Winds of Time

HISTORICAL/TIME TRAVEL:  Selena Tillman is haunted by her ancestor, Mary Tillman, who disappeared over a hundred years ago. She dreams of Captain Casey, the man accused of killing Mary. Each night she dreams of the Captain's body lying on Mary’s porch, scalped by an unknown vigilante.

Compelled to find out what happened to Mary, Selena travels to Texas to the Tillman property, and is carried away by a sudden tornado. She awakes to find herself one hundred and forty-six years in the past and assumes the role of Mary’s cousin, Selena, her namesake. She immediately meets Captain Dylan Casey. Dylan spots Selena for an imposter, refusing to believe anything she says, ignoring her warnings that his life is in danger. Selena falls in love with Dylan and will do anything to save him from his fate, but will he open his heart long enough to listen to her?

“Winds of Time” is an exceptional story that blends history with fiction to produce a novel that accurately describes the prejudice towards Native Americans in the eighteen hundreds. Dylan Casey, “a half-breed”, personifies the resentment felt by anyone having a single drop of Indian blood in their veins during that time. Ms. Gayle richly describes the wild plains as well as the small towns and homes of Selena and Dylan. One can almost smell the dust kicked up on their journeys. Dylan was too angry most of the time detracting from his character. Secondary characters add color to this piece, but have little depth. “Winds of Time” artfully brings the plains to life; definitely one for history buffs!

Belinda Wilson