Historical Books

This book, to me, can not be rated high enough.
It is the romance of romances and I've been searching in vane for something equally magical ever since I've read it. As I feel with all of Mrs Williamsons books, she tells more than a love story. She is capable of envoking deep feelings in a way that I've never encountered in any other author. It doesn't take long to feel a deep bond with her characters and you will instinctively feel the powerfull emotions that go through them, even though this is never spoken aloud. I think it is this subtle writing style that lends such power to her books.

Once in a blue moon is the kind of book that comes once in a blue moon and I cannot recommend it highly enough. After you've read and reread it, you should also buy "Heart of the West" and "Keeper of the dream".

My opinion of this novel echos that of the other readers. The book is wonderful! The character development is a lot more in depth than in your usual romance novel (erotic tensions aplenty, but no silly/brainless humping..thank you...) and the emotions between Jessalyn and McCady are truly heartfelt. The story grips you and doesn't let you go until the perfect ending. Ah....if love were always this sweet.
"Once in a Blue Moon" is and will be my all-time favorite love story.

I almost gave up on this book. I literally put it down and was going to stop reading when for some reason I decided to keep going. Am I ever glad I did! If I would have stopped reading, I would've missed one of the greatest romance novels that I have ever read.

The thing that separates this novel is the idea of unrequited love...a love that stands the TEST OF TIME and will not be denied. The beginning starts out slow. There are 2 parts to this story...the first being their younger beginning years, and the second being when they are 5 years older.

Jessalyn falls in love with McCady Trelawny when she is 16 years old. She loves him with an intensity that goes so far beyond just a "school girl crush". She knows that she will never love another, and in one of the most endearing speeches I've ever read, declares her love, loyalty, and devotion to McCady.

McCady is a tough one. Born of a family of "losers" (aka womanizers, gamblers, drinkers..ect) he thinks of himself no higher. He doesn't believe in love or his ability to be good for anyone. In order to "save" Jessalyn from being corrupted and tainted by him, he walks away from the gift of herself that she offers him.

Five years later nothing has changed...she loves him and he is absolutely obsessed with her. Many obstacles stand in their way of being together. Debts needing to be paid, jealous others, duty and obligation are just some of the hurdles that need to be overcome, but like with all romance novels....the ending is so sweet and satisfying that you'll be laughing through tears.

I couldn't recommend a book any higher. If you love this book..check out Tapestry by Karen Ranney...another excellent example of unrequited and timeless love.

This is an amazing book. Very beautifully written. I keep rereading and it gets better and better everytime. Highly recommend it.

Once in a Blue Moon has always been a favorite. This was my third time to purchase this book. Of course, the other two I have lend out in the past and never returned so I assumed it became a favorite to friends of mine. I fell in love with McCady and Jessalyn. Hey, I can't help it. They seem so real to me. Thanks to Ms. Penelope Williamson...cheers to you ma'am.

Amazing historical account of an amazing era. This book changed the way I look at life, it has that kind of effect. I discovered an admiration of the Shawnees and Tecumseh that I share with many. I have recommended this books to dozens of people and they all thank me when they are done.

a shooting star in the sky heralded a Shawnee baby with greatness..this baby would grow up to be Tecumseh. The Shawnee leader who had visions of his race being wiped out by the coming of the white man, he knew that survival depended upon all the Indian tribes pulling their resources together and he also knew that their survival depended upon moving beyond their savagery if they were to be accepted. Tecumseh was able to do the first but not the second and that would be their downfall as the savagery so inflamed the 'newcomers' their extinction was the only response that could be accepted. This was one of the most memorable characters and books that I've ever read.

A great read!! Really will hold your attention. I read it in a weekend.

This novel is about the life and works of Tecumseh, the Shawnee chief who was at the center of Indian resistance to American expansion from the 1790s until the War of 1812.

Like other great Indian leaders before him (Pontiac, Joseph Brandt) and after (Crazy Horse), Tecumseh dreamed of uniting the Indian tribes and throwing back the white encroachment, carving out the space for the Indians to continue to practice their traditional way of life. He had many obstacles to overcome, not all of which were caused by the whites. In general, Indian societies were plagued by short-term thinking and an inability to grasp the big picture of what was really happening to their world. A number of Indian leaders were great tacticians, scoring big victories and then scattering while the whites regrouped and came relentlessly on. Only a few leaders were able to think strategically enough to actually slow the white advance. Tecumseh was one of these military geniuses.

The novel works as history, but it also works as a great story. Thom creates a sense of grief and regret about the loss of the Indians' world, but he doesn't whitewash the Indians. Tecumseh's brother, The Prophet, is depicted as a charlatan, and there are some brutal scenes of the torture that the Indians inflicted on their white captives. This low and cowardly behavior is a source of great despair for Tecumseh, who wants to elevate his people to a higher spiritual plane.

In a few spots in the book, Tecumseh appears too good to be true. I had a hard time believing that his goodness would have caused his arch-enemy, William Henry Harrison, to question the righteousness of his own cause. But overall the character of Tecumseh comes off as admirable but very human as he wrestles with spiritual questions, doubts, and vulnerabilites.

I liked the book. I did not find it as 'gripping' as some of the other Thom works, but it was still a good read. A little long and sometimes slow and repetitive, but worth reading.

This is a wonderful book! You can't go wrong with a Sarah McCarty book! I have never had one of her books that I didn't read over and over. Give it a try you'll love it!!!

I have read this story FIVES times. I am a huge fan of this book, and I am in awe of the writer's talent. From the first chapter, it is impossible not to be pulled into the book. Clint is perfect in a very hot MANLY way.The characters are believable and the support characters add richness and texture to the story. I cannot rave enough about it. Sarah McCarty is more than just talented, she has a gift.

I absolutely loved this book. Jenna and Clint set the pages on fire with their passion and the storyline kept me turning the pages. The way Clint
helped Jenna overcome the brutality of her past was wonderful. He was so amazingly tender with her while still sexy and passionate. Jenna's willingness to trust Clint after everything she had been through with her abusive husband and father was the one element of the book that made the characters real. If you like your historical romances hot, sexy and complex, this is the book for you.

In my opinion, Promises Prevail was the best book in the promises series and Clint McKinnley was super hot.

Clint has always wanted Jenna, even when she was married to her abusive husband, Jack. When their house caught on fire, Clint ran in and saved Jenna and later to help her get back on her feet, financed the small bakery the now widowed Jenna runs. Clint knows it is time for him to marry and even though he has dated several of the town's eligible ladies he can't help but want Jenna. Jenna is terrified of Clint, he is overpowering in his size and masculinity. In her experience, all men are dominant and abusive to women, so even though he is always helping her she still fears him. When someone leaves a newborn half Indian baby girl on her doorstep, Jenna claims her but knows the town will not let her keep the baby without a husband. Clint steps up and offers to marry Jenna and she accepts knowing she'll never let the baby go. Clint finds out his new wife has been sexually and physically traumatized and he is determined to show her the good side of sex and that not all men are abusive. In short, he vows to spoil Jenna rotten. Jenna is shocked to find out she actually likes sex, with Clint anyway but she still is terrified of other men including Clint's two best friends. She is afraid to let Clint know everything that's happened because she wants him to love her. Clint is floored by the emotions of having a wife and daughter and is afraid that if Jenna finds out the secrets he is keeping, she will leave him.

I really, really liked this book. It was an emotional roller coaster ride, but soooo sensual it sizzles. By far, the best of the three.

I'll skip the synopsis as others have done it before me. I don't care for westerns, I don't care for historical romances, and I don't care for rough sex. This book falls into all 3 catagories but I still gave it 5 stars. Almost against my will I loved this book. Aspects of the sex were graphic and made me squeamish but the story was so excellent I just skipped over the parts that got to be too much for me. I loved the characters: how considerate, loving, and passionate the Alpha male was; how strong and proud the Heroine was, despite her very damaged psyche. It's probably not PC but I gotta tell you, the hero fighting so fiercely for the heroine just turned me to mush and that is definitely not me! If you can handle the graphic sex description, I would highly recommend the book. It's definitely got a place on my "keeper" shelf.

This book is captivating and has the one of the best first lines I have ever read. The vocabulary and the imagery transports the reader to historic Scotland and provides an interesting combination of magic, intrigue, adventure and friendship. I read very few books more than once, but this is one of them. I love a good story teller, and the author is a rare find.

Dense writing, with a good plot that deepens along the way. The title does not describe the book, as it is more about the relationships that Meg forges with people, rather than about actually questing for Marie. Note for people that do not like historical fiction in general: the historical notes and flavors do not intrude on the story. Ever read a historical fiction novel that continually interrupts the story line with mini-lectures on history? Doesn't happen in "Quest for a Maid." Note 2 for other folks that read poetry... it is delightful to see Sir Patrick Spens come alive.

I just finished reading this book although it has been on my shelf for several years. I'm really sorry now that I waited so long to read it! I loved the characters and the language, although younger children might have a little trouble with it.

It is told from the point of view of Meg, daughter of a scottish shipwright. She grows up very close to her oldest sister, Inge, who everyone believes is a witch. Then, when she is about ten, she saves a little boy from drowning. He is actually the son of her father's friend, Patrick Spens (the boy's name is Davie) and she becomes engaged to him and goes to live at his house to learn how to manage it. Soon they become close friends.

One day, in town she sees the boy who pulled her and Davie out of the water that day being chased through the town as a runaway serf. She quickly comes up with a lie to save him and he becomes her friend and servant. His name is Peem.

The next part of the book is devoted to how they grow up together. Then Master Spens is called to take his ship to bring the Maid of Norroway to England so she can wed the ship. Meg comes along to be the Maid's attendant, and Davie and Peem follow in their own boat. On their return voyage, they encounter a ferocious storm which tears the boat to shreds and drowns many people on board including Master Spens. Davie, Peem, and Meg save the Maid and take her on board their own boat.

However, their problems are not over, many people are pursuing them and they may have to leave the country to be safe. The ending is excellent, a few good plot twists and some feel-good moments. I loved it. :)

I first read this book back in gradeschool but it is one that has always stuck with me and I have looked forward to sharing this with my younger cousins.
The tale of Meg pulls you in as you watch her grow up with all these huge events happening and discovering what it means to idolize someone who may not be worth that kind of respect. Meg's innocent love of her family and friends is what sticks out to me and their love and loyalty in return.
It's a great book for young girls to read, I wish there were more out there like this.

I loved this book! its great it has hard vocabulary but i really enjoyed it!

This definitely is a timely book with very valuable and insightful information given the current very tragic situation in the island shared by the two republics. Cambeira's intelligent focus and keen interpretation of the island's development in every sense helped me better understand especially the Dominican culture that most of us know so little about. I am sure many readers who are curious about Caribbean cultures will find this work extremely informative.
I also recommend this writer's new novel Azucar! The Story of Sugar.

This particular book by Professor Cambeira is truly a jewel in terms of its historical and cultural content and its unique treatment. Unlike any other book of this kind that I have read for its clarity in presentation. This is not your ordinary history textbook, but rather a highly personalized and lucid and informed interpretation of a community's evolution. I like how the Professor, who is Dominican, convinces the reader of his honesty. He says what many other Dominican writers don't say about our country, especially concerning certain questions of identity and the notion of inclusion in the formation of what we call dominicanidad. I also like the way Cambeira's writing style flows so gracefully. His nonfiction style is like his lyrical fiction that I found in his novels Azucar! The Story of Sugar and the sequel Azucar's Sweet Hope...Her Story Continues.

Cambeira is a wonderful writer in every sense.

High Recommended Reading.

His latest novel Azucar's Sweet Hope...Her Story Continues is the Best Novel I've read in a long time !

"To Dream alone is dangerous, but to dream jointly has been the beginning of the greatest changes in history."
This writer tells the true history with eloquence and elegance.
This book is a Treasure!

Quisqueya La Bella Is A Must Read Book!

I am very impressed by this unusual perspective on Dominican history and culture by the Dominican writer Alan Cambeira. Cambeira's work is not your conventional history text. It reads more like an interest sustaining novel; It also presents some cultural aspects most writers on the subject usually omit or avoid altogether. I also found a surprising side issue: the theatrical version of Mario Vargas Llosa's La Fiesta Del Chivo (The Festival of the Goat) is in production by the well respected Repertorio Espanol and has an accompanying Study Guide done by Iliana Fuentes. I see that Ms Fuentes also lists Cambeira's book as a part of the suggested reading in this regard. To me, then, Cambeira has a winner. His book is definitely worth the read. ...

Bravo Cambeira!

Everybody called Quisqueya the "Athens of the New World".
It is a country with beautiful beaches and beautiful people and a complex history. The island's ethnic mix of indigenuous, European (mainly Spanish) and African cultures and their merger across time resulted in the distinctive Dominican culture that we know today. Cambeira's passion for his native island is evident on every page. This book gave me a really different and fresh perspective from other books on the subject by other authors that I have read. This is an excellent personal interpretation that I'm recommending to anyone interested in learning about the Atena del Nuevo Mundo.Thanks to the Author. My next reading will certainly be his novel that everybody is talking about: Azucar! The Story of Sugar.

A compelling read about a young nurse in Viet Nam, her experiences there, and then what happens when she returns home. A lot of the character development happens in the two central relationships of the book -- with Major Doyle (her head nurse) and soldier Michael, both wounded in their own ways, psychological and physical. Ellen Emerson White writes about recovery from trauma in another series too, the President's Daughter series, and the process is completely gripping and involving to the reader.

A Review by Jordan

Rebecca Phillips runs away to serve in the military during the Vietnam War as a nurse. While serving in an American hospital in Vietnam she witnesses every atrocity imaginable, the suffering of dear friends and loved ones. Rebecca herself is suffering from an unbearable guilt of a certain event (for the reader to find out) that has changed her once cheery, friendly disposition into a depressed, miserable person that no one wants to be around. This is a story of a young woman who shuts herself out from the world, and her remarkable journey back.

This novel was extremely well written. The author displays true talent. She creates a realistic world with individual characters who are each separately distinguished by there unique character qualities, ways of life, and linguistic styles. I wouldn't say that it is fast past, but that doesn't make it bad. It keeps the reader interested, constantly revealing new information of Rebecca's mysterious, current situation.

I definitely recommend this book. Anyone would probably enjoy it, but especially women (though it isn't a chick book). However, it does have an advanced vocabulary. And there is some foul language that may not be suitable for young readers.

Twenty-one-year-old nurse Rebecca Phillips has fled a wealthy Bostonian upbringing fraught with issues and essentially exchanged it for a different type of hell --- a field hospital for wounded American soldiers in Vietnam. She works 16-hour days in the chaos of horrific amputations, burns and other casualties, and must often make the call between life and death...something that continues to haunt her day after day.

In a very short time, her co-workers cease to be merely people working with her toward a common goal. Rebecca finds a source of inspiration and friendship in her seemingly perfect direct supervisor, Major Maggie Doyle, and comic relief in Wolf and Spike, two young pilots. At the same time, Rebecca's bonds make her feel the pain all the more intensely when she learns more about the difficult past that led Major Doyle to the Army, and when tragedy befalls Wolf and Spike -- and herself.

But with tragedy often comes some joy, however small and imperceptible it may at first seem. In the most unlikely circumstances, Rebecca meets Michael Jennings, a 19-year-old private who seems instantly infatuated with her. She grudgingly agrees to exchange addresses, and before long, Michael's heartfelt accounts of his thoughts, dreams and daily experiences in the jungle have made her fall in love with him.

When tragedy again strikes, separating Rebecca and Michael not long before her yearlong tour is up, she feels as though she cannot go on. The past year of grief, horror, physical and emotional pain finally combine in a way where Rebecca believes she cannot fit into regular American life ever again. It's at her lowest that Rebecca shows just how strong she can be, and how while she could not control so many other things in her life, she can shape her own destiny.

I read this about a year ago. I am very interested in reading historical fiction, particularly concerning the Vietnam War. I read this book before any others in the Echo Company series, simply because it was the only one at the book store, and I just happened to pick it up. I think that it is a good continuation of the series, and, while I would have liked to learn more about what happened to certain characters when they got back to "the world", I think that this book does a good job of finishing everything up. As a teen who generally dislikes the formulaic teen novels that crowd the shelves of bookstores, I think that this is a great book. I only wish that more people would read it.

One day, about a year ago I, a young seventh grader was browsing in the young adult section and couldn't find any new interesting books or ones I wanted to read that I hadn't already read, so I picked up The Road Home
Since that day I have read this book about a million times. I had my dad buy a used copy from a far off state, and every time we go one a trip I bring it along. I love this book and I don't believe that I once lived without it.
Rebecca, the heroine, is a young nurse who went to Vietnam and served her country. This book has an anti-war theme, but it defends the veterans and exposes their persecution.
Possibly the most enjoyable part for me was to read someone's writing whose humor so perfectly matched mine. I love it.I believe that while some swear words and other may be unappropriate for too young of readers, this book is perfect for anyone aged twelve to aged 120. This book combines the key elements, in my mind, of history, adventure, wit, humor, and romance.
I've read this book so many times that I've almost memorized it. Please try it and tell your friends. This book is too good to be thrown out of libraries. Read it!!!

Judith Sherman's Say the Name can be seen as a theodicy that arises out of the Jewish tradition and in response to the events of the Holocaust. In poetry and prose we see, on the one hand, the horror of human evil, and on the other, the hope and meaning that arises out of tragedy in the form of poetic expression and imagination. Sherman a provides vivid and horrific account of physical pain, mental suffering, and moral wickedness. In a moving passage, Sherman recounts:

Today a woman runs suddenly from the Appell line--she runs towards the electrified fence. The dogs get to her before she reaches it. Screaming, she tries to put push the dog away...The animal is not called back, he attacks until there is no more movement. Every horrified one of us wants to rush and help--no one does. Silence. There are so many of us here, how are we so crushed into silence and inaction? The reason right there, in front of us--they watch us closely, provocatively, hand on the trigger and dogs at the ready--hoping for another futile sacrifice...We are filled with rage and pity and helplessness and are paralyzed by their brutality (102).

This passage confronts us with the reality of evil as experienced by Jewish women in German concentration camps. Based on this reality, it is not difficult to see how people who believe in God, and have a particular image of God, can question or call into account the God in whom they believe. Sherman's account reveals a questioning of the divine. Is God not outraged? Does God not hear what is going on? Indeed, where is God? "Where is the judge? Where are you, judge? Is there a judge?" (117).

Her response to these questions is to invoke biblical imagery and to invite God to come and witness, and account for the tragedy that has taken place. In her poem, "The Invitation," she invokes the imagery of Jacob's ladder and asks that God come down the ladder and witness the sights "not fit/ for Godly eyes/ not fit for thee/ is it for me?/ who will make it fit for Thee?" (118). Or again, having experienced so much pain, she requests that God take on her pain, "You have it/ and be/ branded" (122). Does God identify with our pain? Is God in solidarity with those who suffer? It seems that Sherman is inviting God to be present with the women beaten down by guards, chased by dogs, shot to death, and with those who have to witness these events without the ability to respond. It is a moving book in which the author has mustered up the courage to recount her experiences and to "say the name."

How can there be so much evil in the world? More pointedly, how can an all powerful and loving God allow such evil? Where is God? These and other tough questions are asked by Judith Sherman as she reflects on her time spent at the Nazi concentration camp Ravensbruck at the young age of fourteen. Combining narrative prose with short poignant poetry, Sherman walks the reader through the painful and emotional events, describing her sense of frustration at a God who has abandoned her and the rest of the Jewish people. Most accounts of the Holocaust elicit deep emotions and feelings and this book certainly does that, but in a unique way. The prose unfolds the details of her story and then all of a sudden you become struck by the overwhelming emotion and powerful insight of a short three or four line poem. This combination has a strong effect and throughout the book the poems remain clearly in your memory and serve to give more meaning to the details and descriptions of the horrendous struggles of a concentration camp.

With detailed descriptions, Sherman focuses on everyday objects, such as a pair of shoes, and transforms them from their ordinary status into things that have a greater significance and meaning. The transformation and emphasis on objects shows how Sherman's outlook on life has changed and through this outlook Sherman has finally been given the voice to tell her story, giving the reader the chance to connect to it in a moving and profound way. Reading this book will give new meaning to the themes of theodocy, family, memory, the human spirit, and most of all will give you a new outlook on life.

After having learned at length about the atrocities of the Holocaust in history class every year of middle and high school, and after hearing personal accounts from my many Jewish classmates about their grandparents in concentration camps, I felt almost overloaded with news of the horrors and wasn't particularly excited about reading another book about the Holocaust.

But Say the Name is different. Judith Sherman manages to convey the depths of despair and suffering that occurred during her time in hiding, in concentration camps, on a death march without any trace of stridency, but rather with her own quiet and simple words that are humbly defiant and moving. She communicated to me, for the first time really, how it feels to not have any control over what happens to your body, to be stripped of a voice, to be robbed of a name. This poetic novel, more than any other I have read on the topic, speaks to the psychological death as well as the physical one that the Nazis inflicted on so many millions. Judith Sherman resists both, however, and her spirit is evident in the fact that she was able to share in writing her deepest and most agonizing thoughts and memories about her experience.

Another aspect of the book is Sherman's relationship with God, which is a complex and vacillating one. In some passages it almost seems as if she is referring to a lover who has betryaed her, and she is filled with sadness, anger, longing, and ultimately a love that she will not forsake. She does not, however, blindly accept "the will of God," instead demanding over and over, "where are you?" If God should be praised for the blessings he gave her, then he should also be held accountable for his apparent abandonment of his people.

To read this book is to explore memory, theodicy, religion, family, genocide, the human spirit, and will leave you saying its name.

Say the Name is a powerful and poignant account of a young woman's experience in Nazi imprisonment during WWII. After years of silence, Judith Sherman was compelled to come out and tell her story, not only for herself and her family, but for the millions of other who had no voice. The unnamed victims of human suffering in camps like Ravensbruck cannot be put away with the history books. They are people who were made to be things, but they were not things. Sherman describes in her prose and poetry how the life that they had known before the war melted away, and was replaced by a reality that terrorized, brutalized, and destroyed. This reality was the dehumanizing force of the Nazi regime.

I wonder how an author who is so modest with her prose, who even wrote that "words fail" to capture the "monumental horror" of the Holocaust, is able to to move the reader with her words with such remarkable ease. Her voice resonates with the child, the daughter, the mother, the friend, and the person who had to ask God, "Why?". Sherman's writing, and especially her poetry, are evocative and elegant for sure, but I think that it is the place that she is writing from that creates this feeling of "being there' with her. Her pain and the pain of those she names is human pain. Their loss is human loss. As people we have lost something by allowing evil like this to exist in the world. It doesn't have to.

Her tale is not one of Jewish suffering but human suffering and survival. She recalls the ways she resisted the forces that sought to destroy her. Sherman's life was never the name when the war was over, which is to say that the experience never ended. However, she is able to take her pain and wordlessness and make something that helps others understand. I thank her for that. Sherman's book would be good for students of all ages and particularly those interested in the stories and history of the Holocaust. I guarantee this courageous little book will move you no matter what you're looking at it for. Her connections with human suffering are particularly intense regarding family loss, motherhood, friendship, the struggle with divine over the existence of evil, and the loss of the "ordinary things" we take for granted when we're home.

Judith Sherman's Say the Name is a survivor's account of a teenage girl's struggle with God and humanity in Ravensbruck concentration camp during the Holocaust. Sherman, now a wife, mother and grandmother living in the United States, writes her memoir some 50 to 60 years after the Nazi's carried out their "Final Solution."

Sherman's poetry and prose in this book reflect a loss of people, places and things that make up the fabric of a person's life, culture and beliefs. She is, at turns, angry and bewildered. She demands an accounting for these atrocities. But ultimately Sherman's quest for survival and her insistence on remembering the names of women who were killed conveys a sense of humanity and even of hope. This is Sherman's first book, and she is not a polished writer. She writes in fragments and one has the sense of poetry scribbled on napkins over the years and then included in the memoir. Her book is all the stronger for this.

If only I could conjure men up like the ones in this book! Oh well, I will continue to fantasize.

A passage that caught my attention:

"Since the war, many of the full-bloods have conveniently forgotten the sacrifices my people made to the Nation. Contributions of men like John Horse and Gopher John are being conveniently forgotten, as are all the African-descended Seminoles who negotiated on behalf of the full bloods with the Spanish and Americans because we spoke all three languages. They definitely don't want to discuss all the battles we fought together so that everyone could be free. The full-bloods have bought into the Redemptionist ideal that we of African Seminole descent have no rights."

As always Beverly Jenkins delivered another knock out book. I have been a fan of hers for years. I eagerly await each new novel. The romance, the drama and history lessons she provides in each book is enlightening. I would love to meet a man like Neil and Two Shafts myself. Olivia played her role as intelligent black woman, but also showed her sensual side as well. God help us all if we had to marry men our fathers chose based on a business deal.

Believe me when I say I wanted desperately to like this book. I have been searching for years to find an African-American historical romance novel.
My critique with this story is not the "idea", the idea in itself is brilliant: a beautiful headstrong woman out West alone who meets a very virile & handsome outlaw who is just as attracted to her as she is to him. It wasn't until I had gotten half way through the book did I realize that although there was chemistry between our heroine and this outlaw nothing was happening. It was as if they were both AFRAID of one another. I know it was suppose to be because she was "innocent" and he was "wanted in her town". However I couldn't help but ponder why Mrs Jenkins the author didn't have the characters flirt more with one another. This BUBBLEGUM romance won't make you blush in the least. I bought the book 3 months ago and couldn't finish it.

This is another great connecting story. Read Night Song, Topaz, The Taming of Jessie Rose, Always and Forever to get the background on the town of Henry Adams, Kansas and on the secondary characters. Hope Two Shafts, Teresa and Preacher meet their match in the future.

Mrs. Jenkins has done it again! She CAN'T write a bad novel. As ALWAYS I couldn't put this book down! The storyline flowed effortlessly across the pages and the characters were well developed and UNFORGETTABLE as usual. I was TOTALLY caught up in the suspense of Neil and Olivia's romance. Not knowing what would happen with this couple, if they would even get together, let alone have any type of a future, kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole novel. I mean what kind of relationship could they possibly have, she was the mayor of Henry Adams and he was a WANTED outlaw?!! I love the way Mrs. Jenkins always makes her female characters not only beautiful, but intelligent, independent and full of passion. And the men, be they rich, poor, educated or not, outlaws or law abiding citizens, they're always the PERFECT gentlemen, and ALWAYS treat their women like QUEENS, and definitely know how to SATISFY their every desire. I enjoyed the family bond and loyalty of the July's, the way they take care of their own and the sometimes HILAROUS way they dispense their own brand of "justice". We also have the opportunity to get reaquainted with Chase and Cara Jefferson from "Night Song", Dix Wildhorse from "Topaz", Jackson Blake from "Topaz and Always and Forever", Griffin Blake, and the Preacher from "Taming of Jessi Rose" it was like one BIG family reunion, and I enjoyed every thrilling moment of it. I also hope if any of the above mentioned characters haven't had their own story written by Mrs. Jenkins, that one is in the works. A definite MUST READ!

In one of those odd literary coincidences two Moby Dick fans simultaneously got the bright idea of writing fictional accounts about Ahab's wife, but while Sena Jeter Naslund was writing for publication, Louise M. Gouge was writing her dissertation novel, not really expecting to ever publish it. (One assumes that the critical and commercial success of Naslund's Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer: A Novel lead Gouge's editor and agent to push her into polishing it up for publication as her third book.) What resulted was the Ahab's Legacy trilogy, of which this is the third volume.

You might think it unfair to compare the two, and you'd be right but for the wrong reasons. Naslund's Everyone Loves Una; Or, The Navel-Gazer: A Mary Sue, as I call it, is one of the worst books I've ever forced myself to finish. In contrast the Ahab's Legacy trilogy was a pleasure to read.

Similarities abound, both authors having decided that an unconventional girl was needed to win old Ahab's heart, but profound differences exist that make for interesting comparison and contrast. Thus, while Una is a laughably absurd prodigy, Hannah is simply a woman slightly ahead of her time due to an unconventional upbringing as the doted on only child of a devoted widower. While Una basks in the worship of mid-nineteenth century New England's thoughtful elites, Hannah reads their books, attends their lectures, and finds her thinking profoundly influenced by them. While Una leaps into the anti-slavery cause, along with every other trendy cause, without a moment's hesitation, Hannah agonizes for half a book over whether a widow with a small child dares to actively assist the Underground Railroad, despite her growing conviction of slavery's evil. Compared to unintentionally hilarious Una, Hannah comes across as only slightly more modern than everyone else, an all too human figure.

This third volume is about her grown up son's attempts to avoid his father's self-destructive path when he too is badly wounded during the Civil War. After having picked up the first two volumes on clearance, I was not in a huge rush to special order this volume because, my curiosity satisfied about Gouge's take on Ahab's wife, I frankly expected it to be the weakest book.

I was wrong; it is the strongest. Timothy Jacob Ahab is a "good boy", absolutely determined not to follow in his father's self-destructive path so he doesn't believe that he needs to become a Christian. His former childhood friend who blames him for his father causing his own father's death, Isaiah Starbuck, is a "bad boy" who isn't a Christian either. For awhile their shared adventures at the Naval Academy resemble countless children's books of the period, but Gouge is not writing a children's book. Though revealed in the back cover blurb and foreshadowed from the beginning, the turn still shocks, and Timothy's fall is a heartrending horror. "Moby Dick" the book, here described as a survivor's account by Ishmael rather than a novel by Melville, also plays a key role, and we get some interesting analysis of Captain Ahab's mistakes from a Christian point of view.

Note: Louise M. Gouge is a devout Christian, and Christian themes are explored throughout the novels so if Christianity gives you a rash, you have been warned. However, to her credit, Gouge does little preaching and never gets preachy.

The first book of the trilogy is Ahab's Bride, and the middle book of the trilogy is Hannah Rose.

Hannah Rose, Ahab's widow is married to David Lazarus. Hannah and Ahab's son, Timothy, stops at his father's grave in Nantucket and meets lovely Jemima Starbuck whose father died when Ahab's ship was destroyed by a great white whale. Isaiah, Jemima's brother blames Ahab for his father's death and believes Timothy is arrogant and evil, like his father.
Timmothy and Jemima fall in love, which only fuels Isaiah's anger. Then Cival War breaks out and both young men are changed forever by the experience.
Son of perdition is a powerful tale of love and hate, rebellion and redemption. Louise Gouge does a great job combining history with fascinating characters. If you like historicals, you'll like this one.

Son of Perdition is Timothy Jacob's story. He is the son of the deceased Captain Ahab. Though family and friends have upheld the honorable side of Captain Ahab's character, he has also heard the rumors of his father's last voyage and how he was blamed for the death of many. Timothy encounters his childhood friends, the children of Mr. Starbuck. This causes him to again reflect on what kind of man his father truly was. Though he has been raised in a Christian home, he must face the truth that all of us will eventually: That our righteousness is not enough in the face of a just God and that apart from Christ's perfect sacrifice there is no salvation. Beginning during the winds of the Civil War, Ms. Gouge gives her readers a peek into the soul of a young man who must face the coming war between North and South and the war within his heart. Son of Perdition is truthful about the fleshly struggles young men face without being graphic. The romance woven in the story demonstrates real love with all its steadfastness and forgiveness.

Son of Perdition is the third installment of Louise Gouge's popular series, which she ends on a high note. This story is filled with historical detail and a strong faith thread. If you're a fan of Americana, you'll enjoy this novel.

Louise M. Gouge brings all the threads of her Ahab's Legacy Series to a triumphant conclusion with book 3, Son of Perdition. As Hannah and Ahab's son, Timothy, comes to manhood and graduates from the naval academy at Annapolis, he is faced with hard choices made more difficult by the haunting legacy of his father, Captain Ahab. The nation is careening toward a civil war over slavery, and another student at the Academy, Isaiah, the son of one of the seamen who died on his father's tragic last voyage, is his sworn enemy. In spite of Timothy's attempts to reconcile with his rival, their conflict intensifies when Timothy falls in love with Isaiah's sister, Jemima. In this sweeping tale of romance and adventure, both Timothy and Isaiah face critical turning points that lead them ultimately to reconciliation with God and with each other.

Ms. Gouge has produced a delightful resolution to this series that will keep readers enthralled to the last page. Very well done!

I can usually devour a good book in a day or two(if there is enough time in my schedule). It took over two weeks for me to read, and it felt like a chore. I found myself skimming pages, simply to get through the book. I read the reviews and was excited to read my first Madeline Baker. The book felt preachy toward the end, and I could see almost every plot twist coming. Neither of the characters were intriguing to me.

The first third of the story is about Kathy meeting the ghost of Latoka half- breed, Dalton Crowkiller. This is easily one of the most heart- churning and innocent stories of building romance I've ever read. They can see one another, they can talk to one another, he can even hold her and kiss her for a moment. But his spiritual energy becomes weak, causing him to fade away if he spends the energy expressing his feelings. They are becoming so close in heart, but are so far from the ability to show it. Here is the story:

Kathy has inherited a ranch from her late husband's family. No one has lived on the ranch for decades, because the place has a reputation for being haunted. Kathy moves in and begins rebuilding the more- than- century- year- old ranch house. She has a feeling that she is not alone. She thinks she has even seen a man outside her window. Who is he and why is he watching her?

Dalton was the "fastest gun in the west", back in the 1870's. He worked as a hired gun. When a white woman seeks to seduce him, he turns her down because she is married. Angry, the woman accuses him of rape. Being a half- breed, he is not given a trial. He is whipped and hanged. With the rope placed around his neck, he vows to haunt the home and never give his killers peace.

For 125 years, Dalton's spirit has hovered over the ranch where he was hanged. Bored and lonely, he finds fun in scaring the people who occasionally rent the house for vacations. He does so by taking people's keys, and by moving things around in the home. He does all he can to make his presence known, because no one can see him or hear him. This all changes when a woman moves into the home. He is amazed to learn that she can see him. She can even hear him and talk to him. Even more amazing: they can actually touch one another.

Once her fear of this ghost fades, Kathy quickly becomes grateful for his presence. She has been lonely and grieving for her husband for over a year. This Lakota ghost quickly becomes her closest friend. He helps her rebuild her home and teaches her to ride a horse. Before long, their relationship builds just like the home they are restoring together. They are falling in love, but can not express it completely. Dalton pleads with God to give him another chance at life with Kathy. Kathy makes the same plea, realizing that Dalton has given her back what she has been missing for the past year: Hope.

While out riding, the couple stops at "the hanging tree." This time, they make their heartfelt pleas together. As an answer to their pleas, they are sent back in time to a few weeks before Dalton's death. He is now whole and human again. They are given a chance to change the past together.

Again, this is only the first third of the story! There is so much more ahead:
They live in the town where Dalton was killed, travel together to Dalton's Lakota village, then travel to Boston to seek out his mother and get married. They both have a horrible feeling that their time together is limited. Feeling that everyday might be their last together, they spend what time they have showing their love for one another. When time runs out, will they be separated? Will he be allowed to return with her? He would even willingly become a ghost again if it meant being with Kathy. What will fate hand them?

This couple is so beautiful together, I found myself nearly holding my breath while waiting to see if they would win their quest for a lifetime together. I felt every one of their highs and lows throughout the book. This is some excellent writting.

Nearly 400 pages long, I read this book in one day. There was no point where I could put it down.

Loved this dook. I thought it was wonderful that Dalton was a ghost and fell in love with Kathy Before traveling back in time. I found their romance exciting and fun. I simply couldn't put down this book. I own many Madeline Baker books and love them all(except one), this one is no exception.

A lovely story of a ghost who was hanged for something he didn't do, given a second chance to change history. One of the best stories I have read. I shall be looking for more of Madeline's books in future.

This, like "First Love, Wild Love" is one of Madeline's books that will stay with me for a life time! Dalton Crowkiller is a man that will live in my memory forever. Like one of the other reviews said, "Eddie Little Sky" must have really made a lasting impression on Madeline when she modeled these characters after him. All I can say is that I am sorry that I never met him, but felt like I have after reading this book! Thank you Madeline for such a romantic, on the edge of your seat best book I have ever read. I will read it again and again