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Category: Historical Fiction/Romance
Description: Erik and Clarette Torsten are committed to each other and to God. After all, together they survived the aftermath of the race riots back in Tulsa. So surely they can face a little small-town prejudice in Erik's home town. But when a flood drives their small weekly newspaper out of business, Clarette is secretly relieved to have a reason for going back to New York City. After all, in New York people won't look down their noses at her for being a new Christian and for being a city girl. And in New York, Erik can experience the excitement of scooping stories for a big city newspaper. Best of all, in New York surely Clarette's dream will come true and the play she has written will make it to Broadway. Erik is determined to see that Clarette's dreams do come true. But at what cost to their marriage? And more importantly, at what cost to their relationship with God? [Cover art by Dirk A. Wolf]
eBook Publisher: Hard Shell Word Factory, 2006 2006
Hard Shell Word Factory Release Date: November 2006

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Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: eReader (PDB) [185 KB], ePub (EPUB) [215 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [155 KB], Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [609 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [172 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [190 KB], Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [205 KB], hiebook (KML) [412 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [267 KB], iSilo (PDB) [143 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [177 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [235 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [240 KB]
Words: 51734
Reading time: 147-206 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

"Return to Tulsa, as you might imagine, is about how a devoted couple progress in their married and professional life and move from Bartlesville to New York and then, finally, to Tulsa. Ms. Lutz has consistently shown this 1920s couple extremely involved with each other. Their love and participation in life is shared completely. The author developed the challenge of keeping a loving relationship solid while struggling to keep up the fast pace of life in New York. She illustrated how, even within a great relationship, a couple can fall short of perfection. She revealed, however, that determination and lots of hard work can save that same relationship. This is a great book for this series. I would hope there would be others. This series, as well as this book, is phenomenal. I, personally, am a Christian. However, this series will attract a myriad of readers. There is enough Gospel presented to aid any who seek that knowledge; however, it is not so evident as to turn someone away from the stories offered. The author is amazing in her grasp of the subject matter and her flow of the series is extraordinary! 5 hearts!"--Brenda Talley, The Romance Studio

A HUSH FELL OVER the audience crowded into the Oklah Theater as the electric lights slowly dimmed. Clarette hurried up the stairs in the near-darkness to the first balcony. Whispering apologies, she stepped on a few toes and pushed through to her front row seat. Scowling glances shot her way as she fished in her bag for her note pad and pencil. Paper rustled as she flipped to a clean page.

She nodded and smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Jess Overlees in their special box seat, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Phillips in their box, then turned to glance over at Mr. and Mrs. H.V. Foster in their box. All of the moneyed people of the area had made their appearance for the evening.

The half-rate vaudeville act that was to open the show wasn't worth watching. No one she knew in New York would have crossed the street to watch it. But here in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, the folks were glad to get most anything in the way of entertainment. Case in point was Ruby Darby whom they called the "Queen of the Oil Fields." Though Darby's musical comedy troupe impressed the locals, Clarette didn't even want to review it for the Courier, a weekly newspaper, which she and husband, Erik, published.

Erik, ever on the lookout for the least bit of news to garner more subscribers chided her about it. "You don't have to like Miss Darby," he told her in his usual patient manner, "our readers love her."

"She sings as though she were tone-deaf," Clarette protested.

But in the end Erik won out because deep down Clarette truly wanted to see their struggling paper make it. Even if it meant writing good reviews for less-than-mediocre stage stars.

She had to admit tonight would be quite different. Tonight's main attraction was Oklahoma's own favorite son, Will Rogers, which meant standing-room-only in the small theater. Excitement had been building all week as the oil-town population had done themselves proud rolling out the red carpet for the famed humorist.

Remembering the times she'd caught Will's appearances at the Ziegfeld Follies in New York, she knew they were in for a delightful evening. How she wished Erik could have come, but he was busy working at the Courier office. And even if he weren't all tied up with ad layouts and copy work, they couldn't have afforded the price of a ticket. Clarette was on the front row of the first balcony only because of her press pass.

The vaudeville troupe turned out to be as Clarette had expected. She scribbled notes in her pad in the semi-darkness, barely bothering to look down at what she wrote.

The sight of Will sauntering onto the stage, calmly twirling his lariat, sent the thousand-plus Bartians into a frenzy. They jumped to their feet and nearly brought the house down with thunderous applause and hoots and cheers. Will stopped the twirling, pulled off his hat, scratched his head, and gave his lop-sided grin.

When it was quiet, he quipped, "Think I'll sit down now. I got no guarantee I'll get that response after I'm finished." But the applause broke out again. Local boy makes good. Although Will wasn't from Bartlesville, his family farm was in the area near Oologah, and Clarette knew the entire state claimed Will as their very own.

She watched, mesmerized, as he moved from simple rope tricks to the more difficult. Spinning the rope vertically he jumped in and out of the wide loop as he moved across the stage with skill and grace. Two ropes, one spinning in each hand, were passed behind his back, then switched to opposite hands and he never missed a beat.

Will's famous quips and one-liners kept the audience roaring with laughter throughout the performance. He enjoyed poking fun at those who'd gained sudden wealth in the fertile oil fields. Plump Vernon Foster laughed louder than anyone. Clarette studied the two Foster daughters, Ruth and Marie, wondering if they chafed against the phony veneer of wealth as Clarette had when she was younger.

The grand finale of the show consisted of Will spinning a ninety-foot rope out over the heads of those in the audience. They loved it.

Guessing that there might be two or three curtain calls, Clarette closed her notebook and slipped out when the curtain rang down the first time. Again raising the ire of those who were stomping and clapping and cheering, she edged her way to the aisle, went out the front door of the Oklah, and down the side alley toward the stage door. She promised Erik she'd try to get an interview backstage. They'd received word that Will was catching a train directly after the show, so time was limited.

She was sure someone from the Magnet, Bartlesville's daily, would have the same idea, and she was right. Young Joe Barber was standing at the stage door knocking as she approached.

Joe had always been congenial to Clarette, which she appreciated. They met often at events around the Osage country and she appreciated the fact that he never acted as though he were a competitor. She'd told Erik once that when they could afford a reporter she'd like to hire Joe away from the Magnet.

"Evening, Mrs. Torsten," Joe said touching his hat.

"Hi, Joe. What'd you think of the show?"

Joe grinned and shook his head. "Can't nobody make fun of President Harding and congress, and get away with it, the way Will does."

Just then the door opened and the wrinkled face of Stanley Linahan peeked out. "Just you two?" he asked. In Bartlesville, Clarette never needed to show her press card, she was known all over town.

"Just us two for now," Joe replied. "But the whole town will be swarming out here when that final curtain goes down."

"Hurry then," he said, waving them in. He looked out again and then quickly closed the door and slipped the bar down in place. "Can't be too careful," he said giving them a toothless grin.

Covering the news in this small burg was so different than the dog-eat-dog ways of New York, and yet at times she missed the excitement of her home city.

Copyright © 2006 Norma Jean Lutz.