The Civil War technically ends slavery for the young Black woman who narrates this tale, but her search for true freedom takes her on a long and winding journey.

Told in crisp and unornamented style from the viewpoint of the main character, this story ranges from an antebellum Georgia plantation to the American west, as Charlotte -- who becomes Charley early on -- takes on a male identity for protection and survival, drifts into the U.S. Cavalry almost by chance, and ends up with one of the Black cavalry units that saw action during the Indian Wars.

Readers familiar with the general shape of the era will recognize some of the historical events, but Landman has wisely kept the telling strictly within the view of a cavalry trooper who has little or no awareness of the significance of individual battles and troop movements. As Charley O'Hara continues day-to-day survival within the troop, she slowly changes from viewing all Indians as just an amorphous enemy to seeing them as individuals fighting to maintain their traditional ways of life, and further begins to understand that "freedom" -- particularly freedom based on skin color -- can be a very elusive thing.

One might quibble at the coincidental meeting that leads Charley to the final action that shapes her future, but it's a small price to pay within a fresh and powerful story. ( )

Really enjoyed this book. Strong female character, who is a survivor in an environment that oppresses and abuses. It is her journey to discover what freedom means as she escapes a life as a slave and joins the army under the guise of a male. The horrors she lives through and the treatment by the army for being an African American is testament to her resilience. Love and loss so closely connected in this story. ( )