After reading Marathon Cowboys, I tried to do backtrack on other Sarah Black's stories and settled on this one as my second experience, since I just loved the name Quanah Parker Running Bear. I think this is another beautiful piece. I admit, the relationship part is lacking. When Quanah Parker appears in David's life in this second phase of his life, he just swoops in, no question asked. He's just there, David is his, and now it's for forever. I sort of miss the idea of reunion. The ending is a bit abrupt too.HOWEVER, I love the description in the first 1/3 of the book, when David first return to his grandfather's cabin. It's so vivid and it is written beautifully; the surrounding, how David deals with his "new" life in the cabin. It reminds me of the movie Cold Mountain, and I wish that part is longer, just to see how David learns to survive in the cold harsh winter. Unfortunately (or is it fortunately?) Quanah is quick to help him there. And even though I miss the 'reunion' part, since Quanah is so quickly established his presence in David's life (simply because he's loved David years and years), they seem to be so comfortable together, I can't help to think that "it's just so" because David is actually coming home, rather than learning about new relationship. I love the hot-tub scene, so tender. I also love the toe-haiku that David makes, so poetic.It's a wonderful read ... so despite the disappointment mentioned earlier, I'm still giving this 4-stars. I was caught up in the idea of the story; a poet runs away to a cabin in a mountain into the arms of his best childhood native American friend. The story itself never fulfills its promise. It ends up feeling passionless rather than passionate and reads more like a very nice outline rather than a full fledge story. What would have helped would be to take a theme--foot fetish, David's 3 steps to prove himself, the sex scandal, Quanah's belief in the two of them being fated and David's doubts, and just follow it all the way through. Instead things are bought up only to be discarded as insignificant. The characters appeal and it's not all bad but just disappointing because I wanted more of a story.
