The war is over, but her struggle is just beginning.
Charlotte Fraser returns to her late father's once-flourishing rice plantation on the Waccamaw River, determined to continue growing the special kind of rice known as Carolina Gold. But Fairhaven Plantation is in ruins, the bondsmen are free, and money is scarce.
To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly accepts a position as tutor to the young daughters of Nicholas Betancourt, heir to the neighboring Willowood Plantation. Then Nick's quest to prove his ownership of Willowood sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that reveals an old family mystery---and threatens all that she holds dear.
Inspired by the life of a 19th century woman rice planter, Carolina Gold continues Dorothy Love's winning tradition of weaving together mystery, romance, and rich historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman's struggle to restore her ruined world.
Purchase a copy here: http://ow.ly/s2Q5l
After earning a masters degree and Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series marked her adult fiction debut. Currently she is working on several stand-alone historical novels set in the South.
When she isn't busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.
To keep up with Dorothy Love, visit www.dorothylovebooks.com, become a fan on Facebook (Dorothy Love Books) or follow her on Twitter (@writerDorothy).
My Take:
I thought the books in the Hickory Ridge series by this author were nice, easy reads, and I was looking forward to that again in Carolina Gold.
But while I thought that this book was very well written historically, it was not quite the same nice, easy read that her previous novels were.
As far as the historical aspects and the setting, this novel was spot on. As I was reading, I was transported to the time and place that was portrayed. The years after the Civil War were times of upheaval in the South in so many different ways. Tensions were running high between North and South and black and white, and many were struggling to find their way. These tensions came across very well in this novel - so much so that at times it was a bit overwhelming. The setting of South Carolina was painted very well also. This fascinating area of the country was described in such detail that I could imagine the landscape beautifully.
These descriptions of the setting and the historical aspects, however, were really the only things that kept the book interesting. To me there didn't seem to be much of a story. The romance between Charlotte and Nicholas did not really have enough depth to keep the story moving. The conflict between them that was "keeping them apart" seemed contrived, and, since the story was told only from Charlotte's point of view, I didn't feel as if I got to know Nicholas very well. I will say that how their relationship ended up at the end of the book was believable, especially since the two of them didn't seem to spend much time together during the course of the book. I also enjoyed the relationship between Charlotte and Nicholas's children. It was very sweet.
Also, there wasn't much else to move the story along. The only action in the book was when Charlotte would receive bad news or in the day-to-day details of the characters' lives, which got repetitive. The Hickory Ridge series were books that were easy reads, but this one was a little too easy of a read. There also wasn't very much to the mystery that was advertised in the book summary.
I also have to say that the Christian portion of this novel was practically nonexistent. There was so much that could have been explored about the characters' faith at this time in their lives, but Jesus was never mentioned, and God was only talked about a handful of times.
As I said, I thought the historical parts of the book were interesting, and it is neat that this novel is based on a real person. But the historical aspects and setting were not enough to keep it moving, and the whole thing read more like a biography than a novel.
I will give Carolina Gold ... 3 BookWorms.
Carolina Gold
by Dorothy Love
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Publication date: December 10, 2013
Don't miss Dorothy Love's latest historical novel, Carolina Gold.
Fun news: The release of Carolina Gold coincides with Dorothy's birthday. Celebrate with her by entering the Southern Essentials Giveaway and RSVPing to her Facebook party on January 14th!
Between January 3–14, visit Dorothy Love's Facebook Page to enter to win a new giveaway each day and be entered to win the $100 Visa Cash Card grand prize. Winners will be announced at the Facebook Author Chat party on January 14th! (Don't have a Facebook account? Enter here.) RSVP today for Dorothy's Carolina Gold Author Chat Party on Facebook.
During the party Dorothy will be hosting a book chat, testing your trivia skills, announcing the winner of the Southern Essentials Giveaway, and giving away books, gift certificates, and more. Oh, and she'll also be giving partygoers an exclusive look at her next book!
So grab your copy of Carolina Gold and help Dorothy celebrate her birthday on the evening of January 14th! (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)
DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; RSVP TODAY.
HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 14th!
No comments:
Post a Comment