May 2009 REVIEWS:

JOURNEYS TO THE END OF THE WORLD
Clive Algar, Penkelly Books, 2007, $11.95, pb, 330pp, 9780620383349
    This novel deftly ties the stories of three compelling characters from differing times together into a haunting work that traces the patterns of violence, survival, and the often guilty-feeling process of healing. The story begins in 2001 with a South African university student and her “colored” boyfriend visiting her ailing grandmother to learn about her great grandfather. Vickie, a student of psychology, believes her great-grandfather might have suffered from post traumatic stress syndrome from his service in WWI and is attempting to learn about him for her studies.
    The majority of the book focuses on the absorbing tale of Daniel Butler, the barely-known great-grandfather, and the trials he faced as part of South Africa’s troops in Europe. Woven among the narrative is the third tale of a native South African boy and the harsh treatment he receives at the hands of the Dutch colonists of South Africa in the 1780s. All three stories move together through the book to ultimately converge upon a single geographic location where their lives are ultimately changed in each of their time periods.
    The characters, especially Daniel Butler, are drawn with a delicate and subtle hand that makes their changes in personality and circumstances seem very natural and believable. The book offers a fascinating look at South Africa and its activities during WWI that many American readers might be unaware of, and the tale of Daniel emphasizes the horror of war and its aftereffects in a visceral way. This lovely book is engrossing and will leave the reader thinking. (author website:  www.clivealgar.co.za)
-- Amanda Yesilbas

FIREWEED: A Woman’s Saga in Gold Rush America
Carolyn Evans Campbell, Xlibris, 2009, $23.99, pb, 424pp, 9781436385855
    The promise of things—their future, their potential—fills Carolyn Evans Campbell’s sturdy, well-researched novel Fireweed almost from its first page. All its characters feel the pull of such promise, and of course it’s the American West of the 19^th century that excites it: “California was changing. It was going to become a state with lot of important people, and Monterey was going to be its capital for certain. And didn’t President Polk say there was gold all over California?”
    Polk did say things like that, often, as did lots of other people, and in Fireweed readers watch as a bustling cast of innocents, maniacs, priests, paupers, and brave fools act on that promise. Foremost in this cast is Jenna Daggert, who is orphaned during the arduous trek along the Oregon Trail and must make her way in a brave new world full of callous opportunists, crass manipulators, and wayward dreamers. Campbell draws some of these characters considerably better than others, but with Jenna herself she is always in top form, giving us a flawed, headstrong heroine who is also very believable and ultimately sympathetic.
    We automatically think of the barbarous West of Gold Rush America as quintessentially a man’s world (and popular TV shows like Deadwood do little to dispel the notion), but Campbell’s research—and quite obviously her empathy—tends to focus on the countless women who also felt the allure of new life and new wealth. Only a very small fraction of such seekers found the new wealth, but all of them (the ones who survived, anyway) found new lives, and the biggest pleasure of Fireweed is watching Jenna slowly, haltingly find hers. I recommend the book for readers interested in the time period.
-- Steve Donoghue

THOSE WHO DREAM BY DAY
Linda & Gary Cargill, Cheops Books, 2009, $26.95, hb, 363pp, 9780979890444
    May, 1915: A young woman named Dora Benley is traveling on the Lusitania with her parents. She unwittingly becomes caught up in bizarre and frightening events in the days before the ship meets its doom—events her parents dismiss as teenage shenanigans. After the tragedy and her family's rescue, Dora just wants to put the whole ordeal behind her, but a letter changes her mind, confirming her suspicions and setting her on the path to solving the mystery of the Lusitania's destruction. Her journey takes her across the length and breadth of the Great War, from Ireland to Arabia, the sea to the desert, finding adventure, danger, and love along the way.
    The authors demonstrate a vast knowledge of time and setting; from the Lusitania's decor to the Bedouins of T.E. Lawrence, no detail is left out. The prose suffers a bit from showing instead of telling, and the pace moves so quickly that it can leave the reader wanting more exploration of Dora's motivations; however, one can't help but get swept up in the mystery and excitement, wondering what will happen next. Those Who Dream By Day is the first in a series of Dora Benley adventures. -- Heather Domin

ROXANA ROMANCE
A.J. Cave, Pavasta, 2008, $37.00hb/$21.00pb, 828pp, 9780980206104
    In this big, magnificent novel, Cave tells the story of Roxana, the Sogdian princess Alexander the Great married during the last stage of his conquest of the Persian satrapy of Bactria. In history, she was a 16-year-old pawn of her warlord father, a living chess piece in the game being played between the local Bactrian potentates (who were eager to curry favor with their new overlord) and Alexander (who sought to stabilize things in Persia preparatory to his march on India).
    Cave’s stroke of genius is to take this bare outline—scarcely a mention in the scanty ancient sources on Alexander—and weave it not only into a first-rate historical novel but, more daringly, into a modern version of such epic Persian works as the Shahnameh of Firdowsi.
   The seasons, the local religious rituals, the whole cultural heritage of a nation that was old when Greece was still a village—these things are seamlessly woven by Cave into her story about a smart, headstrong girl (called Rosanak in the novel) who knows the love of her life for a heartbreakingly short amount of time and then must spend the rest of her brief days (she was murdered shortly after Alexander’s death by one of his innumerable would-be successors) fighting to preserve her rights and the rights of the son she gave Alexander.
    It’s a tribute to Cave’s storytelling ability that her book is every bit as exciting and engrossing with or without Alexander on stage. This is Roxana’s story from start to finish, and Cave enlists everything—from a large cast of characters, to very lively dialog, and even to a creative use of typeface and font—to underscore that point. There’s a vast amount of ancient Persian culture and lore packed into this book, but it’s firmly in the service of fleshing out the tale of the young woman who ancient sources say captured Alexander’s heart. No reader of historical fiction should miss this lavish, wonderful book. -- Steve Donoghue

THE POWER: A Novel of Voodoo
Jim Duggins, BookSurge, 2008, $21.99, pb, 575pp, 9781439202685
    When Lucy’s Reyna spies on her mother, following her into the woods and witnessing a voodoo ritual, she feels a personal calling and knows that it is her way out of slavery. Reyna, a tall, skinny eight-year-old slave girl living on the Riverview Plantation in 1840’s Georgia, is thrown into a tumultuous journey that will forge her desires and her destiny. Realizing her mother’s secret and witnessing the price she pays does not break Reyna’s resolve. Separated from her mother, Reyna faces the world on her own, never forgetting that her mama said, ”Chile, you be a queen.“
    On this sweeping journey the reader is reminded of the brutality, cruelty and dehumanization slavery represented. Reyna is first placed in Master Goodman’s household until tragedy strikes, and she is sold to a new master in New Orleans.  There her stark beauty invites unwanted attention, and she soon finds herself a student of Marie Laveau, acclaimed voodoo high priestess. No longer able to conceal her own powers, Lucy’s Reyna lets them get the better of her, and soon she must leave.
    The Gold Rush is in full swing when Reyna arrives in San Francisco. Calling herself Reyna Royale, she works tirelessly to gain the freedom of her own people and begins to build her empire. In time, her accomplishments take form, and the true nature of those people who she has surrounded herself with comes to light bringing this amazing story to a surprising end and leaving the reader wanting more.
    Jim Duggins masterfully pens a spell-binding epic story of a young slave girl who faces daunting life obstacles to become a courageous Underground Railroad worker, San Francisco madam, and successful business woman. Duggins takes historical events and uses them as a backdrop upon which he weaves the characters and their own stories of struggle to gain freedom and wealth. Suspenseful and blushingly erotic at times, this novel keeps the reader entranced. -- Holly Cronk

THE TEMPLARS, TWO KINGS, AND A POPE
Grigor Fedan, Hafiz Press, 2008, $16.95, pb, 317pp, 9780615264318
    A crucial 25-year period of the famous Knights Templar’s history is told in this exhaustively researched novel by Grigor Fedan. The book covers the years between 1288 and 1312. The Knight Templars, who officially existed from about 1119 to 1312, were warrior monks famous for both their fighting and financial skills. The Templars fought in the Crusades and were finally driven from the Holy Land by the Turks. The French King Philip VI and the Pope persecuted the Templars supposedly because of their heretical practices; however, according to Fedan, Philip IV was only interested in their great wealth.
    The novel follows the plight of the Templars by describing the life of a pious monk named William who is recruited to join the order. Through William’s adventures we learn of the secret war the Templars waged against the French King Philip IV; we discover the existence of a Gnostic gospel written by Jesus; and we also learn the fate of the Knights Templar, one of history’s great mysteries.
    The novel does an excellent job of explaining what the Gnostic gospels are and what it means to be a Gnostic. According to the novel the Gnostic gospels “…emphasize the God within, which dissolves the focus on anything external, including the physical source of the teachings.” Throughout the novel William’s greatest desire is to find himself in “The Knowing, in harmony with creation.”
-- Gerard Shea

THE WARRIOR’S DANCE: Seven Kings of Rome Novels
Sherrie Seibert Goff, iUniverse, 2008, $17.95, pb, 274pp, 0780595486113
    In the era before the Republic, Rome enjoyed years of peace during the reign of its second king, Numa. As Numa reaches the end of his long reign, Rome finds itself surrounded by increasingly strong kingdoms and falling prey to bandits on its borders. The young men of Rome protest Roman policies that they believe perpetuate their kingdom's weakness, limiting the potential greatness of Rome. Chief among these young men is Tullus Hostilius, a young knight in training who suddenly finds himself declared the third king of Rome. As king, Tullus uses his new-found power to strengthen Rome's military and soon finds himself at odds with neighboring countries, his family, and the gods.
    The Warrior's Dance, third in the "Seven Kings of Rome" series of novels, tells a tale that stays close to the historical mythology surrounding the third king of Rome, Tullus Hostilius. While Goff occasionally slips into contemporary slang, she goes to great lengths to immerse the reader in the day-to-day life of Regal Rome. The story flows well and the author does a good job of making sure that each chapter ends with a hook to keep you reading.
    The Warrior's Dance is a good introduction to a lesser-known period of Roman history and should be a welcome read to those who are curious about the early history of Rome. -- Rob Amend

THE WILD KNIGHT
Geoffrey Humphrys, Blenheim Press, 2008, £9.95, pb, 242pp, 9781906301092
    Previously published in the UK and now reissued independently, The Wild Knight tells the story of James VI, successful, but ill-fated, King of Scotland. Beginning with his ascension to the throne at the age of sixteen after the murder of his father, the novel follows James through the entire span of his reign, from a hot-blooded teenager anxious to prove himself to a more mature but no less passionate warrior king; through sexual conquests and romantic liaisons, marriage to a Tudor princess, children and family, battle and treaties, court intrigues and political maneuvering, all the way to the events that culminated in the doomed Battle of Flodden Field in 1513.
    The pace moves swiftly throughout this action-packed story, despite phrasing that can weigh down the prose at times. The author's knowledge of the history, culture, and politics of Stewart Scotland is put to impressive use; James comes across as a fiery, determined young man, subject to flaws and foibles, but with a fervent drive to see his country succeed. Anyone interested in James VI and his era will enjoy the adventure and historical detail of this well-researched and tightly-constructed novel. -- Heather Domin

ESCAPE TO FREEDOM
Kenn Joubert, Trafford Publishing, 2008, $26.09/C$30.00/EUR20.34/£13.48, pb, 325pp, 1412071801
    Kenn Joubert’s Escape to Freedom, the first volume in a projected trilogy set during the 17^th century French persecution of the Huguenots, is an unapologetic throwback to the rollicking historical yarns of Alexander Dumas (père and fils). The narrative kicks off when simple, kind-hearted young Provencal farmer Pierre Jaubert confronts a snide, vindictive officer of the Dragoon detachment sent to billet in his sleepy little village of La Motte d’Aigues. The confrontation goes poorly for the officer, and before the reader’s gone a dozen pages, young Pierre is an outlaw on the road to adventure, with a pack of Dragoons single-mindedly on his trail.
    Such is the outline of a classic high-adventure story, and Joubert doesn’t disappoint in the primary responsibility of such stories—you’ll keep reading! He has other strengths suited for the delightfully anachronistic tale he’s set himself to tell: his historical knowledge is evident but not intrusive, his hero is instantly likeable, as only blank slates can be, and his own enthusiasm for his tale never slackens.
    Readers will learn a great deal about Provencal culture and the religious turmoil unleashed by the edicts of Louis XIV, but such readers should be warned: Escape to Freedom is very much historical romance, not history. Villagers in 17^th century France were never so idyllically simple (nor anywhere near as clean) as they appear while frolicking through Joubert’s novel. Also, the novel could have benefited from a stronger editorial hand, someone to tighten up the wandering grammar and take pruning shears to the overgrowth of exclamation points. But such things can be fixed in subsequent volumes; in the meantime, this book can be enjoyed as guiltlessly as a hayrack-ride in summer. Recommended especially for teen readers curious about this period in French history. -- Steve Donoghue

FREEDOM TO LOVE
Rhonda Kulczyk, Tate, 2009, $15.99, pb, 270pp, 9781606960677
    Set in the 1850s, the novel begins in Independence, Missouri, with a young woman watching her mother’s casket being lowered to the ground. With the death of her mother, Alana Peterson, has now lost absolutely everything. She is homeless and penniless. More importantly, she’s lost the one person that loved her, the one person who was her friend as well as her mother, the one person she called “family.” For young Alana, the loss of her mother is yet another devastating blow in a life marked with cruelty, misery, and poverty.  
    Alana’s mother leaves behind a journal and a request. Her final wish is for Alana to go west. Thanks to her mother’s journal, Alana finally discovers who she really is. The journey west is a turning point in Alana’s life. She finds love, faith, friendship, acceptance, and even a family. In short, she finds herself—the woman that she was meant to be.
    This is a wonderful first book. I was pleased to find that the characters and events stayed true to the time period. My one criticism has to do with the fact that Alana took days to finish reading her mother’s journal. It isn’t very believable that someone can stop reading when the key to her very existence is only a few pages away. Perceptive readers will probably guess the secret behind Alana’s heritage before the big reveal so when it finally comes, it is somewhat anticlimactic.
    Aside from this, Alana’s story captivates and inspires. It is well-written and peopled with characters that readers will recognize or even identify with because they come across as “real people.” This is the first book of a planned series and a great new addition to this genre. It is highly recommended for readers of inspirational historical fiction. -- Moira Tyrell

JEANNE OF CLAIRMONDE
Joyce Moore, The Wild Rose Press, 2008, $14.99, pb, 293pp, 1601545037
    Jeanne of Clairmonde is set in medieval France during the Hundred Years’ War. Jeanne is a headstrong, naive, and at times self-absorbed young woman living in the care of the nuns who currently reside at Clairmonde, her late father’s estate. Squire Nicholas has been sent to remove the women to safety, making way for King Philip’s troops to occupy the manor. Nicholas promises to escort them to a safe refuge, but Jeanne has other plans. She intends to travel to Paris and make her case to the King himself, demanding the return of Clairmonde to her, the rightful owner.
    During the journey, first toward Luttrell and then to Paris, the attraction between Jeanne and Nicholas grows by fits and starts. Frequent misunderstandings complicate their emerging relationship. After a number of mishaps, imprisonment and escape, they both arrive in Paris. When Jeanne finally comes before King Philip, he refuses her request. In due time, after additional misunderstandings, a satisfactory conclusion is enjoyed.
    The Hundred Years’ War is seen as the beginning of chivalry and that explains the behavior of Nicholas and the Black Knight. Additional historical details would have helped situate the story in time and place. The explanation of Matthieu’s death felt incomplete as did several other incidents that could have been used to develop the characters more fully. Internal inconsistencies in the text were distracting. This book will appeal more to fans of romance fiction than those of historical fiction and would benefit from additional editing. -- Debra Spidal

VIENNA 1934: Betrayal at the Ballplatz
Paul A. Myers, BookSurge, 2008, $16.99, pb, 210pp, 9781439202036
    It is Vienna, 1934. The Austrian government is starting to become a Fascist state as German-supported Nazis decide to overthrow Chancellor Dollfuss’s government. Once Dollfuss’s government is dismantled, then Austria will belong to Hitler. In Myers’ story, Geoffrey Ashbrook is a British journalist who has come to Vienna to write news dispatches for the London papers and to write secret reports for the British cabinet. While in Austria he falls in love with Anna Marie Linden, daughter of an Austrian land owner. The plot thickens as Anna’s stepbrother falls in with the Nazis and both Geoffrey and Anna’s lives are in danger.
    This book will appeal to readers who are interested in Austrian politics in the early 1930s. The story takes place in the early days of World War II—before Mussolini joined Hitler as a member of the Axis. In 1934, the Austrians were counting on Mussolini to keep them safe from Germany. Unfortunately, as Myers relates, there were many people within the higher ranks of police and government officialdom who were pro-Nazi.
    Myers’ characters feel true to the era. He loosely based several characters on real people of the era—such as writers and journalists, socialites and politicians. For example, Ashley’s uncle is based on W. Somerset Maugham. These fabricated characters are woven into the storyline along with real people such as Empress Zita of Austria, Crown Prince Otto von Habsburg, G.E.R. Geyde, Edda Ciano (daughter of Mussolini), and many more. Myers did an excellent job of making the story real due to his good research and fine storytelling. The interweaving of fact, fiction, real, and fictional people makes this book exciting and romantic. -- Naomi Theye

THE MOON ON THE HILLS
Bill Page, Matador, 2009, £8.99, pb, 320pp, 9781906510589
    The Moon on the Hills takes place in Britannia AD 367, a time when Christianity had not yet supplanted the worship of pagan gods and goddesses. At the age of 14, Saturninus had survived the battle of Mursa Major, lost his father, and began his life as a soldier. He served in Rome’s legions, fighting in and surviving many major battles for the emperors of Rome. While recuperating from wounds received in the siege of Amida, he met and fell in love with Pascentia, the wife of a wine merchant. After Pascentia’s apparent death at sea during a storm, Saturninus returns to his homeland in Britannia.
    Saturninus is now Primicerius of the fictional Civil Guard in Corinium. One night he dreams of his own death at the hands of Caelofernus under a full moon; he also dreams that Pascentia is searching for him. With the full moon only four days away, Saturninus sets out to find and kill Caelofernus thus averting his own death. At the same time, he hopes to discover if Pascentia is alive. During his quest to find Caelofernus, childhood memories of the area and people return and become entwined with the present, leaving him confused but determined to learn the truth.
    The historical notes at the end of the novel are helpful in placing the story within the history of Roman Britain. Page has deftly woven descriptions of daily life in 4^th century Britannia into the story. The examples of dualism such as moonlight and sunlight, Christianity and Paganism, and Roman and Briton are subtle but worth noting. This is an interesting and entertaining historical mystery with a touch of goddess fiction mixed in. -- Debra Spidal

DADDY’S LITTLE SPY--ISABELLA
Isabella Rose, Upfront Publishing, 2007, $18.50, pb, 286pp, 9781844264728
    It is unimaginable, unthinkable, unrealistic, and impossible to fathom how any mother could instill the painful abuse and verbal threats of harm to her daughter. Yet, in Daddy’s Little Spy-Isabella, that is exactly what happened to Isabella. Classified a novel, it is based on the true story of one girl’s survival during World War II in England. Her mother practices witchcraft and takes great pleasure devising clever new ways to inflict pain on her daughter and then covering up her demonic deeds. Isabella called her mother Mummy Witch, and hated her too, but in a twisted way really just wanted to be loved.
    Her father, at first an ally, came back from the war a changed man. Isabella couldn’t wait for her father’s return but when he did, he would not save her. What happened, and why was he protecting the Mummy Witch? Isabella was tragically alone and made to look like a child with a problem. Her only solace was from her Angel Feebee and her Nana who could not always be there to protect her. Always on guard, forced to keep the family secret, living with the pain of bruised and battered bones and frequent bloody injuries, Isabella must learn to live with her evil Mummy Witch or she will certainly die.
    The story takes place between 1939 and 1949, a time when witchcraft is against the law and the treadle sewing machine is still used. Otherwise, this is a timeless, horrifying tale of despicable acts of hatred and evil that will keep you awake. Short, abrupt sentence structure mimics the speech of a child talking, which can be bothersome at times. It’s difficult to believe someone is capable of such acts; this book will shock even the strongest of hearts.
-- Wisteria Leigh

FLAVIA’S SECRET
Lindsay Townsend, Bookstrand, 2008, $12.99, pb, 226pp, 1606010832
    In second-century Roman Britain, the Lady Valeria maintains a blissful household devoted to good talk and good reading, staffed with a beloved “family” of slaves—including beautiful young Flavia. When Lady Valeria dies, the household passes into the possession of young Roman officer Marcus Brucetus, a veteran of the perpetual border-warfare in Germania.
    As is the way in such stories, these two are immediately attracted to each other, despite the fact that not only is he a free man and she a slave, but she’s his slave, his property along with everything and everyone else in the house. Lindsay Townsend handles this complication with unerring skill and some very pleasing human touches. In one scene, Marcus makes an offhand comment about how tightly Flavia pins her hair. She acerbically reminds him that he can change anything he dislikes, since he owns it all. He simply touches one of her hairpins, and she replies:
    “You have made your point.” Suddenly Flavia felt weary, weary of being a slave, weary of fighting this man and her own feelings.
    Marcus looked at her a moment longer, then sighed and stepped back.
    “You are right,” he said. “That was a crass thing to do.”
    “Yes,” said Flavia steadily. “It was.”
    Such exchanges are frequent in Flavia’s Secret, and they constitute the book’s main pleasure. Townsend has a great ear for snappy dialog, and even her most minor characters spring instantly to life with a carefully-chosen sentence or description. Most details of Roman Britain at the time are faithfully rendered, although at its heart, this is a timeless story of two people finding love where they least expect it. Flavia’s Secret is cheerfully recommended. -- Steve Donoghue

ISMERE: A Story of the Lady of the Mercians
Martin Wall, Lulu.com, 2007, $13.99, pb, 146pp, 9781409240389
    Ismere, Martin Wall’s novel set in a Dark Ages England beset by Viking raids, is every bit the gripping, emotional, and exciting story Aneirin, its aged narrator and main character, assures his young listeners it is. Aneirin’s life, from its love-racked beginnings to its war-ravaged glory days in the service of the Lady Aethelfleda, features more violence, hardship, and humor than ten more ordinary lives, and Wall is to be credited for his skill in stage-managing all of it so efficiently. There’s plenty of human drama in Ismere, which in many instances seems patterned after the narrative style of the Icelandic sagas, and when Aneirin concludes the telling of his life story, readers feel that life has encompassed an entire age.
    All these things speak well of Wall’s book, but it nevertheless has maddening aspects. Some of these are hardly Wall’s fault—the book’s review-copy edition sports typeface so small as to be virtually unreadable in long stretches, for instance—but the biggest of them can certainly be laid at his feet: namely, the aforementioned Icelandic saga-style writing. Take a typical scene from early in the novel, when Aneirin, a prisoner awaiting execution, confronts his blubbering cell-mate:

He had been raised as a good boy and was not evil, like the men I spoke of, have pity on him, he pleaded, and when I turned a deaf ear, he groveled and begged on his knees before me. I could not stand anymore, even though I pitied him in my heart, this cowardice and weakness in the face of death made me angry, and I spat on him, kicked him, screamed at him to be quiet.

    Obviously, the problem here is that all this is told rather than dramatized— this might be an accurate reflection of how an old man would tell a story to listeners, but it’s a trying way to write a historical novel, and page after page of it might turn away readers this novel otherwise deserves.
-- Steve Donoghue

SALVOS ON THE BACKWATER: A Novel of the Civil War Period
Erin Wunderlich, XLibris, 2008, $22.99hb/$15.99, pb, 284pp, 1425798454
    It is 1863 on the Gulf Coast of Florida on the Apalachee Bay. Cap’n Jack Nichols and his Uncle Wiley are fishing on board the Chopee. This area of Florida is a dangerous place with constant threats of gators, panthers, snakes, and other wild animals. Along with beastly harm comes the threat of Confederate pickets and Union soldiers who are crawling the countryside. It is a battleground for control. Bridges are targets. Waterways patrolled. Clear passage to ship goods is essential to both sides and at any cost. Desperate men will work for food and turn colors quicker than a flash of lighting hits the earth. Jack prefers fishing to any involvement in the war, and he tries to remain neutral.
    On this day, Jack and Wiley come upon the USS General Lyon, and they frantically dodge cannonball fire. But Jack knows the labyrinth of streams, land, and islands like his own name. They escape capture, possibly death, and when they slip away, they encounter a homestead where they meet the widow Rebecca, her father, and her son who have come upon tough times. Before leaving, Jack helps Rebecca get on her feet and becomes smitten. Jack continues to face peril from the Civil War and his nemesis Timber Harris. Harris, a sore loser, lost his boat to Jack in a card game and won’t rest till he gets revenge. According to Jack, “For me Harris is like a rip tide that keeps dragging my britches back toward trouble.”
    This historically informative action-adventure provides a look at Florida in the Civil War era not often written about. Jack the manly, ingenious, Indiana Jones-type main character is captivating. The plot is predictable, however that does not diminish the fine writing and imagery captured in the semantic dialect of the area. -- Wisteria Leigh

YOUNG ADULT

RANGA PLAYS AUSTRALIA: A Journey
Ian Burns, Palmer Higgs Publishing, 2008, $AU24.95, pb, 274pp, 9780646496924
    Ian Burns has written a novel about a little-known episode in Australia’s cricketing history: a match between students from India and children from the tiny Victorian town of Niamong.
    The story is set in 1950s India and Australia. It feels thoroughly researched and demonstrates a great love and understanding of cricket. There is a subtle humour, throughout the text, that caused this reader to chuckle more than once. Although, I fear it may be too sophisticated for a younger readership. A quiz in the appendix, a score card and a copy of Niamong cricket rules, are also nice details.
    The story is told from an omniscient point-of-view. Unfortunately, the narrator shifts between characters’ heads too frequently. This gives the reader a sense of being told the story, rather than feeling it within. We watch the main character, Ranga, discover his wonderful idea. By the story’s end, we understand his desire to be a continuing source of initiative. But we do not experience his inner journey.
    Although cricket metaphors and allusions abound, there is very little cricket played in the book. The main match is played on pages 247-271. Apart from that, there are some references to practice sessions and a scene, on board ship, in which the Indian students bowl to the great, Sir Donald Bradman. This scene is important and has potential for dramatic tension. But it is not fully realised.
    Throughout the narrative, the author uses a number of creative textual devices. These include colons, dashes, strings of question marks and exclamations, sections of capitalised speech, and the shrinking and expanding of text. At times these are a distraction to the reader. Nevertheless, having said all this, I was still eager to find out who won the match at the end. 
-- Elizabeth Jane

ANNA’S WORLD
Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin, Chiron Books, 2008, $12.95, pb, 225pp, 9781935178026
     When Anna Coburn is fourteen  her father’s store is destroyed in a flood. As her mother is dead her father sends her to stay with a religious community known as the Shakers until he can establish himself in a new business.
    Anna hates all the rules and restrictions of the Shakers and longs for the day when her father will come and take her away. But there is one thing she really does like and that is the opportunity for education, an opportunity which she probably would not have had in the wider world. Anna is particularly good at figures and is delighted when she is chosen to be a monitor in the school.
    Then she hears that her father has sent for her and a servant arrives to take her to Boston. Anna is  elated but when she arrives at her new home she finds it is not what she had expected. She is now expected to behave like a society lady and Anna cannot adjust to that after the simple Shaker life. She feels useless. She is not allowed to do any cooking or cleaning and she has to do embroidery instead of useful plain sewing.  Even worse, she finds out that her father’s new business is making munitions –– and the Shakers are pacifists. Finally Anna finds her life in danger.
    She has a difficult decision to make. Should she stay in the world or go back and join the Shakers? What does she choose?
    Along with the story of Anna’s personal problems are many detailed descriptions of Shaker rituals and ideas. There are also cameo appearances of  Henry David Thoreau, and his friends as they come to visit the little community.
     This story of a young girl growing up set against a fascinating and unusual background is highly recommended. It comes with a historical note and has won several awards including the silver medal of the Moonbeam Children’s Awards. For young adults.  -- Mary Moffat

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