Fans of historical fiction should find this love story an adventure worth taking.
An aspiring doctor discovers romance and danger in the Klondike in this debut novel.
In the 1890s, the Klondike Gold Rush attracts scores of people to the Yukon Territory in northwest Canada, including Joseph Buchanan of San Francisco and his wife, Abigail “Abby” Porter. Intelligent and independent, Abby hoped to study medicine but married Joseph instead. Shortly after arriving in Dawson City, Joseph leaves Abby to stake his claim. When he is found dead, Abby is left with limited means of support. She takes a job at the Monte Carlo Hotel as an entertainer and meets Nathan “Nate” Brown, a doctor from Michigan who treats the women who work at the hotel. Impressed with her medical knowledge, he asks her to assist him, but she refuses his offer. When an abusive customer at the hotel is murdered, Nate becomes the prime suspect. But he is released after authorities discover alternate suspects. Nate and Abby pursue a romance, and she is soon pregnant. After she gives birth to a son, they move to Michigan so Abby can enroll in medical school. As the couple balance the responsibilities of school, research, and parenthood, temptations and a menacing figure from Nate’s past threaten the family. Wright’s accomplished novel is a historical romance bolstered by a strong narrative, well-developed characters, and a wealth of period details. Abby is a compelling heroine who is determined to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. Her relationship with Nate develops slowly, strengthened by their interest in medicine and in spite of the misgivings of their families. The supporting characters are equally well-drawn, including Abby’s friends Albert Nicholson and his First Nations wife, Kate, and Dr. Julian Carothers, a medical school classmate of Nate’s whose resentment and jealously take a menacing turn. Spanning nearly a decade, the narrative follows the protagonists through several significant historical events, including the suffrage movement, the Klondike Gold Rush, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Although the tale relies heavily on flashbacks for character development, they provide valuable insights into the players and their motivations.
Fans of historical fiction should find this love story an adventure worth taking.Pub Date: Nov. 19, 2017
ISBN: 9781977752406
Page Count: 279
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.
Eleven years ago, he broke her heart. But he doesn’t know why she never forgave him.
Toggling between past and present, two love stories unfold simultaneously. In the first, Macy Sorensen meets and falls in love with the boy next door, Elliot Petropoulos, in the closet of her dad’s vacation home, where they hide out to discuss their favorite books. In the second, Macy is working as a doctor and engaged to a single father, and she hasn’t spoken to Elliot since their breakup. But a chance encounter forces her to confront the truth: what happened to make Macy stop speaking to Elliot? Ultimately, they’re separated not by time or physical remoteness but by emotional distance—Elliot and Macy always kept their relationship casual because they went to different schools. And as a teen, Macy has more to worry about than which girl Elliot is taking to the prom. After losing her mother at a young age, Macy is navigating her teenage years without a female role model, relying on the time-stamped notes her mother left in her father’s care for guidance. In the present day, Macy’s father is dead as well. She throws herself into her work and rarely comes up for air, not even to plan her upcoming wedding. Since Macy is still living with her fiance while grappling with her feelings for Elliot, the flashbacks offer steamy moments, tender revelations, and sweetly awkward confessions while Macy makes peace with her past and decides her future.
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.Pub Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5011-2801-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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