Very loosely based on a true incident, it's the story of white men tried for the murder of innocent local Indians, a novel idea in 1824. We see the story through various character's eyes with an emphasis on Caleb Cape, self taught preacher of the district, and his daughter Hannah. Caleb is a cousin to Johsn Birdwell of The Friendly Persuasion, the solid man who tries to do good, and other characters remind me of some of West's other books, but that's fine. The characters are the usual down to earth characters that West uses, and there's a subplot about Hannah's romances, but against the background of the crime and the trial, it's not a light hearted story. I was a little disappointed because I'd thought a piece evidence would turn out to be a red herring and lead to a plot twist, but that would have been a different book. Another love story, to which the focus shifted late in the book, was very moving. Maybe a little too perfect, but still, moving. I thought that one character made the wrong choice and find myself thinking about her and wondering how that choice turned out for her and what happened next, which for me is a sign of a good book with vivid characters. ( )