Boston, Massachusetts and Texas Territory – 1834

Abram Kane is a fighter. Working on the docks of the Boston Harbor, Abram needs all his strength and his wits when it comes to defending himself and his Christian beliefs. He and his four sons, Alex, Abel, Adam and Alan, all work for the Dixon Ship Line. Waiting at home at the end of their day is daughter Angela and Abram's beloved wife Kitty, who's deathly ill with tuberculosis. When twenty-year-old son Alan tells Abram he is leaving Boston to move to the Texas territory, the entire family is shocked speechless. Alan explains he wants to be a cattle rancher, and he can acquire 640 acres of land just for settling in the colony, where the family can join him after he earns his fortune. He also asks his elder brother Adam to be his partner, but unforeseen circumstances prevent Adam from leaving Boston, and Alan is the first to go West by himself.

Traveling with his mentor and new boss, wealthy Texas rancher William Childress, Alan meets the lovely Julia Miller at a stop in Galveston. Falling instantly in love with her as she befriends him, Alan leaves Galveston and continues the journey to the Childress ranch with a heavy heart. He cannot ask Julia to marry him unless he earns enough money to support her. She is a rich heiress; he has nothing. Even though right now he's just a hired hand on the Childress ranch, Alan begins to think of Texas as his true home. When tensions build between Mexico and the United States, and there is talk of war, he decides that he must join the fight to keep what he has built here. This coming battle is destined to be fought at the Alamo.

A LINE IN THE SAND begins the story of the Kane family as they leave behind the squalor of the Boston waterfront to build a new life in the West. This is the first book in The Kane Legacy, and the story continues in WEB OF DESTINY, to be published soon. Alan fancies himself in love with the beautiful Julia Miller, but he's embarrassed by his lack of means. He can't give her the opulent lifestyle she now takes for granted, so instead of declaring his feelings, he decides to make his fortune on the Childress ranch before proposing to her. He dreams day and night of Julia while he carves his new life in Texas. But trouble comes when his brother Adam finally leaves Boston to join him. When Adam stops at the Miller home in Galveston, he also falls in love with the fair Julia. Thus begins a love triangle that culminates with the battle at the Alamo. This adds new challenges for the Kane family.

A LINE IN THE SAND is an interesting story; however, for me, this novel falls short in many ways. What could have been a thrilling tale of love and honor is led by contrived dialogue with too much telling and not enough showing. I love historical and inspirational romance, but these characters lack emotion and are difficult to identify with. The inspirational element is too preachy as the narration ignores other religious beliefs over those of the Kanes'. We are to be reminded that much of the Southeastern United States was founded by Catholic priests, who were no less Christian than people of different denominations like the Kane family. Putting my own personal views aside, I am sure A LINE IN THE SAND will be a hit with fans of the Lacys' many novels. This is a fine story for young readers with its fact-filled historical detail.

Diana Risso