Category: Historical Fiction - GRANT LEISHMAN

where summer strives by thomas thornburg

13/9/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Author Thomas Thornburg takes us on a journey to a working class neighbourhood of a Midwestern city, towards the end of the Second World War, where social and racial divides are very much still the norm, in his novel Where Summer Strives. When a wealthy, educated, but disillusioned young man, Harvey Sloan, decides to lose himself in alcohol, he winds up falling from a freight car he had jumped, right into the working class neighbourhood and decides to stay a while. The bulk of the story is told through the eyes of eleven-year-old Tobe Jackson, who witnesses the profound changes taking place all around him, with the guileless eyes that only the young can possess. When a black family moves into the exclusively white neighbourhood, Tobe is drawn to the young black boy Samuel and they become fast friends. With Harvey’s educated ways and Samuel’s family’s racial heritage the scene is set for confrontation and a challenging of old ideas and prejudices.

Thomas Thornburg has shown considerable bravery, as an author, to tell this story through the eyes of a child, but he has done an excellent job. He captures extraordinarily well, the spirit of 1940’s America, rife as it was with its racial and social prejudices. Where Summer Strives shows that the key to understanding those who are different to us is communication and friendship. Samuel, as a character, was the perfect foil to Tobe. Before Samuel’s arrival, Tobe was the smart one at school, he was the learned one of their group, but despite that Tobe and Samuel could find common ground and make their differences work for them, rather than against them. The dialogue, although at times difficult to read because of the local and time-period colloquialisms, certainly seemed to ring true of the period and the seeming nothingness that can capture immediately the interest of young boys and hold them rapt for a length of time was portrayed perfectly. As a social commentary of the time period and the location this book does a fine job and I enjoyed the read. I can definitely recommend this story for those readers who like to think a little as they read, not to suggest there isn’t plenty of action in this book, because there is.

You can find Where Summer Strives here on Amazon:

noemie's journey by victoria saccenti

9/9/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

When Richard Winters points his Harley away from New York and heads south, looking for peace and a release from the memories of a devastating love affair, he wants nothing more than solitude and an opportunity to find himself again. The small town of Summitville in North Carolina where nobody knows him seems a great place to start again, but what he doesn’t count on, though, is meeting the beautiful and desirable young Creole woman by the name of Noémie whose desirability he must fight if he truly is to fulfil his promise to himself of no romantic entanglements. Set in the mid-sixties, against the background of the Civil Right’s Movement, Noémie’s Journey by Victoria Saccenti explores the reality of life for a beautiful coloured woman in the South. Laws may have changed, but attitudes will take generations to change. Richard, a Yankee, from up north, has no perception of what an interracial relationship will entail in North Carolina in the sixties, but Noémie knows well the ingrained racism of her fellow residents that she deals with every single day of her life.

Noémie’s Journey serves to remind us just how far we have come in the forty years in race relations, but equally it also makes us examine our feelings toward people who are different to us, today – a touchstone for American society, as much now, as it ever has been. Author Victoria Saccenti does a superb job of highlighting the institutional and deep racism that was just below the surface of civil society, especially in the South, in those turbulent years of the mid to late sixties. At its heart this book is a love story and a beautiful one at that. I particularly loved the author’s ability to convey the depth of love and the power of their passion, in her words, without ever having to resort to crudity or erotica. As a reader, I felt the build-up of sexual tension and revelled in the “when will they”, just as much as the participants. This is a real fillip to the author and it is what makes this book so very readable and one of the best of its genre. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can highly recommend it to all readers who like a true romance, but also enjoy a bit of action and thoughtful social comment.

You can check out Noemie's Journey, here on Victoria Saccenti's Amazon page, along with the rest of her portfolio

a different kind of Angel by paulette mahurin

6/9/2018

As a professional book reviewer, I read and review around two hundred books per year and every year there are ten to fifteen books that do more than just provide a good read; they make the reader think, they inflame our emotions, and perhaps most importantly they highlight the very best and the very worst of the human condition. Every year, it seems, one of these such books that I read is written by the inimitable Paulette Mahurin. Whether it be her gut-wrenching Seven Year Dress, her inspirational The Day I Saw the Hummingbird, or this year's offering; A Different Kind of Angel, Mahurin manages to touch our souls, with her fictional portrayals of real people and the ages in which they lived. Now, I love Historical Fiction, but what Mahurin brings to the table is a little bit more than your average historical story. She takes real situations, real people and then tells their story in a fictionalised way - an incredibly difficult skill that requires great care in research and a deep commitment and sympathy to the characters involved. Mahurin has all that in spades.

A Different Kind of Angel relates the story of Klara Gelfman, a Jewish refugee from the Russian pogroms of 1881. After Klara's entire family was butchered in the violence in Kiev, just her and her father escaped to freedom in America, but sadly Klara's father died of illness on the voyage to New York. Alone and lost in a new world, Klara struggles to survive, with virtually no English. When she is mugged and left bewildered and stunned in a New York alleyway, the police, believing her to be a drunk, vagrant, prostitute arrest her and before she knows what is happening to her she is committed to the infamous Blackwell's Island Lunatic Asylum in the middle of the East River, where, for five long years, she will encounter both the worst and the best of the human condition. It will take the intervention of a brave, young investigative journalist, Elizabeth Cochran (better known as Nelly Bly), to expose to the world the horrific activities of the staff of that institution and the dreadful conditions under which many woman (a lot of whom were no more insane than you or I) were kept, usually for the rest of their lives.

This, like so many of Mahurin's books, is a hard book to read, not because it is not well-written, which it is, but because the sheer mindless violence and inhumane treatment of the patients at Blackwell's Island is so horrific. As always Mahurin manages to make the book readable and palatable by showing us the indomitable nature of the women's spirits and the idea that no matter how bad things are, it is always possible to find something to be grateful for. I cringed at some of the things that were done to these women, but equally I marvelled and cheered at the way they were able to rise above the pain, the suffering and the hopelessness of their situation and find something in each other, to sustain them.

Paulette Mahurin has perfectly captured this human thirst for love, for life, and for freedom in this book and I cannot recommend it highly enough as a great read and a great inspiration. I have no doubt this book will feature highly in my awards at the end of this year, as her books always do. Don't miss this one, it is a benchmark for this type of fiction.

You can find A Different Kind of Angel, plus the rest of Paulette Mahurin's amazing portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

Laurel's choices by exie wilde henson

30/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Laurel was a young woman from a middle-class family who followed her beloved father into teaching. When she meets and marries Justin Worth, a professional photographer, her life will change forever. Justin has a sense of adventure and realising photography, alone, cannot sustain a family, he moves Laurel and his young children to a ramshackle hut in the middle of the Pisgah Forest in the mountains of Western North Carolina, to set up a logging team. Set in the early 1920’s and flowing through to the War years, Laurel’s Choices by Exie Wilde Henson takes us on a remarkable journey, with this incredible family, as they endure the hardships and dangers of live in a primitive logging camp, the privations of losses of The Great Depression, and the heartbreak of World War II. All through this Laurel and Justin attempt to bring their family up with love and respect for each other and the utmost love and respect for, their neighbours, the wonderful, proud, but hard-living mountain people of Western North Carolina. They face all their trials and tribulations with humour, dignity and a profound sense of faith in a power greater than them. Anything the Worth’s can do to help their fellow man or woman, they will gladly do.

I read a lot and few books have moved me as much as this simple story of familial love and devotion presented to us by Exie Wilde Henson, in Laurel’s Choices. I am sure the story, although fictionalised, was a recounting of the author’s own experiences growing up and as such it provides a truly wonderful social commentary on that particular region and that particular period of history. The two main characters, Laurel and Justin were selfless, dedicated and showed compassion and love beyond what anyone could expect, given the difficult circumstances they faced. This was truly one of those books I didn’t want to end and deliberately slowed down as I came toward the finale. The writer’s style is so natural, flowing and so easy to read. Her knowledge of the area and the social history was extensive and leant an absolute realism to the story. I love historical novels, but most importantly I love historical novels with a purpose and a message for us in today’s world. This book truly does that, with its simple, yet profound comments on what constitutes a “life well lived”. I can’t recommend this story enough – it’s an absolute winner.

Go take a look at Laurel's Choices, here on Exie Wilde Henson's Amazon page:

brandenburg: a story of berlin by james cloud

20/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Brandenburg: A Story of Berlin by James Cloud takes us on a journey through the Germany of the early twentieth Century, through the eyes of some ordinary and not so ordinary Berliners. Beginning with the declaration of WWI by Kaiser Wilhelm, we travel through the false bravado and patriotism of a nation at war to explore the horrors and senselessness of the killing fields of Ypres, The Somme and Passchendaele. With the war and the deprivations it brought, almost over, the people of Germany must then face, along with the rest of the world, the ravages of the Spanish Flu. What follows, is the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles, the incredible hyper-inflation of the early twenties, five years of relative prosperity to be followed by the share-market crash of 1929 and the perfect storm that would see the rise, in Germany, of two competing ideologies, Communism and its vicious and violent enemy, Nazism and Adolf Hitler. Through the eyes of a young Prussian aristocrat and his beautiful Jewish wife, along with their best friends, a working-class girl and her farming-stock husband, the author examines the class structures and the political pressures that were exerted on Germany during this period that would lead to one of the darkest times in world history.

I particularly enjoyed this simple, story of love and family; Brandenburg: A Story of Berlin by James Cloud is set against the momentous event of the first third of the twentieth Century. The author clearly is well versed in the city of Berlin and its history. I really appreciated his main characters that represented all stratum of German society. In Herbert, we could see the young, liberal, Prussian aristocrat who wanted to go his own way and saw nothing unusual or wrong in falling in love and marrying a rich, young Jewess. That their best friends should be from a working-class and a rural background provided a wonderful counterpoint to the political turmoil that was happening all around them. That their families were able to generally reconcile and accept the breaking down of class, religious and political barriers within German society, was well expressed by the author. This book did a wonderful job, for me, in laying the groundwork for what was soon to plunge Germany and the world into further chaos, as Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933. That this story ended there gives me hope that there is a sequel coming, as I for one am excited to find out what happens to this diverse range of characters as Nazism takes over and dominates Germany for the next ten plus years. I highly recommended this read to all historical fiction buffs and readers in general.

You can find Brandenburg: A Story of Berlin, here on James Cloud's Amazon page:

miss etta: a novel by deanna lynn sletten

30/7/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

We’ve all seen and enjoyed that great movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but have you ever wondered what happened to the real woman, named Etta Place, from that movie? Well, author Deanna Lynn Sletten has given us a fictional account of who she may have been and what may have become of her, following Butch and Sundance’s supposed demise, in her novel Miss Etta. We will discover her life, as a young woman, before her chance encounter with the infamous outlaw, Harry Longabough, better known to history as the Sundance Kid. The author takes us, through Etta’s eyes, on a journey through the American West, to New York City and down to South America, where it is believed Butch and Sundance met their end. The story is told as flashbacks for Etta, who now lives quietly in a small mid-western town, as Emily Pleasants, where she is a highly respected and loved schoolteacher, yet all the while always aware that her past could catch up with her and knowing those famous Pinkerton Detectives are still looking for the whereabouts of the criminal Etta Place.

Miss Etta is a truly sweeping novel that spans the decades and the country. Author Deanna Lynn Sletten has taken her beautiful lead character, Etta and imbued her with a strength of character required to not only survive the trying times of living with two outlaws, but to overcome them with cheerfulness and hope for the future, despite the overwhelming odds. I particularly loved the moral dilemmas Etta faced in loving Sundance and Butch. Constantly all three of them found their lifestyles at odds with the morals drilled into them as children and with justifying what they were doing, when they all knew deep down it was wrong. Ultimately they all longed for a life where they could put the past behind them and begin again. I appreciated that when Etta was faced with the choice between the deep love she had for Sundance and anything other option, it was always love that won out. At its core, this is a beautiful love story about family, about a deep, passionate love for one man, and life-long love and friendship for another. I did enjoy the sometimes jealous interplay between Butch and Sundance, both of whom loved Etta with all their hearts. This is a fantastic story, a great adventure and a real joy to read. I recommend this book highly to all lovers of romance, action, adventure and history.

You can find Miss Etta, by Deanna Lynn Stretton, along with the author's full and extensive portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

For the Love of Maude (The Dear Maude Trilogy #2)by Denise Liebig

23/7/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

For the Love of Maude: The Dear Maude Trilogy Book 2, by Denise Liebig takes up again the adventures, through time, of our young hero, Emily. After graduating from college on a scholarship provided by The Evergreen Foundation, Emily is required to work for the corporation for a minimum of four years after graduation. What Emily discovers to her shock and horror is that The Evergreen Foundation is a front for an group that has conquered the barrier of time travel, but even worse they are using time travel to alter the past and help their clients to manipulate known events to their strategic and financial advantage. After meeting, falling in love and marrying Dell, another time traveller from a different organisation, Emily escapes The Evergreen Foundation, by faking her own death and then hiding in the past, always on the run and just one step ahead of discovery. As a young girl, Emily’s hero was her Great-Aunt Maude and after discovering Maude’s journal, she uses it to inspire her to overcome the very real fears and doubts her life on the run have instilled in her.

I have read Book One of this series and although it is not essential to do so before reading Book Two, it will give the reader a much more thorough grounding in an area that at times confounds understanding (not just for the reader, but also for the characters of the story). Time-travel, it seems has been “done to death” in books, but occasionally an idea and an author can lift the story above the “same-old, same-old” and Denise Liebig is just such an author, in the story, For the Love of Maude: The Dear Maude Trilogy Book 2. What I truly love about this unique concept of the past and future is that the issue the forms the basis for most time-travel stories; “the time-travel paradox” is addressed in such a fascinating way. Even the main characters themselves, Emily and Dell, confess to not truly understanding how this whole time thing works and what are the consequences of meeting their earlier selves, or indeed how their can be several different versions of themselves, in different time periods. I loved this and found it so thought-provoking. Beyond all else, this book is a fantastic action/adventure/ romance and the time-travel is merely an adjunct to a fantastic story. I can highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read the third instalment and find out how it all ends for our Dell and Emily.

You really should pop on over to Amazon and take a look at For the Love of Maude, plus the rest of Denise Liebig's fantastic Maude trilogy, here on her Amazon page.

transatlantic ticket 1852: passage to the new world by jan frazier

11/7/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

In the middle of the Nineteenth Century, life in Germany, for the average person was incredibly hard. A failed revolution, crop failures, the potato blight, plus political and religious repression made many look to the “new world” of the United States, for salvation and freedom. Along with many other Europeans of the mid-1800’s thousands upon thousands of Germans decided to make the long, arduous, risky and frightening voyage into the unknown, often in appalling conditions, in the hope of a new life. In Transatlantic Ticket (Passage to the New World), by Jan Frazier, we meet two simple farming families, in exactly that dilemma; whether to leave the familiar, all that they know and love in the German countryside, for the unfamiliar and scary world of the frontier, Midwestern USA. The Pollmann and the Haas families made this hazardous journey together, along with their retinue of young children, little understanding the trials and tribulations that awaited them before they could even arrive at Christian Pollmann’s brother’s house, in the town of Pekin Illinois.

Based on the true journey of author Jan Frazier’s great-grandparent’s own journey, Transatlantic Ticket (Passage to the New World) is a compelling story of the despair and travails, as these families seek somewhere to call home, where they can be free from political and religious interference and where their children can experience a better life than that which was left behind. Overriding all the angst and horror of the journey is an unshakeable faith that their God was protecting them and a determination to do whatever was necessary to protect each other and their young children. I found the story gripping and the descriptions of the horrors on board the steerage sections of these immigrant ships simply riveting and yet the faith and belief of the parents that they were doing the best thing for their families shone through and overcame even their own doubts. This is an incredibly easy read, well written, with beautifully descriptive prose. I have not come across this author before, but will definitely keep an eye out for her works in the future. If you like historical novels (and I love them) you will adore this book and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

You can find Transatlantic Ticket 1852, here on Amazon:

liberation (the indigo rebels #3) by ellie midwood

11/7/2018

Liberation (The Indigo Rebels #3) by Ellie Midwood is the third, and I guess, sadly the last of her wonderful series based on the French Resistance during World War II and the unforgettable characters of Etienne Delatre, Giselle Legrand, Marcel, Phillipe and all the other brave resistance members, as they seek to harry and harass the German occupiers of their beloved La Belle France.

I have read the previous two installments and was waiting, with bated breath, for book number three. It was not a disappointment. In this story, Etienne along with the rebel priest are hiding weapons and escaped British agents in the basement of their orphanage in Lyon. When the infamous Klaus Barbie (The Butcher of Lyon) is appointed to oversee the Gestapo operations in that part of occupied France, the stakes are raised even higher for the fledgling resistance movement. With her typical bravado and charm Giselle will throw herself into the midst of Barbie's evil world in an effort to disrupt and cause as much havoc to the Germans as possible. Her brother Marcel and her lover, the communist, Philippe will engage in sabotage to make the German's lives hell, but always hanging over the resistance, is the arrogant, yet charming, spectre, of the Butcher of Lyon.

Liberation (The Indigo Rebels #3) is a fantastically thrilling conclusion to an absolutely superb series. I keep banging on about how good Ellie Midwood's books are, but it seems that each new story reaches a new height in emotion, authenticity and readability. When it comes to this period of history there is no fiction peer, that I have found yet, for this author's stories. Her books are clearly meticulously researched and always revolve around real, identifiable characters, during one of the saddest and most brutal periods of human history, yet they resonate with hope, with love, with determination, with courage and with a belief in the ultimate goodness of humanity. Even in the depths of depravity, Midwood brings us stories that can still make us smile and make us laugh, even through our tears. This is a rare quality in an author and one of the reasons why I place her at the top of my favourite author list.

If you've never read a Midwood, give it a try, but if you are a fan, like me, grab it, because you know you'll love it. No question at all, of course, five stars all the way for Liberation (The Indigo Rebels #3)

Please, don't take my word for it, do pop on over to Amazon and check out Liberation (Indigo Rebels #3) plus all of Ellie Midwood's other superb books, on her Amazon page:

the Chronicles of aveline: awakening by ken fry

20/6/2018

It really doesn't matter what genre Ken Fry writes in; whether it is action/adventure, biblical conspiracies or historical fiction, the result is always a fantastic story well worth reading. Such is the case with Fry's latest novel, The Chronicles of Aveline.

Set in the 12th Century, between the Crusades, Sir Phillip Fitzwilliam, a veteran of earlier Crusades to the Holy Land, suspects another Crusade is imminent and he worries about his legacy and his estates. One son has already decided the Church is his future and the other son is determined to follow his Father's footsteps to Palestine and battle with Saladin, for God. Sir Phillip's daughter Aveline is, however, unique for a young titled lady of the time. A skilled horsewoman, archer and sword fighter, she wants something more from life than the boring, pointless, exercise of marriage and embroidery. She is equally determined that she wants nothing to do with the all-powerful Church of the time, its priests and nuns whom she mistrusts with a passion.

When Aveline finds the possibility of marrying for love, with the Earl's son, her natural womanly passions take over and when her and her lover are charged, by the Church, with the sin of fornication, their lives will be changed forever. Persecuted by the Church and separated from her beloved, Aveline determines to escape their clutches and follow her lover to the Holy Land, as a woman Knight.

As always, Fry's descriptive narrative takes the reader right inside the 12th Century and we feel the pain and the passion experienced by Aveline as she is mistreated and abused by the Church. As a hero, Aveline has so much to offer; courage, determination, compassion and not the least, femininity. I found myself riding alongside her, advising her and shuddering occasionally at the trials she faced. Fry is that sort of an author - his stories get under your skin.

Did I think the book was too short? Absolutely - I always hate it when I come toward the end of a Fry novel. I don't want it to end. Did I think the story ended too abruptly? For sure. There is much more to tell of Aveline and her adventures, but I can relax in the hope that Fry is currently working on the continuation of Aveline's journey.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - when it comes to Indie Author's in today's marketplace Ken Fry is one of the most adaptable, versatile and readable authors out there. He stands at the very top of my favoured author list. When I hear there's a new Fry due out - I jump. The Chronicles of Aveline is an absolute winner and I can not recommend it enough.

Absolutely do pop on over to Amazon and take a look at The Chronicles of Aveline, plus all of Ken Fry's exceptional work, here on his Amazon Author page:

under a warped cross by steve lindahl

18/6/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Under A Warped Cross takes us back to Dark Ages Britannia, forever under the threat of Viking invasion and raiding parties. Author Steve Lindahl brings us a tale of family, love and struggle as we meet siblings Abigail, Goda and Waso. When Abigail is wrongly accused of incest with her brother, the Church moves viciously to mark her as a sinner forever, slicing off her nose. With her face so hideously marked, Abigail and Goda run away together to find somewhere they can live in peace away from the prying eyes of judgment and priests. Consumed by guilt at his brother and sister’s cruel treatment Waso vows to find and rescue his two siblings. His search for them will take him from Britannia, across the Irish Sea and thence to the Scandinavian home of the Vikings. Despite his travails, Goda never loses hope of finding and rescuing his siblings and together with the exotic Persian woman, Stateira, they escape Viking captivity and head for home and the search for Goda’s brother and sister.

I have always been a fan of historical novels and especially ones centred around this little known time of British history. In Under A Warped Cross, author Steve Lindahl has taken us inside the lives of poor, everyday folk in this era, folk for whom the struggle to survive against oppressive masters, an overbearing and all powerful Church, the vicious and bloodthirsty Vikings, as well as the everyday villains and robbers of the day. His characters were well drawn and showed us the power of family and a resolute hope for the future. The writing is powerful and descriptive and allows you to live the horrors these people faced on a daily basis, whilst still learning something of the various beliefs and cultures of the people of that day. I particularly enjoyed the inner dialogue of Waso and his determination to not only find his missing siblings, but to also question much of the accepted religious dogma of the day. Having Stateira, as a Muslim woman and the questions and conflicts that raised in Waso, just lifted this story over and above the average historical novel. This is an excellent read and one I can highly recommend.

You can find Under A Warped Cross here on Steve Lindahl's Amazon page.

state of conflict by mark hess

6/6/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

It is early 1861 and Zeke Hampton is returning from the Mexican Civil War, where he has been fighting on the side of the rebels, back to his home in San Francisco, where he finds his own country on the verge of its own Civil War. In State of Conflict by Mark Hess, Zeke is unusual in that although he is white, he was adopted and raised by a family of Chinese immigrants in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He sees the forthcoming war in very clear terms – to him, it is about giving freedom and dignity to another group of people who have been discriminated against and enslaved merely because of their skin colour. There is never any doubt that Zeke Hampton will enlist in the Union Army and with California, teetering between supporting the Union or the Confederacy he was always going to be caught up in the intrigue, spying and double-dealing that would go on all around him, even at the higher levels of the Union Army. Zeke, schooled by his older Chinese brother in the art of hand to hand fighting (kung-fu, presumably) and in the Art of War as expounded by Sun Tzu, was always going to be a different type of soldier, albeit an effective one, to his comrades.

State of Conflict by Mark Hess lifts itself above the average run-of-the-mill novels about the Civil War period, simply by the nature of its lead character, Ezekial Hampton. Zeke is an enigma, mainly because he was raised in a Chinese family and differs so greatly, in his outlook and actions, from his fellow soldiers in the Union Army. What becomes apparent early on in the story is that the Union Army was anything but homogeneous, with the Army, as was the country, populated by immigrants from all over the world. I particularly liked the view the author gave of the Chinese immigrant family and their struggle for acceptance in an increasingly hostile California. It was clear Zeke’s character and his view of right and wrong came from his adoptive parents and brother. The author’s style allowed the narrative to flow well and I particularly enjoyed the interaction between Zeke’s fiancée, Katy’s family and his adoptive Chinese family. The message of tolerance and understanding of that which we don’t understand came through the writing, loud and clear. The addition of philosophy, especially the art of war and life from Sun Tzu just gave the narrative something special and I appreciated the author’s intent with this.

You can take a look at State of Conflict here on Mark Hess' Amazon page:

long shadows on the crimson range by s. b. nace

4/6/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Long Shadows on the Crimson Range by S B Nace takes us back to a West just emerging from the rough and tumble of the early years and the aftermath of the Civil War. We meet Tom Ross, a good man who has seen and participated in his share of fights and arguments. For Tom it is time to settle down, to marry his beloved Trixie and to start a family. But, Tom, it seems has a natural attraction for trouble and never being one to back down from a fight, especially when he believes it is morally right, or the fight unfair, Tom quickly finds himself in a passel of trouble. Along with his good friend and compadre, Milt Good, Tom has to leave his family behind and reinvent himself not once, but twice. Set in the early 1900’s Tom and Milt spend much time crisscrossing the Western States, always looking over their shoulders in case someone should recognise them and they are forced to run yet again. It seems nowhere in the wide Western expanses is safe from recognition, for this hard man and his sidekick.

Long Shadows on the Crimson Range is one of those particular hybrid historical novels that combines legend, recorded history and the author’s fertile imagination to flesh out the details of a real person (Tom Ross) and the characters who surround him. Author S B Nace is clearly familiar with the tales and legends but has also gone to considerable lengths to research as much as possible about this time period and the characters that inhabit his pages. I was impressed with the detail of the journeys of Tom and Milt and it is a fillip to the author, that, as a reader, I was often left wondering what is truth and what is fiction in this tale. The book is told primarily from the perspective of Tom Ross’ friend, Milt Good and as such we get a fascinating glimpse of Tom Ross’ character and motivations from someone who knew him better than even his wife and daughter. In many ways this story reads like a long obituary from a newspaper, as it details the important events and happenings in the life of this legendary character. If you are a fan of the Western genre and particularly of “fallible” heroes from this time, as the West transitioned from a lawless world to a “civilised” society, you will surely enjoy this tale.

You can take a look at Long Shadows on the Crimson Range, by S.B. Nace, here on Amazon

brother daniel's good news revival by bruce joel brittain

26/4/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

It is 1933, in the dustbowl that was to become the American Midwest, a young man leaves his family farm in search of a future. Finding a job as a truck driver come stagehand for a touring religious revival crusade, Michael Boone becomes drawn into a world of hypocrisy and privation that will cause him to grow up much quicker than he could have imagined. In Bruce Joel Brittain’s, Brother Daniel’s Good News Revival we meet an unlikely cast of characters, all with their own tales to tell and all who will have a profound impact on the young boy from Kentucky, as he grows into a man. From the lecherous, borderline paedophile, Brother Daniel, to his partner, the voluptuous Mother Daniel, and the children, Michael will become very worldly, very quickly. With his fellow driver, the enigma that is the highly educated Bert, this motley crew will travel the small towns of the Midwest, bringing their brand of salvation to a population mired in the Great Depression.

As a fan of historical novels, I found Bruce Joel Brittain’s, Brother Daniel’s Good News Revival, a satisfying and revealing read. The characters were so perfectly drawn; one could almost picture the lecherous Brother Daniel and his long-suffering woman, Mother Daniel. Michael, was exactly as you would expect, the wide-eyed boy from rural Kentucky who was suddenly exposed to the hypocrisy of a world he had trouble understanding at first. The star, for me, was Bert, whose worldly knowledge, questioning nature and well-read character was exactly what Michael needed to open his eyes to reality. The writer’s style, straightforward and flowing, was easy to read and drew, perfectly, the picture, for the reader, of a people suffering the great privations of the Depression, who would turn to God and the travelling revival show as a hope for a way out of their poverty and hopelessness. I think the author captured the mood of the country, at that time, so well. This was a great read and one I can highly recommend.

Do pop on over to Amazon and take a look at Brother Daniel's Good News Revival on Bruce Joel Brittain's Amazon page:

a motherland's daughter, a fatherland's son by ellie midwood

20/3/2018

If you read my reviews, you will know what an enormous fan I am of Ellie Midwood's novels set during the second world war. Her latest release; A Motherland's Daughter, A Fatherland's Son has done absolutely nothing to dampen my love and enthusiasm for this immensely talented author. In my humble opinion this is Midwood's finest work to date and she just gets better and better with every story she pens.

Set, initially, at the start of World War II, when Germany and the USSR were allies, we meet Kira, a Russian military interpreter and Werner, a young, German soldier who meet in Poland, whilst their superiors are discussing the things allies discuss at the time of war. Kira and Werner fall completely and hopelessly in love, with the ultimate plan being for Kira to defect to Germany and the pair to marry. Herr Hitler, however, has other ideas and when Germany reneges on it's mutual non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union and invades their territory, the two lovers find themselves facing each other on the battlefield. How can their love possibly survive the horrors both will experience, as atrocities are committed by both sides, on their enemies? Is there a way out for these two lovers, or was their future doomed when the first Panzer division rolled into Soviet territory?

In many ways, this story reads like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet; the two lovers destined to never be together. As each chapter alternates between Kira and Werner, the reader is drawn into deep sympathy for these characters, as they try to make sense of the horror that their daily lives have devolved into. As a reader, I can honestly say, by the end of the book I alternated between hope and despair for this angst-ridden pair, as they both tried desperately to keep the warmth of their love alive despite the horror.

This is a tough book to read, partly because Midwood is so accurate in her depictions of the true horrors of this war. She does not hide from the raw senselessness and violence that saw one quarter of the population of the Soviet Union wiped from the face of the earth, in the bloodiest conflict in human history. She doesn't gloss over it - and neither should she. This was a horrific war that, at times, portrayed the very worst of the human condition, but... and it's a big BUT, this war was also capable of showing great human kindness, understanding and love and Midwood displays this beautifully and with great tenderness. I think the author summed it up perfectly when she talked about how individual soldiers from both sides, quickly found common ground when they were forced into a position of cohabitation, as they were in the Russian medical centre. German and Russian wounded rapidly realised they had much more in common, that drew them together, than that which pulled them apart. It is this insightful writing by Midwood, that lifts this book FAR above your average war story.

As I said earlier, I believe this book is Ellie Midwood's most powerful and most enjoyable book to date. I can only wait, with bated breath, for the next missive from this ultra-talented author's pen. A Motherland's Daughter, A Fatherland's Son is an absolute triumph and a must read for all fans of the genre and all readers everywhere. Bravo, Ellie Midwood!

Absolutely do pop on over to Ellie Midwood's Amazon page, where you can take a look at; A Motherland's Daughter, A Fatherland's Son, or indeed any of Midwood's incredible portfolio of books. I guarantee if you chose any book from her selection, you would not be disappointed.

chinawoman's chance: volume 1 (portia of the pacific historical mysteries) by james musgrave

20/2/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Chinawoman’s Chance (Portia of the Pacific Historical Mysteries) by Jim Musgrave takes us back to the bustling and somewhat lawless society of 1884 San Francisco. The Californian Gold Rush and the Railways have made San Francisco a place of wealth and power, but for certain sections of society, nothing has really changed. For women and for the Chinese immigrants brought to America by the Railway bosses to help build the railways, life is hard. Neither have any real rights in this America of the 1880’s. Championing the cause for women and the oppressed is the larger than life self-trained barrister, Clara Shortridge Foltz Esq. When a young ex-prostitute is murdered, flayed and eviscerated in the Chinatown district of the City, suspicion immediately falls on the Chinese Tongs that make up the ghetto that is Chinatown. Captain Isaiah Lees and his Sergeant must determine who is responsible and cut off any possibility of retaliatory action against the Chinese immigrants. Competing against the rival and corrupt Sheriff’s Department plus the City’s Mayor, Lees has his job cut out for him.

As a big fan of historical novels in general and historical mystery stories in particular, I found Jim Musgrave’s Chinawoman’s Chance (Portia of the Pacific Historical Mysteries) to be absolutely superb. As the first of a series of books based around the wonderful character of Clara Shortridge Foltz Esq. the author has set up a marketable and believable set of characters on which to build his series. Clara was clearly the star of the story, with her forthrightness and her willingness to take the patriarchal society on, at their own game. In the age of the suffragettes, Musgrave’s character was the perfect portrayal of the women who led the campaign for women’s rights all around the world. Her freedom and her owning of her own sexuality was rare among woman of the time. It was fascinating to look at the reaction of the politicians to the perceived growing threat of the “yellow menace”, as they termed it, with their heathen religions and beliefs, comparing that to today’s response with respect to Hispanic and Muslim immigration. The “Exclusion Act” and the “Muslim Ban” – not all that different, perhaps? This book appealed to me on many levels, but most importantly of all, it was a damn good read and an excellent mystery.

You can find Chinawoman's Chance by James Musgrave here on Amazon:

the other side of freedom by cynthia t. toney

10/1/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Other Side if Freedom by Cynthia T Toney takes us back to 1925, pre-depression Louisiana and the small town of Freedom. Salvatore is just thirteen, but this son of Italian immigrants is a hard-working farm boy, whose parents and Uncle have struggled to make a good life for themselves in this rural area. Prohibition is in full swing in America and when Italian mobsters come to town and demand Sal’s father’s help in their plans to rob the Freedom bank, or they will hurt his family, Sal’s family finds themselves in a moral quandary. When the bank robbery goes awry, Sal is left with a secret that could destroy their entire lives and set their family on the run. This young man must weigh up the rights and wrongs of the situation and make a decision that he and the rest of his family can live with. Sal is just discovering his feelings and attraction to his best friend, Antonina and whatever decisions he and the family make are almost certain to affect the relationship. This is indeed a dilemma of morals.

I found The Other Side of Freedom to be a truly compelling coming-of-age story. The setting was beautifully described by Cynthia T Toney and one felt oneself being drawn back to the era of gangsters, the G-Men, and bootlegging across the south. The feel of the story was authentic and action fast and furious. I particularly found it interesting to compare the experience faced by the Italian and Sicilian immigrants of the 19th and early 20th Centuries to those of the immigrants of today. They faced discrimination and generalisation – they are Sicilians, therefore they must be gangsters and criminals where today we see, they are Arabs, therefore they must be terrorists. I also found interesting that Sal found some sympathy and empathy with his black friend Hiram in that the prejudices they both faced were somewhat similar. I particularly liked the fact that Toney offered some questions at the end of the book for younger readers to consider and reflect on the story. This is an excellent children’s story that poses some interesting moral dilemmas for the young readers to ponder.

Be sure to pop on over to Amazon to check out The Other Side of Freedom, plus all of Cynthia T. Toney's offerings.

saving shadow (the beckett files #1) by laura beers

29/12/2017

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Spying in the time of the Regency period was all important to the British Crown. It was often the aristocracy who became involved in spying - especially the second son of a Lord or Duke, who by British Law would inherit nothing from his father and must therefore find some other way to serve King, Country and Empire. Spying, though, was a man's game - definitely not for the likes of delicate women, who apart from anything else, lacked the constitution and thought processes required for espionage. Enter Lady Elizabeth Beckett (AKA The Shadow), a remarkable young woman with a photographic memory and fighting skills to match any man. In Saving Shadow by Laura Beers we follow the adventures of Eliza as she spies for the Crown, along with her brother Johnathon and the enigmatic, but very attractive Lord Sinclair. They must not only break up a slavery ring that is kidnapping young girls for sale, they must rescue them and fight treachery and treason at the highest levels.

Laura Beers, with Shaving Shadow, has brought us a spine-tingling tale with all the adventure of a modern spy thriller, but set in the Regency period. Her character Eliza is a strong, capable, woman who defied all the expectations of the period, for females. I particularly enjoyed the interplay between Eliza, her brother and Lord Sinclair. Despite, as a reader, always knowing deep down that Eliza and Lord Benedict Sinclair would consummate their clear lust for each other, the sexual tension was beautifully maintained by Beers. I loved the way Lord Sinclair was forced to change his opinions of women, as he came to realise just how strong, capable and willful Lady Eliza truly was. This was an exciting, page-turning story that I just couldn't put down and effectively read in one sitting. The action scenes were realistically written, and interspersed with some truly wonderful love scenes. I have not read Laura Beers before, but I have no doubt I will be doing so again in the future. I can highly recommend this book to lovers of history, the Regency period and just readers who like to get their teeth into a good, old-fashioned, spy tale, come romance. Great stuff!

Do pop on over to Amazon and check out Saving Shadow plus Laura Beers' full portfolio.

roanoke by kathryn sommerlot

18/12/2017

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

When sixteen-year-old Audry's father dies, he leaves her in a difficult situation, as she comes under the protection of her elder sister Alis and her husband, John. In Roanoke, by Kathryn Sommerlot, John and Alis have determined to make a new beginning and in 1587 they and around a hundred other colonists set sail for Chesapeake, in the Americas, taking young Audry with them. Audry's dreams of appearing in Queen Elizabeth !'s court along with her Father are forever dashed and she must adapt herself to a brave, new harsh environment that she'd never wanted in the first place. Instead of being taken to Chesapeake, where the colonists were promised their own land, they are instead left alone on the island of Roanoke, just off the South Carolina coast. Audry and her fellow colonists must cope with the wild environs, the ever present dangers and the not so friendly native Americans. So began the first real English colony in the Americas - a colony later to become known as the "Lost Colony".

I love reading Historical Fiction and Roanoke is very special in that regard, as it chronicles a pivotal point in the colonisation of the New World. It was in Roanoke that the first English child to be born in the Americas, was delivered. The story of Audry Tappan may be fictionalised, but Kathryn Sommerlot has stuck very much to the historical basis that was the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke. One of the greatest tributes I can give an historical fiction author is that his or work prompted me to research the topic and Roanoke certainly did that. I wanted to know what happened to this first real colony. The author's descriptions of the hardships prompted on these early colonists allowed the reader to truly feel they were there with Audry, suffering along with her. The romantic interactions between Audry and Marke, as well as the evil machinations of the Pastor, gave some warmth and humanity to what could have been a dry, historical tale. A very good read and full of interesting insights.

You can check out Roanoke here on Kathryn Sommerlot's Amazon page:

fort sarpy (riverboat trilogy #1) by dave lloyd

24/11/2017

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

When Caleb Shaw’s parents died and left him the farm, the last thing the young man wanted was to be a farmer. He was a boy with an itch in his feet and he wanted to explore this great country he lived in – The United States of America in the mid 1800’s. In Fort Sarpy, by Dave Lloyd, we follow the adventures of Caleb and his comrades as they head up into the great wilderness that was the upper reaches of the Missouri River. Selling the farm to his neighbour, Caleb stops off in St Louis, where he meets some wonderful friends and learns some valuable lessons that will serve him well when he reaches Fort Sarpy and deals with the rough and ready men who made up the frontier with the Indians, that was serviced by the American Fur Company. At Fort Sarpy Caleb will become a man, a true mountain man and one who will face danger and excitement from the Crow, the Blackfeet, the Sioux, and even his fellow adventurers.

Fort Sarpy is an excellently researched novel and Dave Lloyd has clearly done his homework on this period of American history. At its heart, Fort Sarpy is a coming of age novel and I found the character of Caleb Shaw both compelling and believable. Some of the best characters in this book were the supporting cast, especially the stuffy Englishman Palmer and the flamboyant French chef and violin player. This was a taut, well written adventure with action coming thick and fast. The sign of a good historical novel is that it actually transports the reader to that time and place and allows the reader to feel the pain and privations suffered by the characters. Dave Lloyd has done this exceptionally well. I look forward to reading more of this period and in this saga from the author.

Pop on over to Amazon and take a look at Fort Sarpy and the full Dave Lloyd portfolio:

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