Guest Post: Landscape of a Marriage by Gail Ward Olmsted

Please join me in welcoming Gail Ward Olmsted to Let Them Read Books! Gail is celebrating the release of her newest novel, Landscape of a Marriage, and I'm thrilled to have her here today with a guest post about the inspiration for her story, Frederick Law Olmsted and his wife, Mary.

Central Park was only the beginning...

A marriage of convenience leads to a life of passion and purpose. A shared vision transforms the American landscape forever.

New York, 1858: Mary, a young widow with three children, agrees to marry her brother-in-law Frederick Law Olmsted, who is acting on his late brother’s deathbed plea to "not let Mary suffer”. But she craves more than a marriage of convenience and sets out to win her husband’s love. Beginning with Central Park in New York City, Mary joins Fred on his quest to create a 'beating green heart' in the center of every urban space.

Over the next 40 years, Fred is inspired to create dozens of city parks, private estates and public spaces with Mary at his side. Based upon real people and true events, this is the story of Mary’s journey and personal growth and the challenges inherent in loving a brilliant and ambitious man. 

Amazon  |  Goodreads 

Landscape of a Marriage: Frederick Law Olmsted & Mary Perkins Olmsted

By all accounts, they were an unlikely couple right from the start. They met at the home of mutual friends when Mary was just 18. Orphaned at an early age, she was raised by her grandparents and attended school in Staten Island, NY. She was an outspoken young woman who loved art and French literature. Fred was 27, a gentleman farmer who had previously spent time as a merchant seaman and a newspaper reporter, after dropping out of Yale University. He had dated plenty of women, but often confided to friends that he was likely to remain a bachelor for life. 

After meeting her for the first time, Fred was overheard remarking to a friend, “Mary is just the thing for a rainy day. Not to fall in love with, but to talk with.”  Meanwhile, Mary fell in love with Fred’s younger brother John, a recent Yale grad, and soon after, the two became engaged. 

Mary and John married in 1851 and honeymooned in Italy. Over the next five years, they had three children: John Charles, Charlotte and Owen. Never in the best of health, John was diagnosed with tuberculosis, prompting the family of five to travel throughout Europe in search of a cure.

Meanwhile, Fred had been in and out of relationships with a number of women and was briefly engaged to one of them. The engagement was broken by the young woman’s mother in a note to Fred detailing her daughter’s concerns for their future together. Fred was now more convinced than ever that marriage was not in the cards for him and he began to devote all of his time to his latest project--designing a public park out of an 800-acre plot of swampy land in Manhattan.

Blog Tour Excerpt: The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba

by Chanel Cleeton

Berkley Trade Paperback; May 4, 2021

At the end of the nineteenth century, three revolutionary women fight for freedom in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton's captivating new novel inspired by real-life events and the true story of a legendary Cuban woman--Evangelina Cisneros--who changed the course of history.

A feud rages in Gilded Age New York City between newspaper tycoons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. When Grace Harrington lands a job at Hearst's newspaper in 1896, she's caught in a cutthroat world where one scoop can make or break your career, but it's a story emerging from Cuba that changes her life.

Unjustly imprisoned in a notorious Havana women's jail, eighteen-year-old Evangelina Cisneros dreams of a Cuba free from Spanish oppression. When Hearst learns of her plight and splashes her image on the front page of his paper, proclaiming her, "The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba," she becomes a rallying cry for American intervention in the battle for Cuban independence.

With the help of Marina Perez, a courier secretly working for the Cuban revolutionaries in Havana, Grace and Hearst's staff attempt to free Evangelina. But when Cuban civilians are forced into reconcentration camps and the explosion of the USS Maine propels the United States and Spain toward war, the three women must risk everything in their fight for freedom.

Amazon  |  Goodreads  |  Penguin Random House  |  Chanel Cleeton

Excerpt

“I’m here for a job if you have one. As a reporter. I’ve spent the last few years writing for smaller papers, getting experience where I could.” I gesture to the leather folio in my lap. “I’ve brought samples of my work if you’d like to look at them. They’re not necessarily the kinds of stories I want to cover, but they’re a start.”

“Why do you wish to work here, Miss Harrington?” Pulitzer asks, making no move to take the folio from me.

“Because of the stories you cover, the impact you have. The World has one of the largest circulations in the world.”

Indeed, Mr. Pulitzer has just slashed the World’s price to one cent, saying he prefers power to profits, circulation the measure by which success is currently judged.

“You have the opportunity to reach readers, to bring about change, to help people who desperately need assistance,” I add. “I’ve admired the work you’ve done for years. You’ve long set the tone the rest of the New York newspaper industry follows. You’ve filled a gap in the news, given a voice to people who wouldn’t have otherwise had one. I’ve read the articles you wrote when you were a reporter yourself in St. Louis, and I admire the manner in which you address society’s ills. You’ve revolutionized the newspaper. I want to be part of that.”

Blog Tour Excerpt: Prospects of a Woman by Wendy Voorsanger

Elisabeth Parker comes to California from Massachusetts in 1849 with her new husband, Nate, to reunite with her father, who’s struck gold on the American River. She soon realizes her husband is not the man she thought—and neither is her father, who abandons them shortly after they arrive. As Nate struggles with his sexuality, Elisabeth is forced to confront her preconceived notions of family, love, and opportunity. 

She finds comfort in corresponding with her childhood friend back home, writer Louisa May Alcott, and spending time in the company of a mysterious Californio Don. Armed with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance, she sets out to determine her role in building the West, even as she comes to terms with the sacrifices she must make to achieve independence and happiness. 

Prospects of a Woman is a fresh, authentic retelling of the West that explores women’s contributions in California and shatters the stereotypes of the typical hard-boiled novel of the West that has captured the American imagination for over a century.

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Praise: 

"Prospects of a Woman is a fascinating, complex, dark, and beautiful novel of women and sexuality on the frontier of the California gold strike days." 

— Douglas Glover, two-time Governor General's award-winning author of Elle

"I loved this surprisingly feminist story of Gold Rush-era California! Elizabeth Parker is a heroine to fall in love with--plucky, sensuous, courageous and clear-eyed. It is a rare and unusual pleasure to—finally—have a narrative of the Gold Rush told from a woman’s point of view."

—Janis Cooke Newman, author of Mary: Mrs. A. Lincoln

"Prospects of a Woman is thoughtful and thrilling. The landscape of California - the rough-scrabble mining towns, the wildness of the river and woods -- sings on every page."

—Alex Myers, author of the novels Revolutionary and Divide

"Prospects of a Woman is a riveting read about a woman who comes to California during the Gold Rush determined to escape societal constraints, find love and strike it rich. As a woman in a man’s world, she faces innumerable challenges but manages to rise above them. This is a bold, rollicking and satisfying tale, one that is hard to put down."

—Frances Dinkelspiel, award-winning journalist and author of the best-selling books, Tangled Vines and Towers of Gold

Excerpt:

“God offers to every mind its choice between truth and repose. Take which you please; you can never have both.” 

Hiking out of the steep gorge was goddamn difficult, going barefoot over all those sharp rocks and prickly pine needles. She couldn’t very well wear Henry’s man boots with her only fancy dress on her first visit to Coyoteville, so she wore nothing on her feet. Done feeling sorry for herself, she was fixing to find some fun of her own. That Yellow Dog loped up too close underfoot, and she tripped on a rock sticking up on the trail, falling hard on her knees and tearing her emerald-green silk dress nearly to the waist, showing her dingy drawers underneath. Yellow Dog lay down on the trail beside her while she cursed and cursed, holding her toe, ripped open and bleeding. When he whined and licked her bloody toe, she pushed his muzzle away irritated, and stood up. She pressed on, stepping slower and careful now, walking and walking up the hill, reaching the top just as dark fell. 

She limped over to a huge open-air tent lit with lanterns and lurked just outside, mesmerized. Wild with abandon, men culled from every race and nation mixed up crazy, dancing a twisted waltz with each other to a comic tune played out of time on a banjo, a fiddle, and two harmonicas. A bare-chested Nisenan accompanied the band with rattles tied ’round his ankles, strutting and gyrating and puffing like a grouse. Half the men wore pants patched front and back across their man parts with flour sacking that read Self-Rising Haxhall. Others wore sacks bearing the name of a Mexican hot chile. Having no women didn’t hinder the men, with some overcoming the difficulty by taking on the feminine role. Transfixed, Elisabeth studied the men and figured the ones wearing the patches were acting as women, prancing coy and light, following the lead of their men. Those not dancing cradled the arms of their partners, cheering and clapping ladylike, while the real men hooted and stomped furious to the bawdy music. 

Guest Post by Ashley E. Sweeney, Author of Answer Creek

Please join me in welcoming Ashley Sweeney to Let Them Read Books! Ashley is celebrating the release of her new novel, Answer Creek, and I'm thrilled to have her here today with a guest post about researching her novel and getting into the minds of people of the era.

From the award-winning author of Eliza Waite comes a gripping tale of adventure and survival based on the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party on their 2,200-mile trek on the Oregon–California Trail from 1846 to ’47.

Nineteen-year-old Ada Weeks confronts danger and calamity along the hazard-filled journey to California. After a fateful decision that delays the overlanders more than a month, she—along with eighty-one other members of the Donner Party—finds herself stranded at Truckee Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, stuck there for the entirety of a despairing, blizzard-filled winter. Forced to eat shoe leather and blankets to survive, will Ada be able to battle the elements—and her own demons—as she envisions a new life in California?

Researched with impeccable detail and filled with imagery as wide as the western prairie, Answer Creek blends history and hearsay in an unforgettable story of challenging the limits of human endurance and experiencing the triumphant power of love. 

***

As historical novelists, we must consider the culture of the time period we’re writing about. As we peel back layers of customs and values, we must consider many other elements: jargon, recipes, attire, mode of transportation, communication, and currency, to name a few.

Nineteenth century journalist Francis Parkman, who traveled the Oregon Trail to document emigrant travel in the mid 1840s, wrote: “Faithfulness to the truth of history involves far more than research. The narrator must seek to imbue himself with the life and spirit of the time. He must study events in the bearings near and remote; in the character, habits, and manners of those who took part in them. He must be, as it were, a sharer or spectator of the action he describes.”

As I was writing Answer Creek, set on the Oregon-California Trail in 1846, I filled a dozen black and white composition books with excerpts from period literature, newspapers, and journals. I scoured 19th century advertisements in newspapers from New York to San Francisco. And I visited countless historical sites along the Oregon-California Trail itself, stopping at historical markers, historical societies, and museums. By far, the closest glimpse I got into the minds and hearts of the western travelers was through their journals. At a regional museum near Scott’s Bluff, Nebraska, I pored over surviving journals:

June 7, 1845
After keeping our new course for seventeen miles our progress became suddenly arrested. We all at once came to the edge of the high prairie, and from thence down to the valley . . . a distance of three miles, nothing but a chaotic mass of rocks, hills, precipices, and chasms could be seen; and through which it seemed as if it were impossible ever to proceed . . .
—J. Henry Carleton

August 1, 1846
Left our encampment and traveled a tolerable rough road crossing several very high hills and encamped at the head of a larger Valley with a fine little stream . . . cattle plenty of grass, Country appear (sic) more hale west. Made this day 16.
—James Frazier Reed

May 2, 1847
Made 20 miles. Exceedingly cold for the season . . .
—Elizabeth Dixon Smith Geer

May 24, 1847
This is the place for everything, laughing, scolding, whining, whistling, and singing. Some find everything better than they expected; others worse . . .
—Chester Ingersoll

Spotlight: A Sparrow Alone by Mim Eichmann

A Sparrow Alone

by Mim Eichmann

On Sale April 15, 2020

Living Springs Publishers

eBook, Paperback; 374 pages

1890s Colorado:  desperate following her mother's sudden death, 13-year-old Hannah Owens is hired as domestic help for a wealthy doctor's family in Colorado Springs.  When the doctor declares bankruptcy and abandons his family to finance his mistress' brothel, however, Hannah is thrown into a vortex of gold mining corruption, rampant prostitution and the economic, political and cultural upheavals of the late 19th Century.

Two of Cripple Creek Colorado's most colorful historic characters, Winfield Scott Stratton, eccentric owner of the richest gold mine in Cripple Creek, and Pearl DeVere, the beautiful madam of the Old Homestead, come to life as this old-fashioned, coming-of-age saga unfolds, a tribute to the women who set the stage for women's right.

“I believe that I was most captivated by the women in Hannah’s story, and how they all continued to come together, even in times of turmoil and uncertainty. I found that this novel had incredibly strong female characters, and I could feel the unity that these women experienced. Hannah’s story is not only a wonderful historical coming-of-age tale, but also a novel about overcoming hardships, finding friendship, and female empowerment."  ~Deanna Frances, Windy City Reviews

Available for Preorder:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Mim Eichmann has found that her creative journey has taken her down many exciting, interwoven pathways. For well over two decades she was known primarily in the Chicago area as the artistic director and choreographer of Midwest Ballet Theatre and director of its home, Midwest Ballet Academy, bringing full-length professional ballet performances to thousands of dance lovers every year and was the recipient of many arts’ programming grants. A desire to become involved again in the folk music world brought about the creation of her acoustic quartet Trillium, now in its 15th year, a folk band well known for its eclectic repertoire performing throughout the Midwest that has also released four CDs. She’s also written the lyrics and music for two award-winning original children’s CDs, “Why Do Ducks Have Webby Toes?” and “Wander Down Beyond the Rainbow” and occasionally schedules concerts of her children’s music and movement programs.

Always captivated by the writings, diaries and journals of late 19th century women, as well as that era’s economic, social and political upheavals, Ms. Eichmann has now put pen to paper and the historical fiction novel she has been passionately researching, its rich synopsis gradually evolving over many years, has finally become a reality. We hope you’ll enjoy A Sparrow Alone and its sequel, Muskrat Ramble.

Author website  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads

Guest Post: Unequal by Birth by Rosemary J. Kind

Please join me in welcoming Rosemary J. Kind to Let Them Read Books! Rosemary is celebrating the release of Unequal by Birth, Book Two in the Tales of Flynn and Reilly series, and I'm delighted to have her here today with a guest post about the importance of research and accurate historical details in her books!

1866 - Daniel Flynn and Molly Reilly’s lives have been dogged by hardship since their orphan days on the streets of New York. Finally, the future is looking bright and Indiana is the place they call home. Now they can focus on making Cochrane’s Farm a success.

The Civil War might have ended but the battle for Cochrane’s Farm has only just begun. The Reese brothers are incensed that land, once part of their family farm, has been transferred to the ownership of young Molly. No matter that their Daddy had sold it years previously, jealousy and revenge have no regard for right. Women should know their place and this one clearly doesn’t.

Times are changing and a woman’s place is changing with it. How far will Daniel and Molly go to fight injustice and is it a price worth paying?

Amazon  ~  Amazon UK

It's the Little Details

by Rosemary J. Kind

Considering 1860 - 1870 is relatively recent history, there is surprisingly little detail recorded about the town my book is primarily based in. As far as possible, I like to be factually accurate in key details and want to know not only what events took place at the time I’m writing about but the street layout of the town and the nature of the buildings.

Writing about cities tends to be easier as there are official records, which are often accessible to modern readers. However, for Pierceton, Indiana, it has been a more interesting challenge. I have found one key reference source ‘A history of Pierceton Indiana by George A Nye’.

George Nye typed up all he knew about the history in a manuscript dated 1952. He made pen alterations as he found corrected information. Even though he was writing only 90 years after the period I’m covering, he was unable to find residents with memories or family records which went back that far, so detail is scant.

I am sincerely glad to those who have digitised such records and made them available. It has meant I can be sure, in conjunction with maps, of the general layout and the key buildings and businesses at that time. I could also find enough about the post office and key services. The lack of detail makes me feel more confident in taking a little licence for the setting, although even then I find myself apologising to the reader for giving Pierceton a bank branch a few years before there was one in the town.

Some of the social history detail is missing. I wasted very many happy hours (I love research) trying to find out the exact name of the women’s movement in the town as well as in Dowagiac. The best I’ve found was what the main women’s suffrage movements changed their names to a few years later, but not what they changed them from.

My latest challenge is for the novel which follows this one. On what date were the primaries for the elections to the House of Representatives held in 1870? I’m about to email my last remaining hope of finding an answer to that one. I know when the main election was, but not when the list of candidates was finalised. An odd detail, but it’s important to my story.

Blog Tour Q&A: In Sight of the Mountain by Jamie McGillen

Please join me in welcoming Jamie McGillen to Let Them Read Books! Jamie is touring the blogosphere with her debut historical novel, In Sight of the Mountain, and I recently had the chance to ask her a few questions about her research and inspiration. Read on and enter to win a paperback copy of In Sight of the Mountain!

~ Inspired by the trailblazing women of the 19th Century who dared to summit Mount Rainier ~

In the devastating aftermath of the 1889 Great Seattle Fire, nineteen-year-old Anna Gallagher faces considerable pressure to marry well and soon.

She has two serious suitors: a well-meaning but condescending doctor, and an evasive fisherman who challenges her mind. But Anna has no intention of giving up her freedom to keep house; she has a dream to reach the summit of Mount Rainier.

Despite her family’s disapproval and her own self-doubt, she secretly trains, raises money for supplies, and buys a train ticket to the base of the mountain. If she succeeds in reaching its icy peak, she could pioneer the way for women mountaineers; but it’s a tall task and there’s much at risk—including the heart of a man who just might love her as an equal.

On the journey, Anna will face glaciers, avalanches, and frozen temperatures, all without knowing if she even has a family or a future to return to.

In Sight of the Mountain is a charming coming-of-age story, but it also casts the reader’s gaze upon issues of colonialism, class, and women’s far-too-narrow options.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

Hi Jamie! Thanks so much for visiting today!

What inspired you to write In Sight of the Mountain?

When I saw a life-sized image of Fay Fuller standing on a rocky ledge, I was immediately drawn to her. The old photograph showed her on Mount Rainier in August 1890, about to become the first woman to summit. I really wanted to tell her story, but I wanted to write something completely fictional, so instead I wrote what it might have been like for a woman in that time to dare to summit Mount Rainier.

Is your main character, Anna, based on a real person?

Completely inspired by Fay Fuller and other trailblazing women of the nineteenth century. Like Isabella Bird, who traveled around the Rocky Mountains and climbed Longs Peak in 1873. And Lucy Walker, a British woman who summited the Matterhorn in the Alps in 1871. I was pleasantly surprised to discover so many women doing epically adventurous things like that when it not only risked their lives, but also risked their chances of having any place in their society.

What kind of research did you do for this book? Did you get to go somewhere memorable or discover anything that surprised you?

I spent some time at the Washington State history museum, where I was able to listen to the Lushootseed language (which the Duwamish speak in the story). I also visited the Duwamish Longhouse for an event and met the current chairperson who helped answer many of my questions about how to portray the Duwamish. I also took my family on a hike on Mount Rainier (an easy one!) to help me describe the scenery, plant life, sounds, etc.

What do you hope readers take away from this book?

The main point of Anna’s story is to inspire women to get outdoors and do things they didn’t think they were capable of. And to prove that you don’t have to conform to social norms to create a fulfilling life and surround yourself with people who love you. The book also addresses the issue of young women breaking into roles that men traditionally hold, which I hope will encourage readers to be brave and risk everything to do things despite self-doubt and family disapproval--and how to thrive as a woman with big dreams.

What are you working on now?

I go back and forth between working on a sequel to IN SIGHT OF THE MOUNTAIN, and working on a contemporary young adult novel I started last spring. Who knows which one I’ll finish first!

Spotlight: The Thief's Heart by Kathleen Shoop

The Thief's Heart

by Kathleen Shoop

On Sale January 14, 2020

Historical Fiction

9781519582003

Paperback, eBook

Des Moines, 1892. After losing their promised inheritance, the Arthur family’s luck finally changes. An extraordinary woman, Violet Pendergrass, provides refuge for them to rebuild their broken lives. Or has she?

Handsome fifteen-year-old Tommy Arthur has one foot in manhood and the other dragging up the rear of his boyhood years. He strives to protect and provide for his family, but turning to booze when scared or worried creates as many problems as solutions. Unsure of who he can trust, fiery redhead Pearl Riverside challenges and excites him at every turn, softening his heart toward the idea that goodness exists in the world. 

Tension builds between Tommy and his mother as her affection for a generous man increases. At the same time, distance grows between Tommy and his twin sister, Katherine, as each chooses secrets over family. Violet Pendergrass demands more from Tommy and he begins to question her motives. 

When disaster strikes for Tommy’s little sister, Yale, the actions of a sinister judge, a crooked minister, and the infamous charlatan, Dreama, are revealed. Facing more jail time as vigilante mobs form, the clock runs down on Tommy’s chance to take responsibility for his own choices. Is it too late for him to save his family, to open his heart and fully love those who need him as much as he needs them? 

Available for preorder on Amazon

Bestselling author’s historical novel steals hearts

Kathleen Shoop’s newest title in award-winning series based on family letters

Bestselling author Kathleen Shoop has won numerous awards, been a Kindle Top 100 seller, and been lauded by major media like USA Today, Buzzfeed, and Bustle. Now she’s releasing the newest book in her award-winning historical fiction The Letter series, The Thief’s Heart (Jan. 14, 2020).

Shoop’s newest historical novel transports readers to 1892 Des Moines where, after losing their promised inheritance, the Arthur family’s luck finally changes. An extraordinary woman, Violet Pendergrass, provides refuge for them to rebuild their broken lives. Or has she? Fifteen-year-old Tommy Arthur strives to uncover Violet’s true motives while struggling to provide for his family – and develop a relationship with the fiery Pearl Riverside.  When disaster strikes and the family is threatened by an angry mob, the clock runs down on Tommy’s chance to take responsibility for his own choices. Is it too late for him to save his family, to open his heart and fully love those who need him as much as he needs them?

Blog Tour Review: The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

From the Back Cover:

It’s 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time.

However, fresh starts aren’t as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn’t believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor Samuel Moore appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn’t need any more complications in her life—especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam. Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva’s new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva’s history—and her heart.

Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers.

My Thoughts:

The Widow of Rose House was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint! I'm not going to go much into plot so as not to spoil anything. I'm just going to tell you how I feel about it.

First, it's hard to believe this is a debut novel. The characters are fantastically drawn. While I may not have made the same decisions Alva did, I found her to be admirable. The poor thing tried so hard not to show vulnerability and not to rely on anyone else. To watch her seize control of her life and learn to trust again was very rewarding. You can't help but root for her happily ever after. And if you don't fall in love with Professor Sam Moore, well, there's no help for you! I certainly hope his siblings (including Henry) will be getting books of their own? Please? Pretty please? The banter among the boisterous Moore family is delightful, and I love their dynamic. They need their own books. Just sayin'. But seriously, Sam's a genius from a family of geniuses, and he's also a big old sweet potato. I love the way he thinks and the way he observes everything, including Alva, and how he can't help but want to find solutions to problems, often to humorous effect. But the story does have several very serious and tragic aspects, and it's all balanced together really well, hitting all the right notes in all the right places.

I'm very tempted to give this five stars just for the feels alone. My only real complaints are that it's a little wordy (and I found myself skimming a page here and there), and I do feel the ghost story could have been a bit more developed and played a larger role in the story. While it is the mechanism that brings Alva and Sam together, it's far into the book before they really start making any progress. The spook factor is rather tame, though surprisingly unpredictable. But when the meaning of the house's name and its purpose were revealed at the end, I shed a tear. I'm bumping it up a notch just because of my reading experience, alternating from having a goofy grin on my face to crying to needing a cold shower.

The Danger of Postpartum Depression in 1800s America: Guest Post by Loretta Miles Tollefson, Author of Not My Father's House

Please join me in welcoming Loretta Miles Tollefson back to Let Them Read Books! Loretta is celebrating the release of her new novel, Not My Father's House, and she's here today with a guest post about postpartum depression in early America.

Suzanna hates everything about her New Mexico mountain home. The isolation. The short growing season. The critters after her corn. The long snow-bound winters in a dimly-lit cabin.

But she loves Gerald, who loves this valley.

So Suzanna does her unhappy best to adjust, even when the babies come, both of them in the middle of winter. Her postpartum depression, the cold, and the lack of sunlight push her to the edge.

But the Sangre de Cristo mountains contain a menace far more dangerous than Suzanna’s internal struggles. The man Gerald killed in the mountains of the Gila two years ago isn’t as dead as everyone thought.

And his lust for Suzanna may be even stronger than his desire for Gerald’s blood.

Amazon  ~  Apple  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Kobo  ~  Goodreads

The Danger of Postpartum Depression in 1800s America
by Loretta Miles Tollefson

There were a lot of different methods for treating depression in America in the early 1800s. 

• Water immersion, which involved submerging the patient as long as possible without actually drowning them. 

• A specially designed spinning stool, intended to bring on dizziness and to reorganize the contents of the patient’s brain into their proper positions. 

• An early form of electroshock therapy that Benjamin Franklin had introduced.

• Physical restraint. 

• Bloodletting, a therapy that was apparently thought to cure just about everything. 

• A course of enemas. 

• Induced vomiting. 

If none of these worked, drugs were always available. These included opium and calomel, a white tasteless powder that was also called mercurous chloride and used as both a purgative and fungicide. Later in the century, institutionalization in an insane asylum was also an option.

So when a new mother showed symptoms of what is today known as postpartum depression, she could expect to be subjected to any one of these options.

Fortunately for Suzanna, the late-1820s protagonist of my novel, Not My Father’s House, she doesn’t live in the United States. She lives in New Mexico when it was still owned by Mexico, where there were no insane asylums and the type of science that recommended electroshock and spinning stools hadn’t yet made inroads.

Suzanna lives in an isolated mountain valley with only her husband, Gerald, and his business partner for company. She suffers from seasonal affective disorder brought on by long snow-bound winters cooped up in a small cabin with no real windows. 

When Suzanna’s first child is born in December 1828, the weather is already making her miserable. And then the postpartum depression hits.

Blog Tour Q&A: The Undertaker's Assistant by Amanda Skenandore

Please join me in welcoming Amanda Skenandore to Let Them Read Books! Amanda is touring the blogosphere with her new historical novel, The Undertaker's Assistant, and I recently had the chance to ask her some questions about her inspiration and the challenges and rewards of writing this book. Read on and enter to win a copy of The Undertaker's Assistant!

Set during Reconstruction-era New Orleans, and with an extraordinary and unforgettable heroine at its heart, The Undertaker’s Assistant is a powerful story of human resilience–and of the unlikely bonds that hold fast even in our darkest moments.

“The dead can’t hurt you. Only the living can.”Effie Jones, a former slave who escaped to the Union side as a child, knows the truth of her words. Taken in by an army surgeon and his wife during the War, she learned to read and write, to tolerate the sight of blood and broken bodies–and to forget what is too painful to bear. Now a young freedwoman, she has returned south to New Orleans and earns her living as an embalmer, her steady hand and skillful incisions compensating for her white employer’s shortcomings.

Tall and serious, Effie keeps her distance from the other girls in her boarding house, holding tight to the satisfaction she finds in her work. But despite her reticence, two encounters–with a charismatic state legislator named Samson Greene, and a beautiful young Creole, Adeline–introduce her to new worlds of protests and activism, of soirees and social ambition. Effie decides to seek out the past she has blocked from her memory and try to trace her kin. As her hopes are tested by betrayal, and New Orleans grapples with violence and growing racial turmoil, Effie faces loss and heartache, but also a chance to finally find her place . . .

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

Hi Amanda! Welcome to Let Them Read Books! 

Thank you for having me on your blog! So happy to be chatting with you.

What inspired you to write The Undertaker's Assistant?

I was inspired to write The Undertaker’s Assistant because I wanted to explore Reconstruction—a period of great historical significance, but one that’s often treated as merely a footnote to the Civil War. I also wanted to explore the nature of death and dying in an era when that experience was often more frequent and intimate than we know today.

What kind of research did you do to bring Reconstruction-era New Orleans to life in your novel?

Research is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. It was particularly important for this story as I was writing about an era I initially knew very little about and a culture that is not my own. I read books about Reconstruction and listened to online classes by some of today’s top scholars. I went to New Orleans and visited archives and museums. To get a sense of voice and perspective, I read essays and stories written by black women authors of the nineteenth century. In the 1930s, as part of the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP), thousands of former slaves were interviewed about their experiences, and I read several of these interviews too. (It’s an amazing collection. Here’s the link: https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/about-this-collection/)

What were the most rewarding and challenging aspects of writing this novel?

Finding first-person accounts of the era was the most challenging aspect of writing the novel. Women’s voices are underrepresented in historical collections and narratives, black women’s voices especially. Even the FWP interviews I mentioned above, helpful as they were, must be considered through the lens of the interviewer (often a white male) who transcribed them. They were also recorded 70+ years after Reconstruction began, so the nature of memory comes into play too. In the end, however, I was able to create a voice for Effie that felt genuine and authentic.

Book Blast: Lacewood by Jessica James

Lacewood by Jessica James

Publication Date: June 18, 2019

Patriot Press

eBook; 348 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Sometimes love is just too powerful for one lifetime…

Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is a timeless novel about trusting in fate, letting go of the past, and believing in things that can’t be seen.

MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion, she’s enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning.

Purchasing the property on a whim, Katie attempts to fit in with the colorful characters in the town of New Hope, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood.” As she pieces together the previous owner’s heartrending story, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries, and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.

The past and present converge when hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping the “city girl” restore the place that holds so many memories. As the mystic web of destiny is woven, a love story that might have been lost forever is exposed, and a destiny that has been waiting in the shadows for centuries is fulfilled.

Rich in emotion and poignant in its telling, Lacewood is an unforgettable story about love and loss, roots and belonging…and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted. 

A haunting story from award-winning author Jessica James that connects the past with the present—and the present with eternity.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

About the Author

Jessica James is an award-winning author of suspense, historical fiction, and military fiction ranging from the Revolutionary War to modern day. Her highly acclaimed Civil War novel Shades of Gray won numerous national literary awards, and is often compared to Gone with the Wind.

By weaving the principles of courage, devotion, duty, and dedication into each book, James attempts to honor the unsung heroes of the American military--past and present--and to convey the magnitude of their sacrifice and service. Her novels appeal to both men and women and are featured in library collections all over the United States including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy. 

James resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and is a member of the Military Writers Society of America, NINC, Sisters in Crime, and the Romance Writers of America. She is a two-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and was featured in the book 50 Authors You Should Be Reading, published in 2010.

Sign up for her free newsletter at www.jessicajamesbooks.com and ask for a free copy of From the Heart: Civil War Love Letters and Stories. You can also find Jessica on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

New Mexico, Land of the Free? Guest Post by Loretta Miles Tollefson, Author of Not Just Any Man

Please join me in welcoming Loretta Miles Tollefson to Let Them Read Books! Loretta is here today with a guest post about New Mexico in the 1820s, the setting of her latest novel, Not Just Any Man.

Just a man. Known for his character, not the color of his skin. That’s all Gerald, son of a free  black man and an Irish servant girl, wants to be. It’s an impossible goal in slave-holding Missouri, but in the West, mountain men and villagers alike seem to accept him without question.

New Mexico is all that Gerald hoped for, but shortly after he arrives in Taos, he realizes he wants more than he’d thought: A girl with her own complex ancestry and a high mountain valley with intriguing potential. 

Can Gerald survive the Sangre de Cristo mountains, the Mohave Indians, and the arid south rim of the Grand Canyon as well as the fellow trapper who hates him for the color of his skin? Can he prove to himself and the girl he loves that he is, after all, not just any man?

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New Mexico, Land of the Free?

Not Just Any Man is set in New Mexico under Mexican control, but its story is actually propelled by events in the United States, specifically Missouri. Before it became a state in 1820, Missouri wasn’t a bad place for a free person of African ancestry to live. Free Blacks didn’t have the social or economic mobility of Whites, and most of them subsisted as menial laborers, but they could legally hold property and enter into apprenticeship agreements. And work was readily available: in the countryside during harvest and other high-activity seasons, and on the river the rest of the year.

But in 1820, Missouri entered the Union as a slave-holding state. Almost immediately, the lives of its free citizens of African descent began to change. Travel was restricted. The sale of goods was limited. And there were fewer jobs available as more and more slaves were imported  to work the new state’s crops and river cargo. But one of the most egregious changes was to the penalty for enslaving a free Black.

Up until 1825, anyone caught enslaving a free Black in Missouri was automatically sentenced to death. Without benefit of clergy, which meant they’d go to their reward without spiritual guidance or comfort. Under the new law, the penalty for enslaving a free Black was reduced to a maximum of thirty lashes and ten years in prison.

This sentence was further reduced if the enslaved person was returned to freedom. If this happened, the penalty was simply a $1000 fine and court costs. While this was a significant amount of money in the 1820s, it certainly wasn’t death.

Not Just Any Man imagines that, given the new laws, the safest place for a free Black in 1820s Missouri was somewhere else. For a single man, New Mexico was a logical place to head. There was economic opportunity there, and, perhaps even more importantly, Americans of any skin color were not only welcome, they were invited to become full citizens.

In the 1820s, Mexico’s attitude toward racial differences was remarkably different from the United States. This was especially true in New Mexico, where frontier conditions left little time to worry about the color of each other’s skin. Families of all ethnic and racial backgrounds freely participated in every aspect of community life, including government land grant programs. In fact, historical records indicate that at least one family of African ancestry lived in the Taos area, where Gerald Locke, Jr., fleeing Missouri and its laws, arrives in the late 1820s. And where he finds the love of his life.

No one in New Mexico seems to care about Gerald’s race or ethnicity. Even the girl. It turns out that his only problem is the attitude of other American trappers. Or of one of them, at any rate. The one who also has his eye on the girl. But you’ll have to read the book to find out who that trapper is and what he does about Gerald. Can Gerald survive the Sangre de Cristo mountains, the Mohave Indians, and the arid south rim of the Grand Canyon as well as the one man in New Mexico who hates him for the color of his skin? Can he prove to himself and the girl he loves that he is, after all, not just any man?

The Wild West: Women Were There Too, Guest Post by Carolyn E. Cook, Author of The Life and Times of Lilly Quinn

Please join me in welcoming Carolyn E. Cook to Let Them Read Books! Carolyn is celebrating the release of her newest historical novel, The Life and Times of Lilly Quinn! I had the pleasure of helping Carolyn design the cover, and I'm thrilled to have her here today with a guest post about the women who helped shape the Wild West. Read on and enter to win a paperback copy of The Life and Times of Lilly Quinn!

Fleeing hazardous circumstances in New Orleans, Lilly Quinn arrives in hardscrabble Minden Springs, a thrown-together town on the dry prairie of 1870s Kansas. She plans to continue her journey onward to San Francisco, but her chance sighting of Barnett Swan, the only lawman for miles around, gives her pause. She chooses to remain, at least for the time being. As Lilly says, “It was only the shortest of encounters, perhaps a minute, but on that much alone, I made the rash decision to retrieve my carpet bag from the stage and extend my stay in this dismal place. That marshal seemed worth investigating.” 

Little does she know that the choice will determine the entire future course of her days.

Told in the voice of feisty and independent Lilly, the story flows through decades and introduces numerous colorful characters. It’s full of life and love, heroes and villains, a page-turning saga. Lilly reveals the western myths, its sometimes brutal realities, and how the landscape captures the imaginations and hopes of those who settle there. 

Set in those legendary, rough and tumble days, The Life and Times of Lilly Quinn presents two strong-willed people who, in spite of their differences, embrace a lasting love that stands the test of time.

The Wild West: Women Were There, Too

by Carolyn E. Cook

Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, Pat Garrett. The history of the West seems filled with tales of famous men and their exploits. Except for a few respectable women, Annie Oakley, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and some rather notorious ones, Belle Starr, Calamity Jane Canary, Etta Place, western stories appear to be quite lacking in females, as if women on the frontier hardly existed. 

That concept is yet another of the Wild West mythologies and, of course, is far from accurate. Women were definitely on the scene. They were homesteaders, living in isolation, raising children, and determined to survive. They resided in newly established towns, working as seamstresses, shop clerks, and laundresses. Others were bandits, “soiled doves,” and generally disreputable figures. And there were the women of color, the Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics, who also struggled and endured.

My character of Lilly Quinn is a composite of actual women who achieved a measure of success in the western man’s world. One was Julia Bulette, known in Virginia City, Nevada, as a soiled dove with a tender heart. Among her plentiful good deeds, she nursed the sick through a smallpox epidemic, continually fed the poor, and donated to charitable causes. 

Molly, Annette, Lottie. Some only used first names, but many more frontier “girls of the night” were known by the same traits of compassion and thoughtfulness, while being tough against those who deserved it.

Blog Tour Guest Post: From Across the Room by Gina L. Mulligan

Please join me in welcoming Gina Mulligan to Let Them Read Books! Gina is touring the blogosphere with her new historical novel, From Across the Room, and he is here today with a fun Jane Austen quiz. Read on and enter to win a copy of From Across the Room!

Self-indulgent young writer Thomas Gadwell has traveled from Boston to the new Hotel Del Coronado in California to at last finish his novel when he meets the clever and headstrong Miss Mary Harting. At once Thomas tosses aside his literary pursuits for a charmed summer of romance that ends with the happy couple making future plans. However, Mary Harting is the only unmarried daughter of notorious railroad tycoon Charles Harting, and he has no intention of letting a useless wordsmith derail his own critical plans for Mary. The couple must continue a clandestine courtship, but Thomas’ ingenuity has unexpected repercussions and he unwittingly uncovers a sinister plot of deception, greed, and blackmail. Guided by mentor Henry James, to win Mary, Thomas must step from the pages of the world he creates to explore his own insecurities, battle against worldly corruption, and expose family demons.

Told through a series of clever, heartfelt, and engaging letters, From Across the Room is a voyeuristic escapade that delights at every twist. Reflecting back to a time when letters were saved in the imagination of the reader, the lost art of letter writing brings to life the opulent Gilded Age and unfolds the universal passions of love, ambition, and the resilient bonds of family.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | BOOKS-A-MILLION | CHAPTERS | INDIEBOUND

Which Jane Austen Leading Man is Right for You?

by Gina L. Mulligan

While doing research for my novels set in the Gilded Age, I’ve run across lots of fun fodder about the era. Did you know the term “unfriending” started in the early 1800s and meant just what it does today, minus the scrolling cat videos and selfies? Sugar nippers are small silver tongs used to pinch off bits of sugar when sugar was served in large cone-shaped mounds. Gentlemen brought ladies a fresh chair when she entered a room so the seat was never warm from someone else’s backside. And all of Jane Austen’s beloved leading men were handsome, brave, intelligent, and romantic. Who’s the best of her storybook men is debatable, but you can find out which Jane Austen Leading Man is best for you. Just take the quiz.

1. The perfect apology gift is...
A. Flowers
B. A Poem
C. Chocolates
D. A Night on the Town
E. No gift needed. An apology is enough.

2. When I enter a room, I'd love a man to...
A. Give me his seat.
B. Bow and kiss my hand.
C. Introduce me to his friends.
D. Watch me from across the room.
E. Rush to my side.

3. A real man wears a...
A. Ascot
B. Morning Coat and Top Hat
C. Long White Dress Shirt
D. Nothing but a Smile
E. Anything I Tell Him To

Q&A with Adrienne Morris, Author of The Tenafly Road Series

Please join me in welcoming Adrienne Morris to Let Them Read Books! Adrienne is celebrating the release of The Grand Union, the newest book in her Tenafly Road series, and I recently had the chance to ask her a few questions about her inspiration, her characters, and the rewards of writing a series. Read on and grab the first book in the series, The House on Tenafly Road, for free!

When Gilded Age banker Buck Crenshaw’s career plans are ruined on the eve of his honeymoon in 1887 Saratoga Springs, he must learn how to love his new wife while hustling for clients to secure their future. A faith healer arrives on the scene shaking Buck’s confidence yet again, but this time he has a wife who refuses to let him fail. Will his eyes be opened to the gifts before him or will he turn in bitterness away from all that is good?

Books in the historical family saga:

The House on Tenafly Road

Weary of Running

The Dew That Goes Early Away

Forget Me Not

The One My Heart Loves

The Grand Union

Hi Adrienne! Welcome to Let Them Read Books!

What inspired you to write The Tenafly Road Series?

Originally I wanted to write a miserable story about a Christian missionary from New Jersey who travels West to “save” the Native Americans while abandoning her own family. I realized as I researched post-Civil War America that the “Indian question” and the motives behind the assimilation movement were a lot more complex -- and a lot more humanitarian in some cases than I had imagined. I discovered that corruption and greed existed not only among the U.S. government but also within the Indian tribes. The first book became an exploration of human frailty (as a universal thing) in the face of a world more complex than most of us can fathom and how, within this world, small acts of kindness and forgiveness can sometimes lead to redemption.

This redemption plays out in a more personal way in the relationship between Sergeant John Weldon and his wife’s family as he struggles to hide his addiction, save his marriage and keep his place in the military. His mother’s Delaware Indian roots only add more complexity to his desire to “fit in.”

Your stories take place during a tumultuous time in American history and feature some dark themes such as addiction and racial and gender inequality. What kind of research do you do to bring your characters and their surroundings to life?

Without fully realizing it, Civil War veteran John Weldon’s addiction to opiates was inspired by the sadness I felt for my first love (a boy also named John) who joined the military hoping to escape his addiction. It didn’t work.

Post-Civil War America is a study in contradictions, especially within the military. Union soldiers who had been hailed as heroes for freeing the slaves were now vilified for mistreating Native Americans. West Point cadets who had abolitionist parents sometimes still carried prejudices into the academy, making life difficult for the first Black cadets. Women, despite not having the vote (and many did not particularly want it), were stronger and braver than they were sometimes given credit for. Following their husbands into the military while trying to raise families in remote and hostile environments took guts.

Blog Tour Review: The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang

From the Back Cover:

Two hearts. Twice as vulnerable.

Manhattan, 1850. Born out of wedlock to a wealthy socialite and a nameless immigrant, Cora Lee can mingle with the rich just as easily as she can slip unnoticed into the slums and graveyards of the city. As the only female resurrectionist in New York, she’s carved out a niche procuring bodies afflicted with the strangest of anomalies. Anatomists will pay exorbitant sums for such specimens—dissecting and displaying them for the eager public.

Cora’s specialty is not only profitable, it’s a means to keep a finger on the pulse of those searching for her. She’s the girl born with two hearts—a legend among grave robbers and anatomists—sought after as an endangered prize.

Now, as a series of murders unfolds closer and closer to Cora, she can no longer trust those she holds dear, including the young medical student she’s fallen for. Because someone has no intention of waiting for Cora to die a natural death. 

My Thoughts:

Core Lee is a medical anomaly. And in a world on the cusp of modern medicine, medical anomalies are big business. When news of the birth of a girl with two hearts spreads, Cora's guardians try to keep her safe from body snatchers and dissectionists by hiding her in the slums of New York City and raising her as a boy, and thus her alter-ego, Jacob, comes into being. But Cora is destined for greater opportunities, and so, when she turns fourteen, her guardians move her back into the fringes of high society as a young woman. But now not only are doctors clamoring for intriguing bodies to study, museums and showmen are engaged in a competition of one-upmanship to draw thrill-seeking crowds into their establishments. And the rumored girl with two hearts is still their holy grail. So Cora stays a step ahead of them by becoming one of them, moving among society as a young woman of means by day, keeping tabs on who is sick, and leading a gang of men at night as Jacob to retrieve the recently deceased and deliver them to universities and museums.

But when people Cora has been keeping tabs on start turning up dead, and not from natural causes, and an unscrupulous museum owner takes a particular interest in her services, Cora begins to question the morality of her business. Rival "resurrectionist" gangs start beating her to the bodies, and a handsome young medical student bribes his way onto her team with promises of more profits. Could he be her ticket out of the business, or does he have ulterior motives? Soon there's a hefty reward for whoever can find the girl with two hearts, and New York's underworld comes out in droves to find her. As they come perilously close, Cora will have to figure out who she can trust before it's too late.

Blog Tour Q&A with Pat Wahler, Author of I am Mrs. Jesse James

Please join me in welcoming Pat Wahler to Let Them Read Books! Pat is touring the blogosphere with her new historical novel, I am Mrs. Jesse James, and I recently had a chance to ask her a few questions about bringing her heroine to life on the pages. Read on and enter to win a paperback copy of I am Mrs. Jesse James!

A penny for a promise will change her life forever.

For Jesse James, the war will never be over. For Zee Mimms, the war is only the beginning.

The long, bloody Civil War is finally at an end when Zee Mimms, the dutiful daughter of a Missouri preacher, is tasked with nursing her cousin, Jesse James, back to health after he suffers a near-fatal wound. During Jesse’s long convalescence, the couple falls in love, but Jesse’s resentment against the Federals runs deep. He has scores to settle. For him, the war will never be over.

Zee is torn between deferring to her parents’ wishes and marrying for security or marrying for love and accepting the hard realities of life with an outlaw―living under an assumed name and forever on the run. For her, the choice she makes means the war is only beginning.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

Hi Pat! Thanks so much for visiting Let Them Read Books!

Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity of meeting your readers, and providing such thought-provoking questions.  

Most Americans know who Jesse James is, but not many could tell you the name of his wife. What inspired you to tell Zerelda "Zee" Mimms's story?

I’m from Missouri, the home state of Jesse James, and here there are references to him everywhere. Yet nothing satisfied my curiosity about what his personal life might have been like. I knew he had a wife and children and couldn’t help wondering how Jesse’s activities affected them. In a quest for answers, I discovered very little information on Zee. That sparked the idea to write her story.

What kind of research did you do to piece Zee's story together and bring her voice to life?

I immersed myself in everything I could find on Zee and Jesse. Some of it came from fairly reliable sources such as census records or well-researched historical accounts. Other things were more suspect, like reflections of family or friends, often colored to cast a flattering light. Even newspaper accounts were often skewed, especially after Jesse made a powerful friend in the editor of a Missouri newspaper. Nevertheless, I read it all and used that information to form my own picture of Zee. Then I held that image to portray her life, imagining how she might have reacted to her circumstances while staying as true as possible to matters of record.     

Did you come across anything in your research that surprised you?

There were several things that came as a surprise. One of them was the length of time it took Jesse to recover from his war wounds (Zee nursed him back to health), although there is still debate among historians over whether the extended recovery was a ruse devised by Jesse and his family to protect him from being accused of additional crimes. That brings me to another surprise. There is a fair amount of disagreement to this day about what is truth and what is fiction in the life of Jesse James.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing this story?

As you might guess, a lack of primary sources and contradictory information created obstacles in my research. Yet from a novelist’s perspective, this also brought opportunities and gave me plenty of room to portray Zee’s character.

Do you have a favorite scene in the book?

Although tragic circumstances were involved, my favorite scene to write occurred at the home where Jesse grew up. I don’t want to spoil the story by saying more than that. However, I believe the scene revealed Zee’s core of determination and grit.

Blog Tour Review: Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof

From the Back Cover:

A Tale of Family, Brotherhood, and the Healing Power of Love

After the tragic death of her husband, Aven Norgaard is beckoned to give up her life in Norway to become a housekeeper in the rugged hills of Nineteenth-Century Appalachia. Upon arrival, she finds herself in the home of her late husband’s cousins—three brothers who make a living by brewing hard cider on their three-hundred acre farm. Yet even as a stranger in a foreign land, Aven has hope to build a new life in this tight-knit family.

But her unassuming beauty disrupts the bond between the brothers. The youngest two both desire her hand, and Aven is caught in the middle, unsure where—and whether—to offer her affection. While Haakon is bold and passionate, it is Thor who casts the greatest spell upon her. Though Deaf, mute, and dependent on hard drink to cope with his silent pain, Thor possesses a sobering strength.

As autumn ushers in the apple harvest, the rift between Thor and Haakon deepens and Aven faces a choice that risks hearts. Will two brothers’ longing for her quiet spirit tear apart a family? Can she find a tender belonging in this remote, rugged, and unfamiliar world?

A haunting tale of struggle and redemption, Sons of Blackbird Mountain is a portrait of grace in a world where the broken may find new life through the healing mercy of love.

My Thoughts:

I was immediately drawn to the description of this book. A historical romance with strong themes of faith and forgiveness, the story centers on Aden, a young widow recently arrived from Norway, and Thor, the middle of the Norgaard brothers, apple farmers who make a very healthy living selling hard cider and wine. Set adrift and unsure where she belongs in the world, Aden begins to find a semblance of home on the mountain and finds her heart opening to Thor, but Thor's drinking brings up painful reminders of her marriage. While outwardly the brothers seem to have it all, old hurts and tensions run between them, particularly with the youngest, Haakon, and run-ins with their bitter neighbors and the Ku Klux Klan bring the threat of real danger.

From the very beginning I was drawn to the characters and their farm in southwest Virginia, but there is one in particular who captured my heart. Ah, Thor. A deep soul who often finds himself frustrated by the inability of others to understand him, with emotions so big and uninhibited that they can come out rather intensely. Numbing his pain and resentment with alcohol from the moment he wakes up every day. Never daring to hope that a woman would come along with the desire to see past his deafness, to make an effort to understand him and get to know him, to fall in love with him, to want to spend her life with him. Until Aden comes along, and what follows is a tender, emotional, angst-filled tale of love and overcoming addiction that really pulls at the heartstrings.

However, I ended up with mixed feelings about this book. I was absolutely in love with the love story and couldn't wait to see how it would play out, but I found the story often got bogged down by tedious details and description. Of course details and descriptions are vital in bringing the past to life, but it's easy to give too much and throw off the rhythm of the story, slow it down unnecessarily. And so I ended up skimming a bit. I also thought it had too many plot threads going on to do full justice to any of them. After finishing, I learned that this is first in a series and the author needed to set up several threads that will run through all of the books, but I still feel like these were complex themes--alcoholism, racism, superstition, grief, post-war hostility--that seemed sort of glossed over or rushed. And finally, Haakon sort of pulled a 180 and did some crazy things at the end that seemed to come out of nowhere. Turns out that was all a setup for the next book, but it just felt tacked on and contrived. I haven't decided yet if I'll read the next book because I don't really want to read about Haakon, but I probably will because, well . . .Thor.

If you're looking for something different in historical romance, this should definitely be on your radar. And it is a wonderful love story. Just be prepared for all of the other stuff that gets in the way.

My Rating:  3 Stars out of 5

Sons of Blackbird Mountain is on a blog tour!

View the tour schedule ~ Add to your shelves on Goodreads

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