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ncamp214's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
You do not need to read the other two novels in order to understand and be enraptured by this novel. Historical fiction set during the Civil War is not usually my cup of tea, but the stories of Jema and Georgy quickly pulled me in. I wanted to know more about both of these head-strong and fearless women who lead entirely different lives until a random occurrence brought them together. I do wish the novel had touched slightly more on the politics of the era, but since it is based on the story of the actual Woosley family and their letters I understand why it didn't. I enjoyed getting a look into what a Southern plantation owner, particularly a women, would have been like at the time. Anne-May was a brutal version of a slave owner, and the more her story went the more I hoped she got what she deserved. I don't think she did in the end, as being alive is more than she deserved. I started this as an audiobook, and enjoyed the different narrators for the different characters. I ended up finishing with the physical book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, War, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Sexual harassment
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Having read both Lilac Girls and Lost Roses, and having had the chance to visit the Ferriday-Bellamy House in Connecticut, I was excited to read the next installment in this family’s history. However, though I did like this story overall, it’s my least favorite of the three. It took me almost a month to read this book because I found the beginning chapters boring and the story didn’t really pick up for me until over halfway through the book. There were too many time jumps and a lot of characters—I had trouble remembering who was who. The book is told from three perspectives, and for most of it, it felt like we were just getting snippets of those characters’ lives rather than the full story.
I enjoyed Jemma’s chapters the most. Georgy was hard to connect to and I didn’t understand her relationship with Frank at all—she would hate him in one chapter and love him in the next and I found it just annoying. Anne-May was a terrible person but I found a lot of her actions to be nonsensical. Even in the pursuit of her own selfish goals, they just didn’t make sense to me.
I will say you can tell this book was heavily researched and I appreciated the little touches of setting and historical events that impacted our characters’ lives. I enjoyed reading the author’s note at the end—it definitely adds more to the story.
I am sad to have the Ferriday family story come to a slightly disappointing end to me. I think I still liked this book and will probably buy it to complete my Lilac Girls series. But I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC.
I enjoyed Jemma’s chapters the most. Georgy was hard to connect to and I didn’t understand her relationship with Frank at all—she would hate him in one chapter and love him in the next and I found it just annoying. Anne-May was a terrible person but I found a lot of her actions to be nonsensical. Even in the pursuit of her own selfish goals, they just didn’t make sense to me.
I will say you can tell this book was heavily researched and I appreciated the little touches of setting and historical events that impacted our characters’ lives. I enjoyed reading the author’s note at the end—it definitely adds more to the story.
I am sad to have the Ferriday family story come to a slightly disappointing end to me. I think I still liked this book and will probably buy it to complete my Lilac Girls series. But I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, and Sexism
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