Verity (The Sugar Baron’s Daughters)
It’s 1775, and talk of revolution is quietly spreading through the streets of New York. When Verity Banning arrives to gather supplies for her new business, she learns one Captain McKintrick is in jail for assaulting a British officer. Verity has been desperate for word of her missing intended, Capt. Duncan McKintrick, and rushes to the jail. However, it’s not Duncan she finds but his younger brother, Ian. Ian shares that Duncan met his death at the hands of a privateer while on an errand for the king. Seeking revenge for his brother’s death, Ian has become sympathetic to the Patriots’ cause. Agreeing to carry messages to French allies on the Caribbean Islands, Ian finds his needs coincide with Verity’s, as she needs a ship to transport goods to the island of Nevis. While traveling across the seas, they slowly discover not only a growing attraction but also a greater plan for their lives that will require faith over vengeance. Can they find it in their hearts to forgive the people who have caused them harm?
Bergren ties the seeds of the American Revolution into her series, adding an element of intrigue to the storyline. I found Verity to be a more compelling narrator than her sister, Keturah (heroine of book one of The Sugar Baron’s Daughters). Verity is intelligent, spunky, and warm-hearted. Her ability to succeed despite the constraints of this time is believable. The landscapes are varied, from the crowded New York streets to the landscape of Nevis, and richly detailed, with each location providing its own distinct tension. However, one noticeable inconsistency is Ian’s Scottish accent, which waxes and wanes. The author should have either kept it, to give his voice distinction, or not utilized it. Overall, a captivating and emotional journey about trusting God and overcoming personal loss.
