Love’s Fortress

Uhlarik (Sand Creek Serenade) puts a triumphalist spin on colonization in this problematic dual-narrative historical. In 1875, young evangelists Sally Jo Harris and her intended, Luke Worthing, befriend Broken Bow and Painted Sky, two of the 73 Native Americans imprisoned at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida. In present-day St. Augustine, Dani Sango inherits her estranged, art-forger father’s home, where she finds a piece of Native American art dating back to the late 19th century. With the help of handsome art curator Brad Osgood and Matty Joie, co-owner of Dani’s father’s motorcycle ministry, Dani traces the artwork’s history and makes a life-changing discovery about her past. Uhlarik weaves providence into her story through the ostensibly chance meetings of characters uniquely suited to meet each other’s needs, such as when Dani first runs into Brad, who has the expertise to help her uncover the provenance of the art. However, the 19th-century story line fails to capture the complexity of Native American and colonist relations, providing an overly sympathetic portrait of colonizers. Though historical romance fans might enjoy this, its exaltation of proselytism will turn off some readers. Agent: Linda Glaz, Hartline Literary. (Mar.)