Catrina is wild. To her brother's dismay and the townsfolk's disdain, she dons men's clothing and spends her days creating unwomanly art out of nature. In her small town on the eve of the U.S. Civil War, anything different is dangerous. When a strange, dark-skinned man with no memories appears in Stone Field, Cat names him after the place she found him, and the two fall deeply in love. But war is coming, and Stonefield's heritage makes him part of it. With a new preacher whipping the town into a frenzy, Cat will soon have to declare her loyalties as well. This falters somewhat as a romance t's instant connection with Stonefield can be hard to grasp, and parent text Wuthering Heights doesn't entirely succeed as the inspiration for this love story. The carefully researched historical fiction aspect, however, is much stronger: this details the little-discussed effects the Civil War had on Muscogee Creek Indians and explores the tensions between all races during this turbulent time. Best recommended to history buffs.

Ever since her mother died in an accident, Cat has run wild in the fields and woods near Roubidoux, Missouri. As the nation hurtles toward the Civil War, Cat finds a feverish, dark-skinned young man drawing strange patterns in her family's sorghum field. Cat and her father take the young man in and nurse him back to health, christening him Stonefield. Cat falls madly in love with Stonefield, who encourages her wild ways, much to the chagrin of her older brother and their neighbors, including the local preacher, who is convinced that Cat is possessed and that Stonefield is a Confederate-sympathizing Creek Indian. With public suspicion gathering around Stonefield and the impending war threatening to tear the community apart, Cat risks everything to save the man she loves.The setting of this retelling of Wuthering Heights is richly drawn, with mountain superstition, evangelical Christianity, and magical realism cast against the backdrop of the Civil War. The romance between Cat and Stonefield is torrid, culminating in Cat's pregnancy. Cat is self-absorbed and unlikable, however, and the pacing is slow. Most characters are two-dimensional at best. Graphic violence and implied rape, as well as the sexual relationship between Cat and Stonefield, make this a choice for older teens and new adults. Purchase this for large collections or where retold classics are popular.Elizabeth Norton.