A well-wrought origin to a historical family saga with forward-thinking heroes.
Lackey’s prequel tells the early story of the main characters of his 10-part historical series.
In 1825, Ben and Sonja Pulaski have just arrived in the port town of Havre de Grace, Maryland. Rather than taking an expected job as a ship’s second mate, Ben gets the opportunity to captain his own cargo boat. He turns this good luck into a steady, well-paying career, taking advantage of demand for reliable transport in the quickly growing area. After the ship’s owner dies, Ben is tricked into signing an unfavorable contract, which he’s unable to read; however, his hard work allows him to prosper anyway. He and Sonja start a family, hire loyal employees, and gather friends around them. Notable characters include the formerly enslaved Simon Bond, widowed seamstress Nancy Perry, and Scottish housekeeper Sallie MacGregor. Benjamin also makes enemies in his hometown, as well as in Baltimore; these people, including sex worker Delilah Grudder whose brother Ben shot dead in self-defense, conspire to destroy him. Ben doesn’t always make the right decision and clearly breaks the law at times, but the Pulaskis also heroically protect the weak and bring a sense of justice to an unjust world; for example, they pay fair wages to all their workers and protect Nancy from domestic violence when the local sheriff won’t. The unpredictability of the times feels authentic, as does the notion of the characters’ being the masters of their own fates. Fans of the Pulaski series will likely enjoy learning the backstories of these characters, and after Lackey has made introductions, he quickly provides tension and conflict. In addition to detailing the family drama, he includes engaging historical elements of 19th century life, including aspects of canal building, cooking, and, of course, cargo shipping.
A well-wrought origin to a historical family saga with forward-thinking heroes.Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2022
ISBN: 979-8985578102
Page Count: 328
Publisher: Heron Oaks
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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