led her to a small cabin where her Grandfather was lying on a cot.
Her Grandfather passed away that day, and she found out that the man that she had originally feared was a dear friend of her Grandfather. One that she never knew had existed. I really loved this story; the love between the characters was beautiful. The old fashioned setting and the descriptions of an older way of life such as putting hot bricks in bed to stay warm in the winter and the simplicity of their way of life was refreshing. It was much harder way of life then as far as physical labor, but the appreciation of people, companionship, and the simpler things in life, make this a truly remarkable read.