Orphan Moon

The Orphan Moon Trilogy Book 1

by T. K. Lukas

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Pub Date 3 Apr 2015 | Archive Date 3 May 2023

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Historical Fiction

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Description

An epic saga of adventure and grit on the edge of the western frontier, Orphan Moon demonstrates the power of a courageous human spirit in the face of tragedy, loss, and the struggle to survive.

Amazon #1 Best Seller

Kindle Book Reviews and Book Awards Semi-Finalist - Literary Fiction - 2016

Readers' Favorite Bronze Medal Winner - Western Fiction - 2016

Writers' League of Texas Top Five Finalist - Historical Fiction - 2015

The Wishing Shelf Independent Book Award Finalist - Adult Fiction - 2015

PRAISE FOR ORPHAN MOON: "It's no surprise this book gained acclamation in several book awards. As I read along, this novel had me cheering, crying, and white-knuckling my Kindle. The book flows with themes of romance, dark family secrets, past family conflicts, hope and dreams, and the primal instinct of survival!" The Curious Dame - Amazon Five-Star Review

1860 - Palo Pinto, Texas. Under the spectacular glow of a Comanche moon, a family is slaughtered, their homestead torched. Nineteen-year-old Barleigh Flanders survives the terrifying midnight raid. Fiercely determined to rebuild, she seizes an opportunity meant for another. Desperate, near penniless, her foolhardy scheme could prove calamitous, yet it's her only hope.

Her grueling physical journey stretches from Texas, to Missouri, and into the rugged Utah Territory. However, it's her emotional journey that takes her to places of uncharted darkness, discovery, and redemption when old family secrets are revealed. What she accepted as her past turns out to be an elaborate lie that reaches across generations, reshaping her memories of the Grandfather she despised, the father she adored, and the mother she never knew.

Along her journey, she encounters a mysterious stranger. In Hughes Levesque, Barleigh gains an unsought ally with dark secrets of his own. A Texas Ranger turned hired gun, Hughes makes it his personal mission to keep Barleigh safe. Doing so may cost him his life, his job, and his heart, none of which he's keen to lose. Orphan Moon is a heart-wrenching saga of family love, loss, and betrayal. Both a gripping adventure and a timeless love story, it gallops across the bleeding edge of the western frontier.

An epic saga of adventure and grit on the edge of the western frontier, Orphan Moon demonstrates the power of a courageous human spirit in the face of tragedy, loss, and the struggle to survive.

...

Advance Praise

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Orphan Moon: The Orphan Moon Trilogy, Volume 1 is a historical coming of age story written by T.K. Lukas. Lukas' Orphan Moon is well-plotted, meticulously researched and very entertaining. Barleigh is a marvelous character who is strong, independent and convinced that she can overcome the obstacles to her plans for her sister's and her future. I was spellbound reading about her solitary horseback trip to apply for the job in Missouri, and loved reading about the tryouts for the jobs. Lukas carefully weaves historical data about the cultural limitations and challenges women and slaves faced in the late 1800s into her story. She also covers the role of secessionists in fomenting violence that would be blamed on Indian tribes, as well as detailing their attempts to block the mail from reaching the west coast. The real high points of this book for me, however, were found in Lukas' masterful and exciting descriptions of the Pony Express rides undertaken by Bar and her friend, Stoney Wooten, as they race to get the post through the roughest territories in the west, battling the weather and natural obstacles that made it even more challenging. Orphan Moon is a literate and beautifully written novel that's filled with action and adventure, and stars a most impressive role model in the strong and resourceful Barleigh Flanders. It's most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Orphan Moon: The Orphan Moon Trilogy, Volume 1 is a historical coming of age story written by T.K. Lukas. Lukas' Orphan Moon is well-plotted...