Loving Libby, by Robin Lee Hatcher, 2005, Zondervan

Libby isn’t really Libby. Or is she? Born Olivia, she has run away and changed her name to escape from a forced marriage.

Now she owns and manages a sheep ranch in a remote part of Idaho. It’s hard work and dangerous in more ways than one for a single woman. But here she finds freedom.

In 1890s high society New York she had been under the bondage of her father, who considered her a possession to profit his own interests. He would have given her away as a business arrangement. Nothing to do with love.

Years later, her father is still determined to own her, and hires investigators to search the country for her. She had already fled from place to place, but this time has been living on the ranch for several years before Remington finds her there. Remington has an agenda of his own, to get even with Olivia’s father.

The plot is complex. Just when you feel the story is nearing conclusion, there’s another twist. The author explores family relationships as they were in that time and place, but still exist in some places. Will Libby be forced to come back under her father’s control? What about her mother? And what about Remington? Will he get his revenge?

Originally published in 1995 as Liberty Blue by HarperCollins, this story continues to be relevant. What really constitutes love and should freedom exist for women? What about safety? Age-old issues for women throughout history.