by Nancy Moser
Historical Fiction / Inspirational
Release Date: May 2011
Synopsis:
Spend a season in glamorous 1895 Newport in this compelling tale of friendship, devotion, and sacrificial love.
New York dressmaker Lucy Scarpelli befriends socialite Rowena Langdon as she’s designing her 1895 summer wardrobe. Grateful for Lucy’s skill in creating fashions that hide her physical injury, Rowena invites Lucy to the family mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, encouraging the unusual friendship.
One day Lucy encounters an intriguing man on the Cliff Walk, and love begins to blossom. Yet Lucy resists, for what Newport man would want to marry an Italian dressmaker working to support her family?
Rowena faces an arranged marriage to a wealthy heir she doesn’t love, but dare a crippled girl hope for anything better?
And Lucy’s teenage sister, Sofia, falls for a man well above her social class–but is he willing to give up everything to marry a woman below his station?
As the lives of three young woman–and their unlikely suitors–become entangled in a web of secrets and sacrifice, will the season end with any of them finding true happiness?
My Thoughts:
Yeah… you want to read this one. If you like Christian historical fiction, or just plain old historical fiction for that matter (with a touch of romance), this one is worth the read.
When the twist came, I sat up on the couch and gasped audibly, then shouted “NO! No WAY!”… and you know, it takes a lot to surprise me in inspirational fiction. I’ve been reading & reviewing these kinds of books for awhile now, and usually these kinds of stories are incredibly predictable (though that doesn’t make them any less entertaining, most of the time).
This one? Definitely didn’t see THAT twist coming.
I also liked the characters, the atmosphere, the setting, and the amount of historical detail that Moser included AFTER the story ended. There are pages and pages of annotations about real historical elements she included (or took liberties with), and she also provides old catalogue illustrations that show some of the dresses she had her characters wear throughout the novel.
There was one little thing I didn’t like… a secondary character who was mentioned just a few times suddenly becoming a big deal almost out of nowhere… but I could easily look past that for how much I loved the historical detail and the twist. It’s rare for me to love an inspirational historical fiction novel these days, but this one definitely fits the bill.
About the Author
Nancy Moser is the author of three inspirational humor books and a eighteen novels, including Mozart’s Sister, Just Jane, and Time Lottery, a Christy Award winner. She is an inspirational speaker, giving seminars around the country. She has earned a degree in architecture; run a business with her husband; traveled extensively in Europe; and has performed in various theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She and her husband have three grown children and make their home in the Midwest. Read more about her books at www.nancymoser.com.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.