There is really nothing “concerning” about this book. It is a wonderful Christian story. The somewhat lengthy section here is intended to help you as a Christian parent determine if this story (and the series it begins) is a good choice for your particular reader. This is a book intended for a mature audience in mind (again, not because of content of concern, but because that is just the target it was written for). Because of that there are things that wouldn’t be found in a book, for example, written for younger children. If you are on the fence on this one, turn it into a blessing and consider reading it with your child so you can provide context and explain things.
Probably the most important set of content to consider comes from the fact that this entertaining book revolves around a sweetly unfolding love story between Julie and Buck. While this really couldn’t be more well done, and is entirely Christ-honoring, it is still something that some Christian parents may not want for certain personalities until a bit older (although we should say, many Christian parents are of course going to be incredibly happy to see Christ-based content of this type for their children that are ready, especially compared to what they would likely otherwise be reading! You would be hard pressed to find a better example of initial interest growing to marriage in a book). This storyline starts early in the book, as the characters are innocently smitten with each other quickly, and runs all the way through to marriage.
While we stand by the fact that this is one of the best examples we have seen of a love story, there is one scene where, because Julie is blind, Buck rides behind her on a horse so that she can experience this. It comes across as sweet and kind, but in real life many Christian parents would see this as something an unwed couple should not do.
There are a few references to “becoming one” in the sense of a newly married couple's wedding night. Kids who have not yet been taught this by their parents likely won’t even catch on in the way it is presented and those that do should see it as the godly expression of this act between two married people.
In a scene that may seem a bit strange to some readers, a married woman whose husband dies marries her deceased husband’s brother. What is striking is how fast this happens, almost immediately, but there is context in the book to explain why this needed to happen when it did (including it being the wish of the original husband). Consider being intentional with your child and providing similar context from the Bible and the initial culture it was written to.
There is also a bit of perilous / heavy content:
The main character Julie was orphaned from her parents. While recounting the event that led to this, she remembers “being ambushed” by a group of Indians. By the end of this encounter “everything had been pillaged and everyone else in our party… had been killed and scalped” (note: another tribe of Indians were the ones who came along and rescued her, taking her in and raising her). We hear “the Indians had slaughtered my parents and brother and sisters”.
While there are a few mildly violent/perilous events during the book, one sticks out above the rest when considering this title. A group of wicked men attack a woman who is pregnant. The only details we get are “They wouldn’t stop hitting and kicking her” until she passed out. To make this heavier, the woman loses the baby. It is short and intentionally well handled (even leading to chances to show justice without revenge and ungodly vengeance. Also, almost immediate turning to prayer for help), but still important to take into account.
Other items to be aware of when considering for your child:
The birth of a horse is given in some detail.
A group of bad guys have a whiskey bottle.