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Chronicles of the Maca #3
Before We Leave
Before We Leave continues the scifi-western saga of Justine and Thalian descendants, living in Earth in the late 19th and early 20th century.
After Red O'Neal delivers a punishing beating to his half-brother, Daniel Hunter, for courting his sister Antoinette, she is sent to a convent until agreeing to marry a much older, wealthier man. But Antoinette manages to send a letter to her betrothed Lorenz MacDonald about her danger. After he rescues her on the journey to the convent, Lorenz's parents allow the marriage rather than lose their son.
When the neighboring ranch becomes under attack by Comanche raiders, Antoinette and her mother-in-law Anna are caught in a fight for life and death. Can their family survive the dangers of the violent Western frontier?
After Red O'Neal delivers a punishing beating to his half-brother, Daniel Hunter, for courting his sister Antoinette, she is sent to a convent until agreeing to marry a much older, wealthier man. But Antoinette manages to send a letter to her betrothed Lorenz MacDonald about her danger. After he rescues her on the journey to the convent, Lorenz's parents allow the marriage rather than lose their son.
When the neighboring ranch becomes under attack by Comanche raiders, Antoinette and her mother-in-law Anna are caught in a fight for life and death. Can their family survive the dangers of the violent Western frontier?
- GenresScience Fiction
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2011
16 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Mari Collier
42 books71 followersI was born on a farm in the state of Iowa, Audubon County, Lincoln Township. To say that my upbringing was bucolic would be an understatement. My first writing was for the Audubon Advocate as the Douglas Township correspondent. I was 13 and received the magnificent sum of $.03 per line. If the item were published in the society section, the pay increased to $.04. The monthly check was always under $5.00.
My mother took me to Phoenix, AZ when it became impossible for me to eat, sleep, or breathe in Iowa. The climate restored my health and I attended school there, graduated, and married my high school sweetheart. Together we raised two wonderful children. During this time I started writing stories and sold one story to Jack and Jill. In 1976 he moved us to Western Washington to escape the desert sun. Washington is a land where it can and did rain 133 1/3 inches of water a year. He was a finish carpenter contractor; I did the books, and worked for Nintendo of America. Upon retirement, we returned to the desert and this wonderful, quirky town of Twenynine Palms. We had just celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary when he passed away.
I serve on the Twentynine Palms Historical Society as a docent, and write a column for the Old Schoolhouse Journal.
My mother took me to Phoenix, AZ when it became impossible for me to eat, sleep, or breathe in Iowa. The climate restored my health and I attended school there, graduated, and married my high school sweetheart. Together we raised two wonderful children. During this time I started writing stories and sold one story to Jack and Jill. In 1976 he moved us to Western Washington to escape the desert sun. Washington is a land where it can and did rain 133 1/3 inches of water a year. He was a finish carpenter contractor; I did the books, and worked for Nintendo of America. Upon retirement, we returned to the desert and this wonderful, quirky town of Twenynine Palms. We had just celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary when he passed away.
I serve on the Twentynine Palms Historical Society as a docent, and write a column for the Old Schoolhouse Journal.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 15, 2016
If you have not read the first two books of the series about the Mac Donald family of Texas, founded by Zeb the Maca, you should do so. This tale, the third in the series, stars the children, the grandchildren and the great grandchildren of Zeb. It chronicles the lives of the children as they reproduce, having earth babies or babies with Thalian or Justine abilities. It chronicles the creation of wealth, the infusion of the family into the fabrc of the country from about 1890 until the 1950's and finally it takes you on the start of a journey to Thalia. Each of the children encounters life in their own way in this wide ranging story. Some survive. Some do not. The wives of the children of Zeb, those who were earth born, do not survive. Some of Zeb's grandchildren, who have earth born characteristics, do not survive. The one constant throughout the story is the reliance on family and the willingness of the elders of the family to help those who are younger. This is an interesting read though very different from the first two books in the series. It does get the reader confused sometimes in the intricacies of the growth of the family. In the end it is highly readable and highly enjoyable.
April 16, 2021
A Pleasurable Story of Old West Adventures Mixed with An Unusual Alien Twist
I just finished reading the third in this series of books that was so enjoyable, I could not put them down. In some ways, it was truly unbelievable, in that the main "alien" character was practically a giant of a man, trapped on Earth, and fighting for survival, falls in love with a tall, strong, and headstrong pioneer woman, yet as the story develops, so do the characters, and their children, become the quite believable humans, of unusual ancestry, and yet such human emotional bonds develop as their family grows into a Texan dynasty. Through all the adventures, misfortunes, and misadventures of the MacDonald clan, it is the intention of Zebediah Llewellyn MacDonald, to gather his family and willing adventurers to finally leave with him, after he learns to navigate the spacecraft, which he calls the Golden One, back to his homeworld of Thalia, where he is the Maca of Don, who must take back control of his planet from the evil Justines, another race of tall, red-haired people, with two hearts. In the first three of this series, though, MacDonald adopts the three surviving children of his wife Anna, who survived an attach by Comanche Indians, a strong, Lutheran woman of German descent, whose first husband, had been the Justine man, whose ship MacDonald takes, after killing the Kleppian crew the Justines used to guide the Golden One through the stars. Two of Anna's children inherit the double hearts, and the mind-speaking ability of the Justine, which they have to learn to hide from ordinary humans, as the ship is also kept hidden in a cave on the MacDonald property. However, as Anna becomes pregnant, and loses her first child, their friends and neighbors also bring children in, those children begin to raise their children the author so skillfully weaves her story of the interactions of the Rolfe family, with their different beliefs of Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist belief, along with gunfights, cattle rustlings, and all the hardships of Texas pioneering life. All this take place over a period of a hundred years, and those with the two hearts, now have to hide their longevity from officials, including the FBI, which have become suspicious of the family's comings and goings, and possible illegal movement of goods to amass their family wealth. Overall, I highly recommend this unusual series if you like adventure, and touchingly human drama of life.
I just finished reading the third in this series of books that was so enjoyable, I could not put them down. In some ways, it was truly unbelievable, in that the main "alien" character was practically a giant of a man, trapped on Earth, and fighting for survival, falls in love with a tall, strong, and headstrong pioneer woman, yet as the story develops, so do the characters, and their children, become the quite believable humans, of unusual ancestry, and yet such human emotional bonds develop as their family grows into a Texan dynasty. Through all the adventures, misfortunes, and misadventures of the MacDonald clan, it is the intention of Zebediah Llewellyn MacDonald, to gather his family and willing adventurers to finally leave with him, after he learns to navigate the spacecraft, which he calls the Golden One, back to his homeworld of Thalia, where he is the Maca of Don, who must take back control of his planet from the evil Justines, another race of tall, red-haired people, with two hearts. In the first three of this series, though, MacDonald adopts the three surviving children of his wife Anna, who survived an attach by Comanche Indians, a strong, Lutheran woman of German descent, whose first husband, had been the Justine man, whose ship MacDonald takes, after killing the Kleppian crew the Justines used to guide the Golden One through the stars. Two of Anna's children inherit the double hearts, and the mind-speaking ability of the Justine, which they have to learn to hide from ordinary humans, as the ship is also kept hidden in a cave on the MacDonald property. However, as Anna becomes pregnant, and loses her first child, their friends and neighbors also bring children in, those children begin to raise their children the author so skillfully weaves her story of the interactions of the Rolfe family, with their different beliefs of Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist belief, along with gunfights, cattle rustlings, and all the hardships of Texas pioneering life. All this take place over a period of a hundred years, and those with the two hearts, now have to hide their longevity from officials, including the FBI, which have become suspicious of the family's comings and goings, and possible illegal movement of goods to amass their family wealth. Overall, I highly recommend this unusual series if you like adventure, and touchingly human drama of life.
June 5, 2016
Before we Leave
Absolutely wonderful! I am so glad I bought the whole series as I can hardly wait to start the next book.
Absolutely wonderful! I am so glad I bought the whole series as I can hardly wait to start the next book.
December 12, 2020
This book is amazing! It is primarily about Lorenz and his relationships with the people in his life. His wife really steals the show. She is a strong woman with an amazing strength of character. She embraces life and hardship with a zeal that you seldom see. She reminded me a lot of Anna. You will fall in love with her as you read this book.
Before We Leave takes us into the 1900s. I loved watching how everyday life changed during this period of history. One of my favorite scenes is near the end of the book when the FBI interviews the family. It is perfection! Oh, the frustration and suspense!
As you can tell by the title, at least some of the family decide to return to Thalia. I am excited to find out what happens to them on their journey. How will life change when they arrive on Thalia? What direction will the series take now?
Source: I was given copies of these audiobooks at my request in exchange for an honest review.
Michele, AudiobookLife.com
Before We Leave takes us into the 1900s. I loved watching how everyday life changed during this period of history. One of my favorite scenes is near the end of the book when the FBI interviews the family. It is perfection! Oh, the frustration and suspense!
As you can tell by the title, at least some of the family decide to return to Thalia. I am excited to find out what happens to them on their journey. How will life change when they arrive on Thalia? What direction will the series take now?
Source: I was given copies of these audiobooks at my request in exchange for an honest review.
Michele, AudiobookLife.com
June 7, 2020
The McDonald family and friends/relatives near enough did not make it off Planet and on their way home. Luckily one of the McDonald's sons spotted a man spying on them and went back to report this. Therefore they moved up leaving schedule. The Author aswell as the Narrator did a superb job of bringing this story to life!!
Highly recommend this Entire Series.
Highly recommend this Entire Series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2016
Sci-fi western getting modern.
Another great reading adventure book in the series. Mari Collier has gotten my attention with the storyline and looking forward for more.
Another great reading adventure book in the series. Mari Collier has gotten my attention with the storyline and looking forward for more.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews