A review by beebeereads
Chariot on the Mountain by Jack Ford

3.0

This was a book club choice...I waffled between 3 and 4 * so 3.5*. I enjoy historical fiction and I found this story compelling. The author drew a clear picture of the setting in antebellum Virginia and the plot propelled the reader forward with a sense of suspense and urgency. The female characters were believable and most had enough depth to support the history. Fanny and Kate could have been fleshed out a bit more, but to what purpose. The male antagonist was perhaps a bit overdone, making him more a caricature than a realistic character with a hate-filled heart. The facts of the story alone are surprising and previously unknown to me. The trial segments were fascinating as well due to the differences in our courts now compared to the 19th century...much the same but several very different practices that impacted the results. My favorite part of any historical fiction is the afterword and it did not disappoint, although some of the factual events that took place after the story's end were disappointing.