In Het Fort Van De Kolonel (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Well, this is my first, and likely my last "Christian" novel. And admittedly, this is a rant. First, the heroine, Roxie, is just plain stupid. I know you need conflict for this story, but the conflict of a stupid person doing stupid things is not good. That's not conflict. It is stupid to set out alone for the frontier. It is stupid to decide to follow an army like a camp follower. It is stupid to simper. Here is her character: Oh I will pray on it. Oh God help me. I am an old, plain, lame spinster not worthy of love. You don't love me. I need to pray. Barf. Girlfriend, if you need to pray that much, go find yourself a convent. Lookit, sister, if you are good enough for God's love. You are good enough for an ordinary man, so if you truly believe in God and His love, then you shouldn't be all, I am not worthy of love BS. I don't care that she got jilted by a man she didn't love. She even said she pretended to love him, so that jilting shouldn't have "hurt" her to the point where she felt unworthy. And Bella to Roxie saying she has something those other girls don't - purity. Barf. I knew she meant purity in spirit (not body) but barf. Purity is simple. This character is simple. Not complex.Oh and she couldn't accept Cass until he confessed that he had accepted God into his life. Really? Judgey much? Why must a person confess it? Why can't they just live it? Why isn't that enough? And why isn't she smart enough to see him live it, rather than confess it to accept it? He gave up drink because she suggested it and saw the error of his ways, that the drink did not feed his soul. But that isn't proof enough. He has to say those stupid and irritating words to get her to believe him.And all the damn praying. Blerg. It is as bad as traditional romances with all the sex. Yeah, I said it, the praying is just like the sex! Just skip right over it. It isn't enough that she the author says they prayed, but must repeat the same grace prayer over and over and over. I guess "Christian" is code word for preachy.And that Greer character, when he proposed, said he prayed over it and felt that that was what God wanted. Really? B/c that isn't how it turned out. So God must not have wanted that. How wrong you were to interpret what God wants. How arrogant you are to presume to know what God wants. How many acts and desires by men have been justified by "I prayed over it and this is what God wants?"Just blerg. If I were reading this as a paperback, I would have thrown it across the room. My iPad did not deserve the abuse heaped upon it because of this stain in the written word. This book had so much emotion to it! I had a hard time putting it down. The author paints a poignant picture of life in a military outpost. Although it was frustrating sometimes how long it took for Roxanna to accept Cassius's love, the reasons were well written into the storyline. There were several unexpected twists to the story to keep you on the edge of your seat. I was a little put off by how much drinking the author put into the story and disappointed that she didn't do more to the redemption of the "working" girls. But overall, I enjoyed this story! :)
What do You think about In Het Fort Van De Kolonel (2011)?
Good story with a little bit of intrigue, a little bit of adventure and little bit of love.
—angi
This book was not my favorite. I can see where others would really like it though!!
—Noreen
