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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 19th 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
BUTCHERY ON BOND
STREET: Sexual Politics and the Burdell-Cunningham Case in Ante-Bellum
New York
Benjamin Feldman, The New York Wanderer Press, 2007, $24.95, hb, 298pp,
9780979517501
The horrific and
gruesome murder of dentist Dr. Harvey Burdell turned ante-bellum New
York upside down. Middle-class men blamed it on the “monstrous” woman,
Emma Cunningham, a widowed mother of four, whom they believe dared to
strike out against a “superior” man. Women raged at the liberties that
men like Burdell took with such powerless women and rejoiced in
Burdell’s violent end. The sensational Burdell-Cunningham case brought
the seamy social and political underbelly of New York into the
spotlight. It exposed the horrors of daily middle-class life: the
constant threat of poverty, swindlers, criminals, thugs, men who had
license to abandon and betray women, and rampant prostitution: the only
way many women could survive after abandonment by such men.
Stumbling upon two unmarked headstones in Greenwood Cemetery,
Benjamin Feldman became entranced by the Burdell-Cunningham affair; his
subsequent diligent research is balanced by a clear and compassionate
voice which looks unsparingly at the horrors of that brutal world and
finds that no one’s hands were clean. Feldman’s research is
incomparable; the profusion of archival images, personal accounts, legal
documents, news clippings and meticulous research into daily life of the
times allows the contemporary reader a rare view into and understanding
of the grueling life that could have been ours in another time.
Feldman’s passion
for his subject and ability to bring those dusty pages to life make
tedious legal documents a pleasure, and brings a vibrant voice, and
perhaps justice, to two families long silenced. –- Catherine Perkins
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 17th 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 17th 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
FRENCH LETTERS,
VIRGINIA’S WAR: Tierra Texas, 1944
Jack Woodville London, VirePress, 2009, $10.97, pb, 224pp, 9780981597509
Book one in this
new trilogy takes place in 1944 in a small Texas town where nothing
happens without everyone knowing. Virginia Sullivan has her fair share
of frustrations as she attempts to figure out what to do when she
discovers she’s pregnant, unwed, and the baby’s father far away in
France, unable to correspond. Her meddlesome father decides the best
course of action is to post a fake elopement in his newspaper. To make
matters worse, her brother Bart finds it funny to post her personal
letters up in the Post Office, so the whole town knows something is
amiss. Virginia has no choice but to be caught up in a web of deceit and
lies.
In addition to
telling Virginia’s story, this novel also looks at the dynamics of a
small town whose leaders dabble in the black market of war rations.
London expertly explores interesting and complicated relationships, and
what life is like on the home front as we learn the consequences of
people’s actions. Saturated with political affairs, romantic intrigue,
and a cliffhanging ending, readers will be eagerly awaiting the
concluding novels.
-- Rebecca Roberts
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 4th 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
OF DREAMS AND
NIGHTMARES
Shirley Roe, PublishAmerica, 2004, $27.95, pb, 255pp, 1413743374
In 1800s England, a
spoiled society girl, Martha McGuire, is forced to wed Jebediah
Whittakar, a widower with three sons. Martha must abruptly grow up and
leave her privileged life to travel to America. The hardships of
journeying west to Wyoming and her abusive new husband are just a few
traumatic events that change Martha forever. She must endeavor to find
herself as she attempts to adjust to life out West, while managing the
household and her three troublesome stepsons. Her life, although
nightmarish, finds purpose as she discovers that her stepsons need her
care, love, and protection from their father's violent temper.
While told with
great detail and imagery, the story begins to dwindle after the pivotal
climax. As Martha begins to heal and transform from her life of
nightmares to her life of dreams, the story drags on and on despite only
being 250 pages. Overall, the story is one of love and hatred, fear and
courage. If readers can patiently withstand the slow pace they will be
intrigued with the contrasts of emotions, events, and places the story
draws upon, and eventually will be rewarded with a satisfying
conclusion. -- Rebecca Roberts
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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