A Hearth in Candlewood: Candlewood Trilogy in 1840s New York State

A Hearth in Candlewood, by Delia Parr, begins a nice “Candlewood Trilogy” series. Set in 1841, this story chronicles the lives of several residents at a boarding house in a canal village in upstate New York.

Widow Emma Garrett, in her early fifties, recently sold her general store and bought the Hill House. Her new business venture includes several residents, including her mother-in-law (another “Widow Garrett”) and an elderly former pastor, as well as guests who make frequent trips to the area. Two teenage workers, Liesl and Ditty, provide help to the kitchen and general upkeep of the boarding house.

When an elderly grandmother and widow runs away from her feuding sons to stay at Hill House, Emma quickly becomes involved in trying to reconcile the sons with their mother, but encounters problems along the way.

The canals running along nearby are ever present in the background, named as the mode of transportation for people visiting Candlewood, New York. Occasionally we even meet characters who work at the ship yards, the major employment of the area. However, this story is more focused on the actual characters, with few details of the canal operations, for a story that could take place in any time or place.

The story is the focus, a nice, “chicken soup for the soul” type of feel-good story about nice, simple characters in this village. Unlike most Christian historicals, the main characters are older adults. As such, their problems are not the exciting, page-turner suspense type, but the more mundane everyday problems of life. Emma knows nothing of today’s big societal problems, and instead frets about such things as: what people will think of her for wearing unconventional clothing when she goes horseback riding with two eccentric visitors. Or, how to keep Liesl and Ditty at the boarding house and away from the temptations of boys (at least, unchaperoned visits). And, for the biggest and somewhat humorous one, how to handle several renegade chickens that run loose in the town and then decide to roost at the Hill House.

Throughout the story, Emma always seeks solutions, wanting the best for everyone around her. She also sees herself as a good business woman, with plenty of experience from running a general store and now the boarding house. Yet her biggest worry she keeps to herself: news from her lawyer that she bought the boarding house from an unscrupulous salesman who did not have the right to sell it to her – and thus, she does not legally own title to the Hill House. So Emma must consider her own past actions, questioning her motives and judgement, as she continually remembers to trust God in everything.

A Hearth in Candlewood is a nice beginning to the “Candlewood Trilogy.” Some conflicts are resolved, but the biggest question, Emma’s questionable ownership of the actual property, are left for us to wonder – for the next story in the series.

Fury: 1825-1826

Fury, part of the “Great Awakenings” series (Bill Bright and Jack Cavanaugh), also serves as a sequel to Storm. In 1825, 16-year-old Daniel Cooper, orphaned son of Eli Cooper and Maggy (Asa Rush’s sister), now lives with his uncle Asa and Aunt Camilla. Daniel witnesses a murder that involves his employer, Cyrus Gregg, and soon finds himself running for his life, with the hired-murderer close behind. Fleeing also from his Uncle Asa, Daniel heads north into upstate New York, where he encounters a Charles Finney revival and is challenged by the Christian witness of other young people he meets.

Fury does a great work of combining historical details of the period with a great action story. It incorporates the canal fervor of the day along with interesting descriptions of ideas for early washing machines, and the frontier spirit of the people at Finney’s revival meetings. (One minor historical error: throughout the text Washington D.C. is called by its present-day name, not "Washington City" as it was then called.) Along the way we read plenty of action, especially great physical stunts of survival, and detailed descriptions of the two characters lost in a cave. Yet Fury seems weaker than its predecessor Storm, perhaps because it takes a long time getting to the good parts. Much of the action takes place in the town before Daniel flees, and the events described on the book cover – even Daniel’s flight from the murderer – don’t occur until well into the story. The story’s Christian aspect, and the introduction of Charles Finney, only occur near the very end. Overall, the story works as an entertaining, action-packed thriller that will keep you turning the pages – at least in certain sections. A few parts tend to lag, and the part where Daniel is alone in a cave seems stretched a bit too long. Otherwise, though, the story and the characters are amusing and entertaining.

The biggest problem with the story is in its treatment of Charles Finney. References to Finney are brief, and the story accurately portrays the revival fervor of the period. However, Fury says nothing about Finney’s actual beliefs and makes the man out to be a great evangelical Protestant Christian, when it is clear from Finney’s own writings that he was far from that. As this article by Phillip R. Johnson points out, Finney rejected basic Christian theology such as original sin, the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the believer and the substitutionary atonement, believing instead that Christ’s death does not justify (save) anyone—in Finney’s view people are saved through God’s benevolence and their own perfection and self-reformation in adhering to God’s laws. Within a few years after Finney’s great revivals, the “burnt-over” region of western New York was spiritually cold, with no lasting fruit from the many “conversions,” as even Finney himself later admitted.

Aside from the theological handling of Finney, Fury is a decent, exciting novel. I only wish the authors would hold true to their evangelical Christian beliefs and write about true Christian historical figures--rather than a false teacher.

Proof: 1857-1858 -- A Great Prayer Revival

Proof: 1857-1858, the first in a series called “The Great Awakenings” by Bill Bright and Jack Cavanaugh, takes as its subject the great prayer revival of 1857-1858. Centered in New York City, where the revival began, Proof tells the story of 26-year-old Harrison Shaw, recent law school graduate. Harrison, orphaned since a young child, has grown up in a boys lodge and likes to help the residents of the seedy Five Points neighborhood. At his mentor George Bowen’s request, he applies for – and wins – a coveted internship in law from J. K. Jarves.

Shaw soon finds himself at odds with the rich world of Jarves and his daughter, Victoria. Even more so, he cannot handle the ferocious, predatory survival philosophy of Jarves – and soon finds himself, and everyone in his life, ruined by the revengeful Jarves. Later in their confrontation, Jarves creates a trial to examine the truth of the great revival, to put the Holy Spirit on trial.

Proof includes references to Jeremiah Lanphier and how he started the prayer meetings at the North Dutch Reformed Church in the fall of 1857. Later on, the story also chronicles many of the amazing answers to prayer and the revival’s impact to peoples’ lives as it spreads beyond New York City to include many other areas of the U.S. (and even on to Europe afterwards). The story includes some detailed and unpleasant descriptions of the New York City slums, including the Five Points neighborhood. Surprisingly, though, Proof rarely mentions the actual economic setting of this revival and a major factor that, from a human perspective, brought about the revival. Soon after Lanphier started his prayer meetings, the banks and stock market collapsed and the country was economically hard pressed—the time when people do tend to turn towards spiritual matters, getting a reality check against the good, prosperous times. A few of the characters’ personal “witness” stories make brief reference to this in the telling of their conversion story; yet the larger story, Proof, itself lacks that level of background—one might easily miss this detail if not paying close attention. The main focus of Proof is on Shaw and a few characters he interacts with, along with a rather episodic look, from a journalist’s perspective, at specific prayer revival marvels.

The character portrayals are average, and we learn and understand Harrison Shaw well enough. The other character portrayals, though, seem more two-dimensional. J. K. Jarves seems rather exaggerated and one-sided, an extreme example of a Darwinist, Madlyn Murray O’Hair-style atheist, and a real Scrooge of a man in a time when even the wealthy gave at least lip service to the idea of charity and Christian morality. His daughter Victoria turns out to be quite a surprise, but her overall character and the many things attributed to her seem hard to believe and a bit too much of modern-day feminism. In spite of such problems, though, she at least becomes more likable as the story progresses.

This book’s weakness is in its theology, a rather man-focused view in which the Christian characters, and especially Harrison Shaw, somehow feel that it is up to them to prove God’s existence and power—and that all of Christianity is at stake and will fail based on a bad outcome of a human court trial. It seems that the characters, many of them supposed great Christian leaders and scholars (and the authors, for coming up with such a fictional scenario in the first place), should consider the meaning of the scripture “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine” (Matt. 7:6)—the wisdom and understanding that the things of God are sacred, and that at a certain point, with certain people, to forcefully press Christian ideas to that audience just belittles and denigrates the greatness and character of God. To be sure, a few characters briefly mention that God can defend Himself (one brief paragraph after many pages of contrary ideas), but the greater issue (Matt. 7:6) is never addressed, and the story takes the easy way out rather than a more realistic display of how God actually deals with His people in our post-1st century world.

Proof does a great job of bringing attention to this now-forgotten time, a prayer revival in the late 1850s when people sought God and He answered their prayers in an amazing way. This book includes many actual incidents of the people saved and prayers answered, a testament to the wonders God can do at all times, including these times of revival. As such, Proof is a good start to a series about past revivals, to educate readers about the various revivals in American history. The story and main characters provide decent entertainment and general information about these revivals, though the particulars, including the theology presented, could be improved.

Storm: 1798 - 1800: Revival in Early America

Storm, third in the “Great Awakenings” series by the late Bill Bright and Jack Cavanaugh, takes place in Connecticut in 1800-1801. Featuring historical figure Dr. Dwight, president of Yale College in the early 19th century, this story centers around two college boys, Asa Rush and Eli Cooper. Yale College is fully immersed in the Age of Enlightenment, the anti-Christian, pro-French philosophic reasoning of the time. Asa Rush begins his freshman year as one of a handful of Christian students determined to bring Yale back to its Christian heritage. Eli Cooper, full of himself and swept up in the Enlightenment philosophy, picks on Asa the new freshman and quickly becomes Asa’a main enemy. Just to make Asa’s life more complicated, though, Dr. Dwight commissions Asa to evangelize and save Eli Cooper.

The one actual revival from this time period, the Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky, is introduced briefly, with appearances by Asa and Eli during school break. But most of the story takes place back at school, with an outstanding action-paced plot. Asa endures several incidents of freshman hazing, and romantic competition over high-society Annabelle Byrd. In typical Cavanaugh fashion, the characters end up in some very unlikely scenarios, with several surprising developments in the plot.

Throughout the action-packed story, the historical research also provides an exciting background, incorporating all facets of life at the time. We learn several examples of the rules for Yale freshmen, as well as many of the rules of dueling (which was then illegal) and how duels were supposed to play out. The Illuminati is referenced, and the general atmosphere shows the pro-French, pro-Jefferson and anti-Adams sentiments of the time, including the radical, dangerous factions of the American public. Storm includes the detail of guillotines shipped to America, and the strong desire some had to begin a new Revolution more in the style of the recent French Revolution. Throughout the story, we take comfort in knowing how history turned out while appreciating the characters’ uncertainty: would the Federalists leave peacefully? Would there be a peaceful transition of power from the Federalists to the Democrats? Such things had never happened before, after all.

Storm is an entertaining novel that highlights a crisis period in early American history. Even more, it shows a place not all that different from today, in which the Christian worldview clashes against the majority view, yet a few Christians make a difference by speaking out and praying for revival in the nation.

Farewell Rhilochan: The Scottish Highland Clearances

Farewell Rhilochan, by Verna MacLean, is a historical fiction novel about a group of Scottish Highlanders uprooted from their homes during the Highland Clearances of the early 19th century. Kathleen MacFarlane is a young, uneducated woman living with her father and dying mother in the northern Scotland village of Rhilochan in 1806. The village soon receives word that the Lord and Lady Stafford, who own their land, want them removed in a week – so they can raise larger sheep on their land. The Highlanders are forced off their land by military might and their homes are burnt. Like so many other Highlanders, the villagers are soon scattered, and sent to inhospitable land: rocky areas with poor soil, near the coast.
Kathleen suffers the hardships, and struggles with feelings of anger and vengeance against such great cruelty and injustice, as her family connections are severed. Her ailing mother dies during the journey to the rocky land, but the landlord is unwilling to delay their departure even for a burial, and then prohibits the family from returning to bury her at the family gravesite. Her brother-in-law Charles soon departs for the city to find work, while her father has nothing to live for in the new place – and they will all soon starve. The Highlanders also face unfriendly neighbors, and must face the unpleasant outside world: the truth of how others view them and their backward ways.
Farewell Rhilochan presents a compelling story, rich in well-defined characters and strong conflicts, generally from the outside world (including their minister, a clergy man more interested in helping the rich landlords and berating the people he is supposed to help) and especially the villainous Henderson, who oversees their forced move. We see how even those who have left the Highland clans to do service for the military are poorly treated, even forced to help clear their own people off their land.
The Highlanders’ lifestyle is always present, in the background yet included in various references throughout the story. A glossary at the book’s end defines several terms used, such as “burn” to describe a brook or stream. Each chapter begins with a short quote about the Highlanders and the clearance, and the quote’s source – a good way to show the author’s bibliography. Throughout the story we learn of the Highlanders’ illiteracy, their superstitions, “the Evil Eye,” their practice of keeping animals in their own homes, and even their rather raunchy wedding traditions. All these are mentioned from the Highlanders’ perspective, and not elaborated on. Still, I could relate at least some of the material to the novel Christy (Catherine Marshall), in which an outsider describes customs of the Highlanders 100 years later in East Tennessee. Farewell Rhilochan describes the historical situation that brought many of the Highlanders to the U.S., where later generations continued in the old ways. For Kathleen and her friends, however, it appears that the Highlanders and their way of life are being eradicated and scattered; some go to Nova Scotia, while some learn to adjust to life in Wick. Yet there is hope, for a new life, and Kathleen finds unexpected friendship and kindness even in the midst of tragedy.
Farewell Rhilochan is a well-written story, educational and interesting, with strong, likeable characters. Through this novel the reader can learn more about, and more fully appreciate, the story of the uprooted Highlanders and their plight.

Finding Anna: The Story Behind a Beloved Hymn

Many people have heard the tragic story behind the hymn “It is Well With My Soul.” Horatio Gates Spafford had suffered great business loss in the Chicago Fire of 1871, then opened up his home to help the needy after the fire, in his work with evangelist Dwight L. Moody. Two years later, in 1873, the family decided to take a vacation to Europe, and Horatio Gates sailed ahead of his wife and four daughters, to meet them there. The ocean liner carrying his wife and four young daughters sank in the middle of the Atlantic. His wife alone survived, and Gates soon learned from a telegram message: Saved alone. Shortly after this great loss, Spafford penned the words of the hymn, beginning with the words “When Peace Like a River attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll.”

Finding Anna, by Christine Schaub, is the first in a new series called “Music of the Heart.” Each story in this series is an expanded, fictionalized account of the characters behind a great hymn, beginning with the story of the Spafford family. Beginning with the fire in October 1871, the story starts with great suspense and horror as it describes the raging inferno. Gates is out amongst the crowd watching the fire at first, then is caught up in the panic and rush of people fleeing as the fire amazingly crosses the Chicago River. Strong winds push the fire closer and closer, and Gates narrowly escapes, after retrieving the most important business papers, yet realizing his great financial loss.

The fire and its aftermath are well incorporated into the story, and accounts of destruction, the homeless refugees, and the rebuilding effort seem especially relevant today, in the weeks after Hurricane Katrina, a similar –though on a much larger scale-- disaster.

Soon the emphasis changes to the domestic scene, and especially to Gates' wife, Anna. We are told that Gates is busy, working long, hard hours in the rebuilding effort. Yet we see little of him, and instead read of his wife Anna and the domestic issues with servants and children. Dwight L. Moody is introduced, with some good dialogue and interaction with other characters, including one lost young man; but it is his wife, Emma, that we see more of, along with Anna – complete with her gardening project, and her loneliness and depression. Clearly this story was written for women readers, with its seemingly undue emphasis on the wives rather than the important historical characters (D.L. Moody and Horatio Gates Spafford). From Anna's perspective, we see the family falling apart under the stress of constantly helping others in need. No doubt this version of the story greatly exaggerates what actually happened in the Spafford family, but it does move the story along to explain what actually did happen: that they decided to take a much-needed vacation in the fall of 1873.

I was troubled by the author’s stated disregard for historical accuracy and research. In the book’s forward -- after briefly mentioning that the story and the actual facts uncovered in her research turned out not to agree -- the author glibly quotes her editor’s remark that if the story is good, the reader won’t care if it’s true or not. Then the author simply says that she won’t tell which parts are and are not true, that it’s up to the reader to guess! Certainly the story is always important, to any book, whether historical, futuristic or contemporary. However, the historical fiction genre is especially characterized by good research, and a successful blending of entertainment with education, by which the reader learns something about the historical events. Even within the sub-genre of evangelical Christian historical fiction, most authors show more serious attention to the history, often with notes at the end elaborating on which story aspects and characters are historical.

To its credit, Finding Anna does include the words and music of the hymn “It is Well With My Soul,” and brief notes about what happened to Horatio and Anna in their later years. Many readers of the audience, primarily adult women, will no doubt enjoy the book for its emotional, woman-focused emphasis. However, such callous disregard for the historical part of a historical fiction book will not sit well with serious historical fiction readers. If the author wants to just write a good story (and who cares if the history part is accurate or not), she (and her editor) should stick with contemporary fiction.

Garfield's Train: Personal Presidential History

Garfield’s Train, by Feather Schwartz Foster, brings an entertaining story, rooted in the author’s expertise --U.S. Presidents. About President Garfield (1881), who was assassinated during the summer of his first term, the story is told in an interesting, informal manner, as a story-within-a-story.

Katharine Louise (“Kate”) is a modern-day 79-year-old woman, relating the story of a train trip with her maternal grandmother (Louise Dunbar) when she was 23 in 1947. She accompanies her grandmother to see a dying friend, Mollie Brown. During the trip to California, and again on the return trip, Gran tells the story of her own upbringing and relationship with her friend Mollie Brown during the late 1870s and early 1880s in New Jersey. The Dunbar family live year-round in Long Branch, New Jersey, a summer vacation home to the many famous and wealthy, including the Garfield family. As Gran relates, Long Branch was the "Gilded Strand" of the Gilded Age.

We soon learn that Mollie Brown’s maiden name was Garfield, and that she was the daughter of President Garfield. From this point, the story becomes even more exciting. Through the double first-person narrative, we get to know the various members of the Dunbar family and some details about the Garfield family. An early section of the book, in which Gran names off all the various relatives in the Dunbar family tree, is confusing and overwhelming—a visual family tree diagram would help. After a while, though, it becomes clear that only a few of the many named characters are relevant to the story; the reader can focus on that part rather than try to keep up with the larger Dunbar family

As with Foster’s previous book, First Ladies, this book includes excellent research and attention to historical details, including the political power structure of the day. Other famous characters have a part, including former President Grant and even Susan B. Anthony. Some narrative parts, where Louise tells what she was aware of at age 13, seem rather unrealistic for the average girl of that age to recall – especially after “Gran’s” self-admission that she really had not been that knowledgeable of politics (and Kate notes the contradiction, too!). Yet the author also skillfully inserts “notes” sections with additional material at various places: material that Kate gathered, either in 1947 or more recently.

Garfield’s Train is another entertaining and educational historical novel from Feather Schwartz Foster. The historical material is presented in a fun way, nothing like a dry history textbook, in a rather short novel (226 pages) that can be read quickly -or not so quickly-- and enjoyed by all. The historical insights and trivia bring the period alive--in all its glamour as well as political dirt-- to remind us also how little some things have changed.

The Heart of Thornton Creek: 19th Century Australia

The Heart of Thornton Creek, by Bonnie Leon, begins a new series “The Queensland Chronicles.” Set in 1871, The Heart of Thornton Creek introduces 22-year-old Rebecca Williams, a proud and independent young woman living in Boston. She soon meets Daniel Thornton, an Australian visiting Boston to take care of some legal matters.

Forced by economic circumstances to marry Daniel, whom she likes but does not love, Rebecca travels with Daniel to his home in Queensland, Australia. Throughout the rest of the novel, Rebecca adjusts to a very different life in the desert lands of Australia, a world that is socially and technologically behind the times -- from her perspective. Yet the greater conflicts come not from the place and time, but from family relationships, including a dominant, overbearing father-in-law.

The story is primarily told from Rebecca’s perspective, with only occasional glimpses at Daniel’s thoughts. Accordingly, Rebecca is a well-defined character, strong and willful, and we experience Australia through her views: the beauty of some parts of Australia (and the barrenness of the Thornton property); her desire to help the black (aborigine) servants; her uncertainties as well as her rebellious attitude and behavior.

Unfortunately, the other characters are less developed, and some are unlikable. Her husband, Daniel, is weak-willed, firmly under his father’s control, a young man who has forgotten the biblical command to first “leave his father and mother” when he cleaves to his wife. Even when Rebecca pleads with him, even to consider their living in a separate house on the same property, Daniel refuses.

The father-in-law, Bertram, is well spoken of by all other family members as well as others in the community, with several even telling us the specific good things Bertram did for them. Yet we never see any demonstrations of that inner goodness so attested to. He instead is shown, through numerous scenes, to be harsh and unyielding, completely dominant over everyone else’s lives. A man who is truly good, underneath a “rough exterior,” would have those qualities somehow revealed during the story. Instead, even Bertram Thornton’s stated beliefs – in God’s sovereign election (a brief reference to Calvinist theology) – are twisted, to show a character that objects even to Rebecca’s teaching the aborigines how to read, and who furthermore says that the blacks are not in God’s plan of salvation.

That Daniel and Rebecca’s marriage declines from bad to worse is no surprise. Daniel never changes, and neither does Rebecca. It would be nice to see some character growth and development, such as Daniel growing to trust his wife and assert himself rather than remain a coward. Rebecca, too, makes choices -- in how she finally deals with Daniel -- that appear inconsistent and for no good reason, since Daniel clearly has not changed any. (Contrast the moral choices here with, say, the characters in Lawana Blackwell’s “Tales of London.”) Without such growth and maturity from either character, the book leaves us feeling that their relationship is still doomed, that nothing will change in the future.

Perhaps the next book in this series will introduce some growth and change, especially after the death of the dominant father-in-law. This series’ setting, too, is unusual, with a good glimpse of life in rural Australia, a setting not often seen in contemporary Christian historical fiction.

A Fragile Design: The Mill Girls of New England

A Fragile Design, by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller, continues the story of the "Mill Girls" of early 19^th century New England. The first story, Daughter of the Loom, took place in 1828 in Lowell, Massachusetts, site of several early textile mills. The second story takes place a few years later, in 1831, with Arabella Newberry as the new main character.

Arabella and her friend Daughtie flee their commune life with the Shakers in Canterbury, and soon arrive in Lowell and find work as "mill girls." Through Arabella’s life we learn much about the Shakers cult: a feminist belief system based on a religious notion (a God-head that has both father and mother); the repudiation of marriage and normal family roles – everyone is equal to each other, all brothers and sisters. The Shakers also practiced "dancing in the spirit," and took in charity cases such as abandoned, orphan children.

As with many of today’s historical novels, the main female character is decidedly feminist, and zealous for women’s equal rights (in this case, especially education and access to a library) – a notion seemingly befitting more modern times than women of the 1830s. Yet the Shaker background fits and explains Arabella’s more socially radical ideas better than many others of this genre. Arabella and John Farnsworth’s antagonistic nephew Taylor Manning provide most of the relational turmoil of this novel – though Taylor seems much less likeable than Matthew Cheever. Still, Arabella and Taylor’s differences (in worldviews) combined with their independent, fighting natures, provide great conflict and interest. Like many real-life young people, the two attracted characters fight like "cats and dogs" at times, but later realize their true feelings.

A Fragile Design has less commentary on the actual working conditions, with more focus on life in the community as a whole. Indeed, sometimes during the reading it seemed that the characters had plenty of free time on their hands. Certainly many of the characters – all except Arabella and Daughtie, and the other boarding girls (who are really in the background, minor characters) – don’t even work in the mills. The many subplots involving these other characters – including a new Irish stonemason, Liam Donohue, hired to build a new Catholic church – keep the overall story going.

Historical characters include Kirk Boott, again in interactions with Matthew Cheever and the community, though to a lesser extent than the first novel. Another minor, but historical, character is Reverend Edson, Boott’s appointed minister for the St. Anne’s Episcopal Church – another true part of this historical fiction story.

A Fragile Design stands mostly on its own, as a story that could be read without knowledge of its predecessor. Many of the characters, though, are familiar from the previous novel. Addie is still running the boardinghouse, still involved with John Farnsworth. Matthew and Lilly Cheever, the main characters from the first novel, are also prominent in the town – and now expecting their first child. The old villain William Thurston is back, to stir up new trouble in the Irish "Acre."

A Fragile Design successfully develops a new plot, and many subplots, yet manages to wrap all the loose ends from this and the previous book, for an exciting and page-turning story, with great mystery and suspense building towards the conclusion. So far, the "Bells of Lowell" series is a good read, with exciting stories amidst this turbulent historical era, pre-Civil War New England, and the many changes brought on by the industrial revolution. A third novel in the series, These Tangled Threads, has since been released, with more emphasis on Arabella’s friend Daughtie.

Daughter of the Loom: New England in the Industrial Age

Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller’s new series, Bells of Lowell, begins with Daughter of the Loom, set in 1828 Massachusetts. Lilly Armbruster has lived in East Chesholm, which has recently been renamed Lowell and turned into a textile factory town. She misses the countryside, and blames the mills for taking away her father and all she once had. Left with nothing, Lilly takes a job working at the mill and shares a small boardinghouse room with 8 other girls. Yet in her heart, Lilly purposes to sabotage the mills, carrying out God’s vengeance to remove the industrialists.

Having recently visited the northeast and the early historic mills (Slater Mill, in Northern Rhode Island), I enjoyed the regional and historic background of this novel, with its regional references to Pawtucket and the rivers that powered the region (southern Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island) into the Industrial Age. Daughter of the Loom takes place some years after the first mill was established in 1790; the technology has been developed and now is expanding into areas such as Lowell. Kirk Boott, who started up the mill in this story, appears as one of the minor characters, and we experience this historical figure as seen by Lilly’s old beau, Matthew Cheever.

Daughter of the Loom mentions, at least superficially, some of the problems of the time—cheap labor from foreigners (such as the Irish), long working hours, the heat and humidity of mills that were kept closed with no windows opened, child labor, and sexual harassment of the young women. The descriptions are relatively mild, though, and lack great details of what that life must have been like. Yet we do see both sides; in spite of worker exploitation and literal sweatshops, many among the common people eagerly embraced change and the new economic opportunities the mills brought. Women could find work to help their poor families, and the paycheck seemed more reliable than uncertain farm crops. The town also provided greater social interaction, including annual dance balls eagerly anticipated by the mill girls.

The story moves slowly at times, and the minor characters are not well developed. Much of the time, Lilly is embittered and cynical, not always the easiest person to like. Yet perhaps because of these qualities, the story is more believable, with characters behaving within the constraints of 1828 – in contrast to some of Peterson’s previous series with great page-turning action and events that really would not have happened. Daughter of the Loom serves well as a stand-alone novel, with most of the plot threads resolved by the book’s end. The book is also a great introduction for the future installments, each of which focuses on different main characters -- not yet introduced at this time – and their experiences in the New England Industrial Revolution.

Review: The Patriote Proposition

Reviewed by Elizabeth Batt
Thomas Thorpe's, "The Patriote Proposition" is a delightful and historically rich novel centered on 1833 Canada. This work of fiction cleverly combines history, adventure and political intrigue while creating a fast-paced tale thick with plots and counterplots.

Elizabeth Darmon and her family travel to Canada from England, to visit sister Victoria and her husband Richard Hudson. What should have been a happy and pleasurable family reunion and vacation instead turns out to be the ultimate nightmare. When her family leaves for an outing and only an empty carriage returns, Elizabeth is suddenly stranded in a strange country trying to find answers for her family's disappearance.

This book centers on the fight for Canadian independence from the British and the radicals that seek this freedom. Obvious then, is the immediate disadvantage that Elizabeth finds herself facing. Practically single-handed, Elizabeth has to determine what became of her family while facing adversity at every angle - culturally, politically and geographically.

Thorpe's book flows along beautifully and constantly leaves us pondering just who can and cannot be trusted. You can try and connect the dots as you weave your way through the plots and counterplots, but still the author achieves an element of surprise, not easily accomplished in the author's world.

Aside from the adventure and the non-stop action, the historical aspect of the book is wonderful. Not only does it illustrate an area of Canadian history seldom revealed, it nurtures your knowledge so cleverly that you don't realize that you're gaining a history lesson.

Lovers of history and for those seeking a delightful conspiratorial adventure should appreciate this book. Venture into an era that is often overlooked in the history market - you'll be pleased you did.

Book and Reviewer Information:

The Patriote Proposition
by Thomas Thorpe
Port Town Publishing
ISBN: 0-9716239-7-X

Review by Elizabeth Batt
Founding History & Politics Dean - Suite University
http://www.kidsbritishhistory.com

Divine Compass: A Review

Reviewed by Phyllis Andolsek
Interlacing of individual lives in day to day life often appear to be random and without special purpose until those lives are viewed in retrospect. Several collections of personal letters and journals (circa 1860-1910) revealed that premise to inspire this historical novel, Divine Compass by Irene Bonk Koch.

In this condensed saga, the characters are neither good nor bad but merely human as they negotiate their circumstances within the limits of inherent strengths and frailties. This tale deals with bargained marriage, spinster independence, divorce, deception and thievery in a fictionalized account of real persons interacting by chance or by choice. During the aftermath of the American Civil War, many persons were lured to the western territories in search of independence and prosperity. A diverse mix of people crossed paths to form connections that ultimately affected their lives.

The story explores family influence, personal ambition, luck and disillusionment with magnificent accuracy of the era's language and attitudes. Although times and mores change, each generation reveals similar needs and motivations in the inevitable compromise of each life. The final outcome is an understanding that attempts to balance gratitude and regret. A good read, the tale moves swiftly without sacrifice of description or character detail in a manner that vividly reveals the subtle motivations and personalities engaged in particular circumstances. The reader is left with an understanding of the characters as real persons and empathy for their struggles. Most profound is the author's ability to accurately portray male and female attitudes and behavior in keeping with their time while confirming that times change but the inner workings of humans remain much the same from generation to generation

Phyllis Andolsek can be reached at: ikewrite@adelphia.net

Leaving Ireland: Irish Immigrants in America

Ann Moore’s novel Leaving Ireland begins where its prequel, Gracelin O’Malley, ended. It is a time of good-byes and new beginnings for Grace, who is now compelled to leave Ireland and join her brother Sean in America. Now widowed, and wanted by the authorities for shooting a British soldier, she must leave her newborn son behind; only Mary Kate, her young daughter, accompanies her on the voyage to a new home.

As with Gracelin O’Malley, this second book includes great historical detail, of life for poor immigrants in America as well as the continuing struggle back in Ireland during the late 1840s. Leaving Ireland also includes a look at other American phenomena of the time: slavery (and its runaway slaves), and the early days of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons). New characters introduced include a young Irish boy, Liam Kelley, and Captain Peter Reinders. With its multiple-focus on different issues, Leaving Ireland is less dark in its tone. After all, even the worst situations in America are better than in Ireland. Still, the author does not hide the problems of 19th century America, including the horrid living conditions in the New York City slums and the social class structure with its all too evident prejudice against the Irish. 1840s New York is also a world rife with government corruption and unscrupulous hucksters out for a quick buck.

Though written as a stand-alone novel, Leaving Ireland is clearly a sequel, the continuing life of Grace and her loved ones. The story continues the characters and subplots from Ireland, as we see more of Abban, Barbara, and Julia Martin—the few surviving friends still in Ireland. As a transition in Grace’s life, much of the book details the voyage over, and the characters represent the typical Irish experience. At first they identify themselves as Irish, and remain deeply involved in America’s assistance to their homeland. Later on, Sean and Grace discover what it means to really be American, to identify with the new country. Thus Leaving Ireland conveys the heart of these brave and desperate immigrants, how they made that necessary shift to a new life.

One curious (and slightly annoying, to me at least) change in Leaving Ireland concerns the characters’ age progression. From the chronology in Gracelin O’Malley it is clear that by the fall of 1847 Grace is only 18 years old, and her daughter Mary Kate still two years old. Yet this book begins with Grace inexplicably older, age 20; and Mary Kate is suddenly three years old, almost four. Still, this is a minor inconsistency in an otherwise enjoyable historical fiction tale.

Like Gracelin O’Malley, this book includes a question-answer "conversation" with the author, and discussion questions for groups. Also like the first book, Leaving Ireland has a cliffhanging, suspenseful ending, to leave the reader eagerly looking forward to the next book—and the author’s notes at the end indicate that at least one more book is forthcoming.

Gracelin O'Malley: An Ireland Story

Ann Moore’s novel, Gracelin O’Malley, begins a heartwarming, inspiring story about a young Irish woman during the 1840s. At age 15, Gracelin agrees to marry the local English Squire to help her family pay the rent. Through the next few years, Gracelin experiences both her husband’s increasing cruelty, and the country’s suffering during the potato famine. She lives with the rejection of higher-society English, and longs for visits with her family, including crippled brother Sean and her grandmother. Through the years she matures, no longer the simple and naïve maiden, yet strong in courage and a hope that goes beyond her circumstances.

The supporting characters are also engaging: embittered Da, who distrusts the Catholic Church; her loving grandmother who took the place of her mother after she died. We see other Irish families, such as the McDonaghs, Catholic peasants headed by a weak-willed father who often deserts the family. Brigid Sullivan is servant to the Squire and Grace, and we meet her children—teenage Moira, and young Nolan. Lord Evans also enters the picture, as an Englishman who helps the Irish.

A good historical novel should also convey history to the reader, and Gracelin O’Malley excels here as well. Most of the story takes place from 1844 to 1847, and several characters become involved in the political unrest, in the Young Irelanders. The setting is a near contemporary with the Thoene’s "Galway Chronicles," (see reviews of Only the River Runs Free and Of Men and Of Angels) and makes reference to Daniel O’Connell, the Repeal Movement and the Monster meetings of 1844—events detailed in that series. But now O’Connell is dead, and famine quickly decimates the Irish. Other historical figures referenced here include John Mitchel (of the inflammatory, anti-British publication The Nation) and William Smith O’Brien, a minor character involved with the fictional Morgan McDonagh and Sean O’Malley.

Yet beyond the politics of the day were the real Irish people, the heart and soul of Ireland. Gracelin O’Malley so captures that spirit, with a detailed, honest look at the hardships of the Irish. The picture is not always pretty, often including graphic descriptions of starving, malnourished bodies, and the horrid smells of disease and poor sanitation both in the city and country.

An interesting plot and strong characters bring a powerful story in Gracelin O’Malley. The author avoids black-and-white stereotypes of characters, showing both good and bad English, as well as good and bad Irish. One Englishman is proud and cruel, yet another, a young soldier, is challenged by Gracelin’s spirited words about her homeland. Ann Moore has written an excellent tribute to Ireland and its people with this book, a great start to a still-developing series. (Leaving Ireland is the sequel, and the author suggests that at least a third book is in the works.)

The Unionist: Book Review

Reviewed by Mark H. Kelly
This article first appeared in the Morgan County Citizen, October 31, 2002

Every historical event has an inside angle or issue that isn’t recognized for its impact on individuals or communities. When the subject of the American Civil War is introduced into discussion, most people focus on the major battles and historical figures.

Perry, Georgia attorney W. Steven Harrell has reached into our nation’s and state’s past with the non-fiction work The Unionist, implementing pain-staking research to resurrect the life and Civil War adventures of Lt. David R. Snelling.

The literary angle readers will immediately be captured by the Milledgeville native’s decision to break against the tide of Southern History and emotions, joining the First Alabama Union Cavalry Regiment.

More than a retelling of battles and actions of historical figures, The Unionist provides readers with an accurate description of plantation life in Milledgeville in the days leading up to the conflict, along with the backroom legislative activities of fire-eaters Robert Toombs, Alexander Stephens and many others.

However, where the book excels is on the home and battles fronts. Snelling’s decisions (as one can imagine) cost him dearly on personal and professional levels, profoundly presenting issues of the era to light.

Once the war begins for Lt. Snelling, Harrell’s skills as a writer jump into the saddle at full gallop with depiction of troop movements and battle capturing readers’ attention. Indeed, smoke often wafts from the pages and bullets zing through the air as soldiers from both sides fall and move from tree to boulder to streambed in search of cover.

There are equally compelling stories of soldier camaraderie, interaction with citizens and the forming of bonds lasting Snelling’s lifetime. Snelling’s adventure takes him to Stones River, Abel Streight’s Raid, Dallas, Monroe’s Cross Roads and Atlanta to Durham Station during Sherman’s March to the Sea.

Civil War and history buffs will find the work engaging and can proudly place it in their collection.

Catherine's Heart: A Victorian Romance

Lawana Blackwell continues her historical fiction "Tales of London" series with Catherine's Heart, the follow-up to the tender and sweet Maiden of Mayfair story. It is now 1880, and Sarah and William, and Naomi and Daniel (Sarah's father), live quite comfortably, even enjoying the very newest technology of the day -- telephones.

The story now focuses on Sarah's cousin, Catherine -- only briefly mentioned in the previous book -- and her years at a women's college. In contrast to Sarah, Catherine has lived a life of ease, sheltered by good parents, education and travels abroad to India. Like Sarah, Catherine sometimes lacks good judgment, especially as regards the intentions of would-be suitors -- a quality developed more intensely than in Sarah's case, which was a rather small plot development in The Maiden of Mayfair. Catherine's girlfriends at school add to a story of the idyllic 1880s college life -- yet a realistic world with its own jealousies and conflicts between close friends.

Back from the first book, and more fully developed, is William's nemesis, Sidney. Rounding out the cast is a rather unpleasant family with over-indulged children, for a full look at a less-than-perfect Victorian world. As with the first book, some notable characters are lacking in good morals and virtue.

The historical context involves the early days of Girton College, an actual women's college opened in 1873 in Cambridge. (The school is still in operation, though as a co-ed school since the late 1970s.) Neighboring Newnham was another women's college in the area, as mentioned in the story. The characters in Catherine's Heart convey, too, the spirit of the school at this time -- its emphasis on a classical education, with additional offerings in science fields, and chaperoned visits to Cambridge a few miles away -- where the women would likely encounter the male college students.

The plot in Catherine's Heart lacks the moving, emotionally-stirring story of an orphan restored to higher English society. Still, the story serves a nice addition to a series about life in Victorian times, with the strength of characters we have come to love from the first book.

The Crown and the Crucible: Czarist Russia

After reading Judith Pella's recent Written on the Wind, I was curious to read more of the author's work, especially about Russia -- a prominent feature in this new "Daughters of Fortune" series. "The Russians" is a seven-volume series featuring Pella's earlier writings about of Russia. Written by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella, this series begins with The Crown and the Crucible, in 1870s St. Petersburg. Through two teenage girls, one of nobility and one peasant, the authors explore the world of Czarist Russia.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Yevnovna, peasant from a small village, must leave her home to work in the city. She soon finds herself hired as personal maid to the spoiled 15-year-old Katrina Fedorcenko. Yet through their experiences together, both girls grow to maturity and greater understanding of the world around them.

Russia under the Czars is an uncertain place, amidst changing times. The current Czar, Alexander II, is portrayed as weak and indecisive -- the latest of the rich heritage of the Romanov dynasty and its greater past rulers. Yet, we learn, even in pre-Socialist Russia people had to guard their words, lest they offend the Czar; and censorship of the press did not originate with the later Soviet Union. Tragic political events of the late 1870s, though, would pave the way for events of the next 40 years, culminating in the Russian Revolution. Thus, we see a glimpse of the nation's underlying problems. Through an interesting story about Anna and Katrina and their families, the authors introduce a wealth of information about Russia's history, culture, and politics. An introductory section (about 30 pages) tells Russia's history back to its beginnings, and maps show the Russian Empire of this time.

Yet it is the people themselves, and a strong story, that conveys the sense of Russia far more than a dry history text could. We meet Anna's humble, Christian father, of the old peasant world -- in contrast to Anna's younger brother Paul, angry, discontent, and anxious to change the world, meeting with other pre-revolutionaries. Among the nobility we see the spoiled, self-centered Katrina who takes her sheltered life for granted, contrasted with her poetic, sensitive older brother Sergei. Yet even the wealthy have their hardships; due to recent reforms, including the serfs' (peasants) liberation from slavery, sons of nobility must fight Russia's wars alongside lower classes of men. Their fathers, though close associates of the Czar, live in fear of the Czar's temper and moodiness, never sure of where they stand or of who might politically back-stab them.

The Crown and the Crucible is an excellent beginning to a 7-part saga about the people of Russia in an uncertain, tumultuous period of history, with great historical background and interesting characters.

The Maiden of Mayfair: An Orphan's Story in Victorian England

Lawana Blackwell’s novel, The Maiden of Mayfair (first in the Tales of London series), tells a heartwarming story about a young girl living in an orphanage in the slums of London in 1870. Thirteen-year-old Sarah Matthews is suddenly sent away to live with a wealthy elderly woman in the Mayfair district.

Mrs. Blake is hardly the Daddy Warbucks type, and Sarah a far cry from Orphan Annie. Sarah is a rather shy girl, quite content to live in the St. Matthews’ Methodist Home – the only home she has ever known – and can’t understand why she has been sent away. Other girls she knows would much more enjoy living in a real home. However, Mrs. Blake wishes to make amends for past mistakes, and believes Sarah to be her granddaughter. Only problem is, the real grandchild died in infancy, so the Orphanage director provides Sarah as a substitute.

Both Mrs. Blake and Sarah face of scorn – of Sarah’s presumed illegitimacy – from Mrs. Blake’s friends. Sarah has much to lose as well, if her true identity is discovered. Through the years Sarah comes to enjoy a wonderful life, including friendship with Mrs. Blake’s household servants, including Naomi, the cook and a close confidant of Dorothea Blake.

The historical setting includes a favorable view of household servants and their day-to-day lives and relationships. Many of the characters enjoy reading Charles Dickens’ novels, and mourn the passing of the great author that summer of 1870. Through one of the characters we also learn of the many ways in which businesses preyed on consumers: bad food, ordinary liquids touted as miracle cures, and so on. Naomi, her nephew William, and Sarah also tour the cultural sites of 1870s London.

Throughout the story is a theme of compassion, forgiveness, and the joy that comes from loving and helping another. Mrs. Blake especially conveys the hope of one, once miserable over past failures, who finds this truth working its way in her life. The Maiden of Mayfair is a truly touching story, conveying compassion along with interesting characters. Though the first in the series, it reads and concludes as a single book with no loose ends. After a great first book, though, Lawana Blackwell fans can eagerly look forward to the next book, Catherine's Heart, scheduled for publication this fall (2002).

Trailblazer Books: Great Historical Fiction for Children

The Trailblazer Series introduces young readers (ages 8 to 12) to many interesting historical figures, through stories in which children of the past interact with Christian heroes. Over thirty books by Dave & Neta Jackson bring the past to life, telling of well-known people such as Martin Luther and John Bunyan, along with "forgotten" heroes, missionaries and preachers who ministered to orphans. Two recent Trailblazer books, Roundup of the Street Rovers and Sinking the Dayspring, tell of mid-nineteenth century children involved with historical figures largely forgotten today.

Roundup of the Street Rovers features inner-city children, the street kids of New York City in 1854. Rev. Charles Loring Brace here began his work with the "Orphan Trains," a program in which thousands of homeless city children were placed in farm families in the Midwest, resulting in many productive, successful lives. Thirteen-year-old Kip O'Reilly is a likeable boy who makes his living by selling newspapers on street corners -- and occasional theft -- to help him and his younger friends get by. Lauren and Lena, ages ten and eight, have wealthy parents who have abandoned them. The Conner children come from a poor family, but soon find themselves orphaned when their mother dies and a stepfather abandons them. These and other children soon come under the care of the Children's Aid Society, which offers a hot meal, bed, and bath for ten cents a day, and helps the children find work to cover these basic costs. The Society also provides 'night school' classes, the only way that impoverished 19th century children could get an education, and job training workshops. Yet Reverend Brace felt that what these children needed most was a family; and as the story relates, an opportunity finally opens up to send the children to farm families in Michigan.

The hardships of street life are related in a light manner, as appropriate for children's literature, with entertaining dialogue and friendship among the children, while still relating the child's desire for a family, acceptance and love. The children's roles are realistic, too, unlike many of today's juvenile historical fiction stories that have children joining up with pirates and saving the world. Instead, children face real-life problems that they can solve, along with a moral lesson. Kip carves a wooden animal to cheer up a younger child; later he applies his knowledge of leather shoe-making, from Brace's workshop, to build something to help out an injured adult. Along the way Kip also faces the consequences of stealing, when he is caught and spends some time in jail. With Reverend Brace's help, Kip learns to tell the truth, quit stealing, and make amends for past theft.

Sinking the Dayspring tells of Christian missionaries in the South Sea Islands in the 1860s and 1870s. Scottish missionary John Paton raised money, through "stocks" of ownership, to build a missionary ship which would travel amongst the islands bringing needed supplies to the missionaries in the region. Australian Kevin Gilmore, thirteen, remembers the shares his mother purchased two years ago, and hopes to redeem them for money, to help his dying mother. He works on the docks, and when his mother dies finds himself living there. Imagine Kevin's excitement when he sees the Dayspring, which he is part owner, arrive at the dock. Kevin soon finds a job on the ship, though he fears the water and doesn't know how to swim. He meets adventure on board ship as well as on the islands, where he meets cannibalistic natives. Much like the situation with primitive tribes today, the natives of the South Sea Islands (then known as the New Hebrides) believe in the dark powers of witchcraft and demons. The real question is one of power, which God is more powerful.

Through these two books, the latest in the Trailblazers series, children learn history through well-written historical fiction stories. Notes at the beginning and end of each book give further information about the true story and the featured Christian hero, including a list of books "for further reading." Adults too can appreciate these books for a light, enjoyable read, plus a great way to introduce their children to historical fiction.

Additional sources:

Trailblazer books web site


A few "for further reading" items mentioned in the above books:

About Charles Brace and the Orphan Trains:

• Brace, Charles Loring. The Dangerous Classes of New York and Twenty Years' Work Among Them. Montclair, New Jersey: Patterson Smith, 1967 (reprint).
• Fry, Annette R. The Orphan Trains. New York: New Discovery Books, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1994.

About John Paton, from Sinking the Dayspring:

• Bell, Ralph. John G. Paton. Butler, Indiana: Higley Press, 1957
• Unseth, Benjamin. John Paton. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1996.

The Dark Sun Rises: Slavery and Education in the Antebellum South

Denise Williamson's historical novel, The Dark Sun Rises, takes on the dark period of American history, of slavery in the South. Set in Charleston, South Carolina in the 1830s, this first book in the "Roots of Faith" series chronicles the story of a young African slave, Joseph. The favored manservant of plantation owner Abram Callcott, Joseph has secretly learned how to read, something forbidden for slaves. When Abram's son Brant discovers the secret, he tries to silence Joseph, and nearly kills him.

Abram Callcott practices his Christian faith through benevolent slave management. A member of "The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel to Africans," he practices daily prayer and devotions with his slaves, and has converted and trained some Africans to minister to their fellow bondsmen. Yet when Abram learns that Joseph can read, he is challenged to consider how capable Africans really are. He soon takes on the challenge, sending Joseph to school for a year. Through Joseph's experiences at the plantation as well as in Charleston, Abram's eyes are opened even more to understand and recognize Joseph as more than a "boy" house servant.

Contrasted with the benevolent plantation owner, the neighboring Rensler family evokes the stereotypical white, racist, southern slave owners. Teddy Rensler, head of the Parish Patrol (the rural "police" for slaves), shows only excessive cruelty to blacks, who he regards as on the same level as animals. His cruelty goes beyond the imaginable, to include raping a mulatto (mixed-race) woman and plotting murder (to look like suicide) against a Negro man.

Nathan Gilman and his daughter Felicia, visiting from Boston, portray northern Christians, ever concerned for the plight of the slaves and insisting that they be treated as decent human beings. Curiously, it is a southern man--Colonel Rensler, Teddy's uncle--that views religion as man-centered and helpful for the less-enlightened. Yet during this historical period it was in fact the Northerners that embraced new religious ideas, such as Unitarianism, while Southerners, less influenced by commerce and immigrants, retained traditional beliefs.

Yet the story is primarily Joseph's, as he endures great hardship and persecution. Throughout the events of about a year and a half, Joseph yearns for education, and, inevitably, freedom. In Charleston he studies under the historical figure of Daniel Alexander Payne, a free colored man who taught other Africans at his school in Charleston. As the white population understands (and fears), education brings a greater desire for freedom; accordingly Charleston passes laws banning all schools for colored people. The Dark Sun Rises also tells of the many laws restricting Negroes. They must wear a numbered badge and be registered with the city clerk, who requires a complete description of a slave's physical characteristics, even any branding marks. Colored people must obey a strict curfew, and can be detained and arrested for seemingly any cause, as can those helping them escape. Abolitionists caught by the authorities are tarred and feathered.

Through Joseph we see the plight of Charleston slaves, and the abolitionists who help them escape. Since Charleston is a seaport, slaves use the shipping system, rather than the infamous "Underground Railroad," to effect their escape north. At least some of the northern ships, which come down for economic reasons, have captains sympathetic to the slaves' cause. Literacy again plays a role in the cause of freedom. As the slave Luck explains to Joseph, if they know how to read and recognize a ship's name, and read the printed ship schedules, they can find the ship captains who will help them escape.

Abram's son Brant, of the younger generation coming into his plantation inheritance, encounters the many obstacles against the benevolent slave owners. At first easily swayed by Rensler's ideas, he seems inept and unsure of himself. Brant matures during the story, from the wavering boy who cannot wholly agree with either his father or Teddy Rensler, to a competent plantation owner fully convinced of his duties as a benevolent slave master caring for his workers. Along the way he deals with his dislike of slaves, considering other possible occupations to which he might be better suited. Through Brant the author explores the economic and social realities of the time. White southerners without land are dependent on wages from an outside employer, subject to the uncertainties of the economy and at the mercy of another. Land seems a much more secure way to make a living. Brant also observes that Northern employers exploit their poor workers, paying them subsistence wages yet not providing any of their housing, food, clothing or other basic needs, in contrast to the slave system.

The novel's historical situation especially follows the actual events in Charleston from 1834 to 1835, when indeed the Charleston legislature passed a new law to ban the education of slaves. Daniel Payne (1811-1893), who later became a bishop to the African Methodist Episcopal Church, founder/president of Wilberforce University, and the first black president of an American college, was forced to close his school.

In this brilliant work of fiction, Denise Williamson brings a heartwarming story about ordinary people, with great attention to the many slaves of the Calcott's Delora Plantation and the slaves of the nearby Rensler plantation. Joseph, Rosa, and so many other characters go through many hardships, yet find faith in God. The Dark Sun Rises shows the great struggle for freedom and education, as well as the struggles of Christian, benevolent Plantation owners against the hatred of a society that would harm even their Negro charges.