Excellent! ( )

Annie's Song
4 Stars

As a result of a childhood fever, Annie Trimble no longer speaks, and is often tormented by the townsfolk, who call her the "idiot girl". When she is viciously assaulted by his brother, Alex Montgomery is determined to make things right by marrying Annie and raising her child as his own. But the true nature of Annie's affliction is soon revealed, and Alex comes to cherish the innocent and loving woman he has married. Will Annie and Alex be able to overcome the many challenges that they face together?

Annie and Alex's romance is charming and not nearly as angsty as I feared it would be. Annie is a sweet heroine. Although she starts out as almost childlike in her innocence and naivete, which is unsurprising given her upbringing, she slowly matures and her underlying intelligence and resilience are ultimately revealed.

Alex is also a wonderful hero. His anger at his brother's actions and desire to help Annie become the person she deserves to be are admirable. While he does have a bit of a savior complex at first, it soon becomes clear that he truly loves Annie and will do anything in his power to make her happy.

Despite the lovely romance, there are a few issues with the book. To begin with, there is a decided lack of historical detail. Other than the date and location, late 1880s Oregon, there is nothing to distinguish this story as historical. In fact, it could easily have been set in contemporary times. Moreover, some of the plot elements require a healthy suspension of disbelief, such as the fact that Annie's parents allow her to roam the local woods without supervision and their belief, without much evidence, that Annie has inherited a mental illness.

Despite these issues, this is a well-written and engaging romance that is well worth the read. ( )

This is the first book I've read by this author, and it was highly recommended by many folks. But I found the writing stilted and emotionless, which is quite difficult, I think, when the subject is rape of a disabled girl. Plot was pretty staightforward, and I couldn't remember the other characters' names when I was finished with the book. Not one I'd recommend. ( )

This is one of those books that keeps getting recommended to me, but for whatever reason, I've put it aside until now. What a mistake! This is a wonderful story about a young girl in 1890s Oregon who is misdiagnosed as mentally-challenged due to her deafness. I've been reading Ms. Anderson's western historicals anyway, but this is one of her best.
Annie has grown up mocked and bullied though she comes from a good family. When she is attacked and made pregnant, the man's brother steps in to do the right thing and marries her. He finds everything that's been missing in his life in Annie and changes her life in multiple ways for the better. The story is engrossing, and there are missteps along the way as Alex discovers Annie's true capabilities and she adjusts to having a husband. There are moments of levity and some sadness, but it's a wonderful story. If this has been recommended to you, I suggest you don't delay like I did and read it right away. ( )

I liked this. And not because it played into my love of traumatized/abused/disabled heroines. It is seriously the sweetest thing I've ever read. ( )