Book Review: The Wood's Edge, by Lori Benton

Sometimes there are no words to express the depth of enjoyment I experience while reading a book. There are some stories that drag me in, and I become so immersed, I feel as if I am standing amidst the action, watching every detail, listening to every word, and feeling every emotion the characters are feeling.

This was the case with The Wood's Edge, by Lori Benton. I was given a free copy by the publisher to review and offer my honest opinion. And my opinion is that this is an award-winning story. It quickly rose in the ranks, and became one of my top five all-time favorite novels.

The story begins in 1757 during the fall of Fort William Henry. This is where we meet one of the story's heroes, Major Reginald Aubrey. His wife has just lost yet another child, and Major Aubrey is distraught. He and his wife will have to flee the fort--but not before he tells her their child died in her sleeping arms. As he makes his way through the fort with his dead son, he comes across a white woman who is dressed like an Oneida Indian. She is also asleep, and has just given birth to a set of twin boys--one is white and the other is dark. In a split second decision, Major Aubrey switches his dead infant for the white child in the sleeping woman's arms, and then he presents the living baby to his wife.

This is the first scene, which sets up the story in a magnificent succession of events that follow two very different families--one Oneida, seeking their lost son, and the other British Colonials, hiding the truth of their son's origins.

This story has everything a good story should have. Love, hatred, loyalty, betrayal, faith, doubt, forgiveness, vengeance, hope, despair, mystery, revelation, and so much more. I had a hard time putting this story down--and then I had a hard time reading the end, because I knew it would be hard to say goodbye to the characters.

I loved The Wood's Edge. Lori Benton is an incredible author--one who has quickly become a favorite.

The book releases April 20th. If you'd like to pre-order, it's available here.

Lori Benton will be my guest on Wednesday, April 15th! Please come back for a visit and a chance to win a copy of this stunning book.