This is a faster paced story than the first in the series, with a lot more plot packed in and some flashes of welcome humor. Ms. Emerson is adept at sketching in details about life in places like Denver and Leadville, and gives a convincing picture of a time when the Wild West was just becoming tame, but every adult could remember when it was anything but. There is a feeling of real distance both in miles and everything else between the East and West here, which is what made the book come to life for me. I really like Susannah and enjoy reading about her resourcefulness and ability to rise to any occasion, but her descendent, Diana, suffers from being rather chilly. She has had a very hard life, but without warmth or humor she makes a rather distant protagonist. Ben seems more loveable when absent from his Addams Family ménage, and it is perhaps easier to see why Diana might want to marry him. I am left on closing the covers with vivid impressions of Colorado and my head is still spinning from such a splendidly tortuous plot (possibly Ms Emerson's most teasing one yet) but the characters remain in the background.