Historical
Cane
By anita
Aug 19, 2007 - 5:34:05 PM

Pieter is the wealthy son of a plantation owner. As a child, his friends were the children of the slaves. He grew to love his best friend, Joss. When his father learns of their affair, Joss is sold and Pieter is sent away.

Pieter does not come home until his father dies. He is unable to find Joss and knows he must go on with his life and try to be happy. Eventually, he ends up in America working as a plantation manager for Sebastian Cane. As Cane and Pieter grow to love one another, the conflict over slavery threatens to tear them apart.   

Set during a turbulent time in American history, CANE by Stevie Woods tells a story of forbidden love in a pre-Civil War setting. Emotionally stirring, this story draws you into the lives of compelling characters that find their love threatened by the events and tragedies of the time. Pieter does not believe in slavery but he understands that things cannot change overnight. He lost his first love because of issues surrounding slavery. Will his new love withstand the problems that surround this issue?

Pieter is a kind hearted and loving man that sees all people as the same. He does not believe in slavery and he cannot abide in the cruel treatment of others. He is easy to like but it seems that he is always falling in love with people that will complicate his life. He is destined to be hurt no matter what he does and that is heartbreaking. This story has me wondering about Pieter's future and I hope that there will be a sequel coming in the future.

Life on a plantation during the pre-Civil War era is brought to life through the interactions of the characters. This is a time in the story in which the men begin to choose which side they are on and why. Slavery plays a strong part in their decisions but it is not the only reason. Pieter finds moments in his life filled with passion and happiness, but they are overshadowed by the evil and hatred that surrounds him. Beatings and rape are just a few of the terrible things that set the dark mood in this story. It is a sad story that made me angry that such things could have happened. Suspense was strong at times as Pieter and Cane's enemies came closer to acting in violence and anger. This led to breath taking action that drew me further into the story.

Heated moments of erotic pleasure are described in wonderful detail, showing the depth of the characters' feelings for one another. Pieter and Cane seem to savor each other, shutting out what is going on around them. As their world goes crazy with talk of war, I could only hope that they could make their relationship work.

CANE by Stevie Woods is a fast paced and passionate historical romance that transported me back in time to experience America during this turbulent era. The compelling characters drew me into their lives, stirring strong emotions, as I watched them be affected by surrounding events. CANE is a very memorable story and I encourage others to add it to their reading list.