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AUGUST 2007 REVIEWS:
DARK RIVER: A Novel of Suspense
Heather Buchanan, Aquarius Press, 2006, $12.95, pb, 215pp, 0971821496
Isabelle Fontaine is a well-known piano player and free woman
of color living in Canada. She journeys to Detroit in 1836 to visit a house that
belongs to her family and discovers that it is haunted by the ghosts of her
ancestors. Each night, Isabelle dreams of a woman named Celeste, her true love
Jacques, and a man named Louis who loves Celeste so deeply that he can't bear to
live without her. The dreams become so intense that they begin to affect her
waking life, and Isabelle begins a desperate search to discover what happened to
Celeste before a similar fate befalls her.
Ms. Buchanan was inspired by the grave of an unknown woman,
believed to be the first African-American female buried in Detroit in 1736. She
recasts this nameless woman as Celeste, giving her a dramatic and tragic life
story. Dark River features many conventions familiar to readers of
old-fashioned gothic novels. Ghosts and apparitions drive the plot, which
contains numerous twists and turns. Many characters populate the novel, and many
of them have analogues in Isabelle's dreams. As with a typical gothic novel, the
ending is surprising and shocking, the villains in both Celeste's and Isabelle's
stories receive their comeuppance, and love reigns supreme.
Though the story is inspired by history, there isn't a lot of
historical content—the focus is strictly on the plot. Ms. Buchanan does give
some insight into the racial politics of 1830s Detroit, especially in regards to
free people of color and their involvement in the abolitionist movement, as well
as some local political scandals. Readers who enjoy gothic novels will
appreciate this fast-paced ghost story. -- Nanette Donohue
DIE FASTING
Jonathan Carriel, iUniverse, 2006, $17.95, pb, 265pp, 0595415105
Set in colonial North America, Die Fasting follows the
adventures of Thomas Dordrecht, a young Long Island farmer of Dutch extraction
as he joins a newly raised regiment of the colonial militia to fight the French
in 1758. Dordrecht travels with his new platoon north from New York into the
wilds of upper New York colony where he gains his first experience of battle at
the disaster of Ticonderoga. The death of one of the other soldiers at the hands
of Indians during a hunting expedition several days later seems one more element
in a less than glorious experience. But over the days and weeks following the
battle, Dordrecht gradually comes to the realization that his friend could not
have died in the way reported, but indeed must have been murdered by one of the
others in the hunting party. He then sets out to identify the killer, uncovering
a veritable quagmire of resentments and injustices among his fellow militiamen
as he goes.
Dordrecht is an engaging character, and the book is highly
readable. My only reservations concern the dialogue, which some readers may find
far too modern and anachronistic, and the slightly implausible feats of memory
displayed by the platoon in recalling the hunting expedition weeks later.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this adventure mystery novel and look forward to reading
the next in the series when it comes out. –- Cas Stavert
PATRIOT'S REWARD
Stephen Clarkson, Peter E. Randall, 2007, $24.95, hb, 317pp, 1931807566
Abducted from his home on the western coast of Africa and
sold into slavery as a teen, Will Clarkson is forced to adapt to the customs and
culture of colonial New Hampshire, where he is purchased by the owner of a
tannery in Portsmouth. Will learns the trade quickly, and his master sees his
potential for learning, so he teaches Will to read and write—something rare for
slaves in the colonial era. When the American Revolution begins, Will chooses to
fight on the side of the colonists, hoping that his willingness to risk his life
for his country's freedom will help the abolitionist cause.
Mr. Clarkson makes the facts and history of the American
Revolution come to life in this historically accurate, fast-paced novel. Facts
about the precursors to the Revolution, as well as key battles in the North, are
peppered throughout the story. The character of Will is based on a slave owned
by Mr. Clarkson's ancestors, and his carefully documented endnotes demonstrate
the depth and scope of his research. The first-person view of key Revolutionary
battles makes for especially exciting reading, and the end of the story, which
describes Will's life after the colonies won their freedom, paints a fascinating
picture of the lives of the Revolution's unsung heroes—the African slaves who
fought for independence, yet never got to experience its true benefits.
Though it is written for an adult audience, Patriot's
Reward would be an excellent tool for teaching the story of the American
Revolution and the African soldiers who fought for the colonists' freedom to
high school students, especially young men. Many would identify with Will, an
appealing character whose quest for personal freedom and whose belief in
self-improvement and justice spur him on to greatness. -- Nanette Donohue
WANDERING HEARTS
Donna J. Grisanti, Phoenix Publishing Corp., 2006, $14.99, pb, 644pp,
0970886098
The story begins in a United States suffering from an
extended depression and teetering on the brink of World War II. It is a time
when small-town living, with all of its generosity, gossip, isolation, and
prejudices, is the prevalent lifestyle of the country. In this setting a
desperate young woman, Raine Foster, is forced to fake her own death and flee
from all she has known with her two small, newly orphaned distant cousins.
Through her difficult travels and trials, Raine and the children cobble together
an unlikely and diverse family that differs in skin color, culture, and social
status but is joined together by bonds of love and duty. This small extended
family is tested by bigotry, world events, and those terrible tragedies of life.
It is a delight to see how skillfully and delicately the
author depicts the complex emotions and relationships between people and how
well she can make the reader feel both the small triumphs and the personal
tragedies. The novel rings emotionally true because of the relatable
circumstances. There is an overall theme of hope and renewal. The author's
subtle pairing of plot points and seasons creates an almost sensual experience
of the cold winter of despair, but she always leaves the reader with the promise
of the warm renewal of spring.
Wandering Hearts is moving and well-written story that
celebrates the bittersweet perseverance of life. –- Amanda Yesibas
THE HOUSE OF PENDRAGON, BOOK II: The Recruit
Debra A. Kemp, Amber Quill Press, 2007, $11.56, pb, 275pp, 9781592796991
Lin, daughter of King Arthur and Queen Gwenhwyfar, is
returning home after a long absence. Since her father’s death on the battlefield
she has married and borne several children, but now feels she must revisit her
past. The story truly begins when she starts reminiscing to her children,
relaying tales of her life in Camelot as one of her father’s tirones (new
warrior recruit) and how she fell in love with their father, Gawain.
Kemp’s extensive study of Arthurian legend authorizes her use
of terminology and variant spellings possibly unfamiliar to readers of
mainstream Arthurian fiction. Her credentials also permit the unique spin of
introducing Arthur and Gwenhwyfar’s biological female child. This daughter
provides the opportunity to view the traditionally male culture from a female
point of view other than Gwenhwyfar’s.
The Firebrand, Book I of the series, tells of Lin’s first 12
years when she was sent away to Morgause for anonymous familial rearing.
Instead, Lin was mistreated by Morgause and Modred and survived by relying on
her surrogate family, Daffyd and his mother, until she was reclaimed by Arthur
and brought back to Camelot as heir. In Book II, Lin must learn how to handle
privilege and wealth in order to enact humanitarian changes.
The series should be read in order. Book II, although still
engaging when read alone, cannot provide a true understanding of Lin’s harsh
upbringing. Kemp provides welcome snippets of background information, but this
reader regretted spoiling what was surely a riveting and suspenseful
introduction to Lin. Readers of Arthurian fiction will find this series
enjoyable. -- Suzanne J. Sprague
FAITHFUL JOURNEY: A Novel
Warren Lamb, Pleasant Word, 2007, $17.99, pb, 241pp, 1414108222
This religious novel is a recreation of Luke’s Acts of the
Apostles in the New Testament, told from the first-person accounts of the
various characters mentioned in Acts. Luke was a Greek physician from Syrian
Antioch who wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles sometime
before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The adventures of the two major players
in the early Christian Church, the apostles Peter and Paul, are vividly brought
to life in this book.
The novel takes place over a period of thirty years,
following these apostles over thousands of miles from their beginnings in
Jerusalem to their arrival in Rome. Various personages mentioned in Luke’s
writings, including Peter, Paul, Luke, Caiaphas, Philip, Saul (before he became
Paul), Barnabas, Timothy, and Priscilla, are some of the people who recount
their part in this plot. The author provides some historical background as well
as a short chronology and a list of character names.
This is an interesting adaptation and moving account of the
early days of the Christian Church, told from the very mouths of the players
themselves.
-– Brad Eden
JADWIGA’S CROSSING: A Story of the Great Migration
Aloysius A. Lutz and Richard J. Lutz, iUniverse, 2006, $19.95, pb, 329pp,
9780595381272
In an age of climate control and jet travel it is difficult
to imagine the hardships endured by immigrants to America. Jadwiga’s Crossing
brings us close to that experience. Following the lives of Polish immigrants to
the U.S. after 1869, Jadwiga’s Crossing reveals their reasons for leaving
Poland, the immigrants’ hopes for the future, and the adversity faced to reach a
new country.
Newly-wed Paul Adamik, having finished his mandatory military
service, is persuaded to immigrate to America by his wife Jadwiga. It is
Jadwiga, coming from fishing people living along the Baltic Sea, who dreams of
America: a place free of the oppression of the three forces occupying Poland in
the late 1800s. While Paul feels his chances for a comfortable life in Poland
are good, with his store of German language learned and connections made in the
army, he allows Jadwiga to arrange passage to America. On the difficult journey
he begins halfheartedly, Paul finds himself thrust into a position of leadership
of their emigrant group.
The authors, father and son Aloysius and Richard Lutz,
concentrate in Jadwiga’s Crossing on the transatlantic trip. The Polish
group of several families that include Paul and Jadwiga Adamik, are housed in
the lowest place in the hold where the pigs are kept. The immigrants endure the
long confinement. They are given insufficient rations and their hunger drives
some to thievery; there are altercations caused by the sharing of close quarters
and dreadful consequences and tragedies hastened by the unhealthy traveling
conditions. Paul Adamik communicates in German with the German steerage
passengers and the ship’s doctor to secure help for his group, medical attention
for a Polish passenger injured in a fight, and for Jadwiga.
The conclusion glimpses the start of new lives in America for
the characters surviving the difficult voyage, and includes an afternote with
facts about the lives of the real individuals depicted in the novel. -- Eva
Ulett
THE MUSICIAN AND MARIA SALCOIATI
Anthony David Morris, Lindfield Press, 2006, $14.99, pb, 487pp, 0955435102
This romance is set in two different time periods: Florence
in the early sixteenth century, and various locales around the world in the late
twentieth century. The author provides what I consider to be the most
interesting part of the book, his original inspiration and subsequent endeavors
to write it, based on a chance encounter with portraits of the two main
characters while on a visit to Florence in 1999. The portraits, both done by the
same painter, were hanging next to each other in the gallery, for no particular
reason that the author was aware of. In any event, this experience began a
research and writing endeavor that ended up with the novel named above.
Virtuoso musician Giacomo Ragaci falls in love with the
daughter of his patron, Maria Salcoiati, and the two of them must go through
numerous trials and events, the results of which are not revealed until nearly
five hundred years later. The author alternates between the two time periods
very effectively, and has an easygoing writing style which allows the reader to
follow the various plotlines with ease. A short addendum and glossary at the end
help explain vernacular terms and words. A very nice read. -- Brad Eden
THE LAST CRUSADE
Alan Mussell, iUniverse, 2006, $21.95, pb, 380pp, 0595379443
This novel, set during the Albigensian Crusade of 1209
against the Cathars in southern France, follows the life story of Jean of
Beziers. After the murder of his parents by the Knights Templar, Jean tries to
come to grips with the beliefs and practices of his persecuted sect. He carries
a document that could bring about the downfall of the Templars, but he does not
know the value of this information. When he is sold into slavery in Egypt and
experiences the world of Islam, he finds that he is able to grow and cope with
his past and with his culture. The drama moves from Languedoc to the valley of
the Rhone to the Mediterranean to Alexandria, and finally, to the Holy Land. A
short historical epilogue by the author and a short glossary are provided at the
end. Maps accompany each of the geographical divisions of the book.
The author has an excellent writing style, and his knowledge
of the historical time period really brings out the drama that much more. I
enjoyed the movement of the plot through the various geographical and cultural
experiences, which I think gives the novel its blend of reality and relevance.
-- Brad Eden
THROUGH TEMPEST FORGED
Barbara Passaris, Community Press, 2007, $29.99, pb, 624pp, 097087856
Through Tempest Forged chronicles the life of the Rogers
family of Kemp’s Landing, Virginia, as they sail the storms of the struggle for
independence in late eighteenth-century America. Paul Rogers is a wealthy
gentleman farmer with a large estate, devoted wife, and a loving, large family.
He is an avowed loyalist, dedicated to England and to the king’s ownership of
the colonies of America, but his loyalty is challenged and eventually destroyed
as the crown slowly drains money, food, and livelihood from them.
Passaris has wonderful skill in presenting scenes of domestic
bliss and a strong attention to detail regarding the homes and fashions of the
time, as well as consideration for the difference in perspectives about slavery
as the novel progresses. The dialogue is wonderfully written, and gives the
family a delightful depth and vivacity.
Passaris’ work is more romance novel and family drama than
historical chronicle, and as a result, the occasional pause in the domestic
scene is punctuated by brief reports of political activity and war that are not
given equal attention or vibrancy. While told in the third person, the novel
feels as if it’s been written from the perspective of one of the Rogers women,
unconcerned with the scope and depth of the events in the progress of
revolution. Despite this weakness, Through Tempest Forged is a rewarding
read for those looking to immerse themselves in a romantic period piece.
-– Catherine Perkins
NEVER ON THESE SHORES
Stephen R. Pastore, Cohort Press, 2007, $24.95, pb, 288pp, 0977719642
In the throes of World War II, the unthinkable
happens—Hitler’s Nazi Army conquers Britain, skips Russia, and instead invades
the United States. The SS invades Texas with the support of Mexico, Japan
invades Northern California, and Italy seizes control of Florida by way of Cuba.
Never on These Shores is a terrifying alternate history with the energy
and pace of a blockbuster film. American troops are stranded in the European and
Pacific theaters while the elderly, women, children, and men banned from the
armed forces must defend their beloved America from the Axis powers and from the
prejudice, selfishness, and cruelty in their own hearts. Readers are given a
glimpse of various cities and towns around the country as citizens face the
attacks and wrestle with fear, hatred, and the dignity and nobility found when
Americans are put to the ultimate test.
Pastore keeps the novel moving at a rapid pace, making this a
great summer read. However, the huge cast of characters can be difficult to
follow, and the dialogue and sensibilities seem to suggest the 21st
century, not 1942. This work is perfect for the silver screen, thick with
explosions, violence, cruelty, sentimentality, and even a team of machine
gun-wielding drag queens.
Despite the flashy feel, Pastore presents an interesting
alternative, reminding the reader that life as we know it can be forever altered
by one tiny change in a plan. –- Catherine Perkins
STRUGGLING FREE
Margaret Penfold, Discovered Authors, 2006 Ł8.99, pb, 380pp, 9781905108404
What a marvelously accomplished novel! The story
follows the intertwining lives of three girls living in Palestine in the late
thirties and early part of World War II. When the novel opens Patsy, the
daughter of British Christian fundamentalist settlers, has just returned to
British administered Palestine after several years away. She is estranged from
her parents' faith and desperate to go back to Britain so she can study
archaeology at university and be with her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Susannah, a
Christian Arab, is working for another family of British Christian
fundamentalist settlers in exchange for tuition so she can go to Bible college.
Her brother is involved with anti-British Arab nationalists and while she
sympathizes, she is more concerned with her own problems such as actually
persuading her employer to give her some tuition. At the same time, Dalia, a
Jewish settler of German extraction, resentful at the barriers being put in the
way of the flood of Jewish refugees from Europe, is being inducted into Hagana,
an underground Jewish resistance organization.
Penfold skillfully weaves these three very different
lives together and brings the novel to a neat if somewhat rushed conclusion. It
is character rather than plot driven, and I felt all three girls were strongly
written. Secondary characters, such as the awful Shepards, Susannah's employers,
are equally well realized. The novel is also a portrait of a time and a place;
Penfold has done her research well.
My only criticism of the novel is that we could have done
without the paragraphs advising us what was going to happen in the following
chapters as we switched focus between the characters in part one. But this is a
minor flaw. I readily recommend this novel and look forward to reading more of
Penfold's work in the future. -- Cas Stavert
THE PHOENIX CIRCLE
Boris Raymond, Klyo Press, 2007 $19.99, pb, 518pp, 1419642359
This novel guides the reader through the last decades of the
Roman Empire, specifically from 448 to 476 A.D. As barbarians cross Italy’s
borders and Attila the Hun threatens to invade, a small group of Roman patriots
creates the Phoenix Circle, dedicated to restoring Rome’s former glory. It is
headed by a playboy emperor and the chief of the Roman Imperial Secret Service.
A separate tangent throughout the book follows the growth of the Christian
religion.
The author is an avid Roman history buff, and this novel is a
revised and abbreviated version of his first historical novel, The Twelfth
Vulture of Romulus, in 2003. The author does an excellent job of using
narrative and conversation to weave the drama around the main characters, and to
recreate the historical events and people as he knows them from his research and
study. A list of the western and eastern Roman emperors and popes is provided at
the end of the book. However, one wonders why this book needs to be republished,
unless there are major corrections and revisions from the previous edition. --
Brad Eden
THE CIELO: A Novel of Wartime Tuscany
Paul Salsini, iUniverse, 2006, $19.95, pb, 317pp, 0595406971
Rosa Tomaselli and her husband Marco live in their modest
home in the Tuscan town of Sant'Antonio. Though Mussolini has been deposed, the
Nazis still occupy their region of Italy, and when the SS occupies Sant'Antonio,
the residents have no choice but to flee. Rosa, Marco, and several of their
neighbors relocate to the Cielo, a farmhouse high on a hill that should serve as
a safe haven until the Allies make their way to northern Italy. The close
quarters lead to a good deal of tension, and the inhabitants of the Cielo must
learn to set aside their differences and cooperate in order to survive.
The Cielo is loosely based on Salsini's ancestors, who
lived in Tuscany during World War II. His extensive research into daily life
during the War keeps the story realistic and ensures that no detail seems out of
place. The plot moves briskly, with drama and suspense provided not only by the
residents of the Cielo but also the Nazis, whose brutality stands in stark
contrast to the beauty of the setting. The characters are colorful and varied,
and include people from all walks of life, including a woman called “The
Contessa” because of her love of finery and jewelry, a young mother of four
children, and Rosa's childhood rival Annabella, who stole Rosa's first love.
Fausta, a fascist sympathizer, adds some extra tension to the house with her
vocal support of Hitler's politics. At some point in the novel, each character,
from the young children to the elderly men, gets an opportunity to become a hero
in their own way.
War often transforms ordinary lives into extraordinary lives,
and Salsini has done an excellent job capturing this transformation. The
Cielo is a thoughtful, well-written novel with wide appeal. -- Nanette
Donohue
VARIATIONS OF LOVE
Mildres Wilkins, Blackie & Co., 2006, Ł8.99, pb, 307pp, 1904986269
Regina and Alice are childhood friends who have shared
everything—until they meet Alan Steele. Alan and Regina marry, but Regina isn't
aware of Alice's unrequited love for her husband. Alice settles for Alan's
friend George when she gets pregnant. The two women lose sight of each other for
many years and start their own lives. When Alice comes to visit Regina to help
her during a difficult pregnancy, everything changes, and suddenly both women
find their lives in upheaval and their romantic relationships changing.
Variations of Love is written entirely in third-person
past tense, as if some unseen being is looking back on the lives of both
families and reporting everything that happened. The novel follows the
characters through World War II and the post-war years, but without a lot of
historical context. The situations are almost timeless—babies conceived out of
wedlock, adultery, divorce, and other family problems—so the story feels like it
could be taking place at any time within the last eighty years.
The characters are well-developed, and some of their names
are even tongue-in-cheek allegorical (e.g., a tomboyish girl's suitor is named
“Justin Thyme”; an older woman's flame is named “Sydney Truelove”). There were
times when I wondered if any other problems could possibly befall the
beleaguered main characters in the novel—both Regina and Alice suffer more
tragic situations than humanly possible—but that's typical of the genre.
Readers who enjoy women's fiction or family sagas with a lot
of melodrama will appreciate Variations of Love. It is similar to the
popular sagas of the late 1970s and early 1980s, where a family's story was told
through the perspective of the women of several generations. -- Nanette
Donohue
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