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The Yellow Rose: A Novel of The Texas Revolution
Bob Stewart and Carl Brush
Reviewed by: Lily Amanda, Hollywood Book Review
The Yellow Rose: A Novel of The Texas Revolution by the late Bob Stewart and Carl R. Brush is a monumental tale based on legendary and historical events in Texas. The story follows Emily West, a mulatto woman of mixed-race ancestry during the Texas war for independence from Mexico in the 1830s. As an orphaned teenage Black woman, she worked as an indentured servant for Dr. Morgan in Texas.
Emily dreamt of starting an inn keeping business with her mother upon reuniting with her and gaining her freedom with her savings. However, things do not go as she quickly hoped they would when she is captured by the advancing army of the Mexican tyrant, Santa Anna, who was determined to relinquish any European rebellion in Texas.
What follows for Miss West is a daring escape, an encounter with the Cherokee, and her reunion with General Sam Houston’s troops. Readers subsequently careen through Emily’s adventures and her eventual role in the Battle of San Jacinto, the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution in 1836. Her growing love relationship with the general is constantly interrupted by the tension of the looming revolution, and readers who enjoy a slow, budding, and simmering romance storyline carved around historical references will enjoy following their strong bond.
The Yellow Rose: A Novel of The Texas Revolution managed to pique my interest in this genre. Rich and immersive, it was a sumptuous treat and one worth poring over. This fictionalized account reels with a formidable heroine and a brave soldier who put their lives at risk to save their people.
The Yellow Rose legend plays out ingeniously in this text and it is easy to imagine the Texas Revolution through the eyes of its characters. The story primarily focuses on Emily West but the authors also deftly allocate some chapters to Sam Houston, giving us a layered view of his thoughts, imaginations, emotions, and temperament. This culminates into a vibrant and multilayered Western tale that is worth turning the pages.
The masterstroke of this work is the accuracy of the research done before writing the book. The characters too brilliantly fit into the roles of their historical namesakes leaving no stone unturned in the Texan folklore. Masterful and enduringly resonant, The Yellow Rose: A Novel of The Texas Revolution is a perfect start to learning more about the creation of the Texas state and some of the key players that led to the Texan triumph.
