Reviewed by phyllish on
I appreciate how from the very start I was pulled into the world of Mountain Home, Colorado, 1887. That is, after all, one of the reasons I read historical novels. Strangely enough, though, I read before work, at lunchtime and a bit afterward, working on my computer in between, the thing that jarred me out of 1887 so rudely was the classic movie my husband chose for the evening.
There was considerable attention given to details of the period in a way that was both natural and insightful regarding the customs of the time. Emphasizing details we wouldn’t even notice today. An example was Jane chosing to wear gloves instead of using her muff – which was a sign to Hank that she wanted to be able to hold onto his arm or, gasp, hold his hand.
One of the contrasts from the time period that struck me was how “normal” it was for Hank to leave his young boys to mostly fend for themselves during the day when he was at the store. The older ones were expected to care for the younger ones, but still, the youngest was two! No one thought it strange, though Jane did at least pity them.
My emotions traveled the gamut. At one moment I was laughing out loud at the contests at the Harvest Festival and at the next my heart constricted with sadness for the pain and grief the characters were enduring.
This review was originally posted on Among the Reads
I was given a free copy of this item. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 24 September, 2018: Reviewed