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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
I had high hopes for this book as the story of Pocahontas and the Jamestown Colony seems like an interesting one, and I loved, loved, loved the author's book (by a different pen name) called "The Ragged Edge of Night." The author says in the afterward that she wrote this book in like three or four months and I found myself thinking, "so that explains it." It is well researched and authentic, I will give the author that, she definitely has read (and incorporated) the customs of the time into the book, but just because you've mastered the culture of the Indian tribes around Jamestown colony, does not, ipso facto, mean that you've produced a good, or even interesting book, and that seems like the book's weakness to me, it just wasn't that interesting.
Pocahontas seems like a fascinating historical figure to me, but she just didn't seem that fascinating in the book. John Smith comes across as the sort of scoundrel/hero that he probably actually was, and the scenes with him I found much more interesting than the one's with Pocahontas in it.
I really wanted to like this book, but I ended up not liking it at all.
Pocahontas seems like a fascinating historical figure to me, but she just didn't seem that fascinating in the book. John Smith comes across as the sort of scoundrel/hero that he probably actually was, and the scenes with him I found much more interesting than the one's with Pocahontas in it.
I really wanted to like this book, but I ended up not liking it at all.
Beautifully written and easy to get lost in. The author strived for a reasonable degree of historical accuracy while fleshing out the story. I'm very glad I "read" this as an audio-book, as the Algonquian names and words used (some created, but most authentic) are lovely to hear but quite challenging to read. Several times I've regretting choosing an audiobook over a written one, as there are often sections of a book that I would skim over if I was progressing at my own pace, and which bore or frustrate me in the audio. That was never the case with this book. I will be seeking out more of Ms. Hawker's work.
This was a nicely written and researched book. I got some interesting information out of it, but for me it was slow. Just a very meandering pace. Not a bad book at all, just a moderate read.
This was one of those books that I really wanted to like but just didn't. I didn't hate it but I found it hard to get into. I liked the basis of the story with Pocahontas and Jamestown but I got bogged down a bit in the writing and found the pace to move a little too slowly for my liking. It wasn't a bad book, just not for me.
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautifully written
I enjoyed reading this book, but as we all know, it is a heartbreaking story. She did a great job depicting an amazing women.
I enjoyed reading this book, but as we all know, it is a heartbreaking story. She did a great job depicting an amazing women.
slow-paced
Some part of me feels as if I have been waiting years for this book. Let's be clear: I didn't know this book existed until a few months ago, and even then I was skeptical. 500+ pages? Yikes. But as soon as I dived into the story, I didn't want to surface again until I'd finished it. Libbie Hawker chooses the most beautiful words to tell her story, and I hated any time I had to put this down in favor of real-life things -- eating, sleeping, working, you know. Those "basic needs" sorts of things. But I always came right back to this, and fell right back into the wilds of pre-colonized Virginia, and it was such a wonderful feeling. I'm actually still amazed I finished this as quickly as I did, considering its size and how crazy busy I've been lately. But it flowed so smoothly that there was barely any effort put into staying focused on the story or making sure I got through X-amount of pages each day. Great, great story, and I can't wait to read more of her work -- I've actually got [b:The Sekhmet Bed|12398627|The Sekhmet Bed (The She-King, #1)|Libbie Hawker|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327938831s/12398627.jpg|17379904] on my Amazon Cloud Reader, so I may start on that pretty soon. Also hoping to read the potential sequel she mentioned in the author's note!
Bottom line: If you grew up loving the 1995 Disney movie, or you love history, definitely read this.
Bottom line: If you grew up loving the 1995 Disney movie, or you love history, definitely read this.