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A review by ameliabee33
Swept Into the Storm by Louise Mayberry
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is unlike any historical romance that I have ever read, so much so I would say it edges on historical fiction. The romance is definitely there throughout the book, but until the end, the romance is written almost like a subplot.
The fmc, Letty, is a Mayan woman running her late father's business as well as smuggling goods and former slaves into Mexico. Letty's ultimate goal throughout the book is immediate abolition. Her father and mother worked for it and now she has made it her life goal, and no one, not even a handsome Scottish earl with golden retriever energy, is going to get in her way.
As in the book description provided by the author the main plot revolves around racism, slavery, and unlearning bias. These are topics that are not typically written in books of this genre. Letty is an Indigenous woman who had a white father and her friends/family are Indigenous and POC. Cameron, the mmc, is a privileged, white, Scottish earl (landlord) who begins the book with limited knowledge and exposure to POC as well as his own internalized racism.
When Cameron and Letty first interacted with one another, Letty somewhat had the upper hand- she knows the land, people, language, etc. When they are on more equal footing they fall in love with one another. When the pair end up in England however, roles are reversed and Cameron, the white man, takes charge, creating a very tense power dynamic. So tense I was unsure if there could even be an HEA. Cameron, while he was in love with Letty, didn't understand her drive for immediate abolition and I felt like he didn't understand /her/ until the very end. Cameron goes through unlearning his own racial bias, realizing his father wasn't the best man, and coming to terms with the fact that he is a glorified landlord. He is the party that oppresses people which is difficult for him to realize. Letty doesn't let go of her ultimate goal, even after breaking their romantic relationship, she chooses her fight for abolition above all else- which I thought was valid, she shouldn't have to change herself just because an ignorant white man couldn't get over himself.
Like I mentioned before, I was highly unsure if there was going to be an HEA, especially with the power dynamics set up in this book. Mayberry stressed the importance of white people not viewing black/Indigenous/POC as people who needed to be helped out of pity. She wrote about the importance of full independence, and for white people to not play a "parental role" and expect to be thanked for "allowing" POC to be treated with basic human dignity. There was a lot being said about the rhetoric surrounding abolition in London at that time, which I believe is relevant to this day.
I would also like to bring up the trope that is sadly, commonly found in romance of that of the noble/rich white person and the brown servant. I was very worried that this storyline was going to veer down that path, especially when the setting left the Yucatan. There was opportunity for it to arise, where Letty would just go into the marriage to Cameron, relying off of the work of others to sustain them and ultimately loses herself in his need to "protect" her. Thus fulfilling the role of her performing a service for him in the Yucatan, him being like I can offer you so much more than this, and then her going off to live her life in Scotland, ultimately leaving her goals/family behind. Thankfully, it didn't happen. Mayberry wrote Letty as a woman who doesn't give up from her goal, her passions, just for a man. She told Cameron off THANK GOD.
Just a disclaimer but I feel that as a white woman I will never understand and/or be able to discuss the impact and accuracy of this story. My opinions are restricted due to my privilege so I cannot say if Mayberry wrote poc characters and feeling of said characters towards racism well, but I know intent to do so was there.
The fmc, Letty, is a Mayan woman running her late father's business as well as smuggling goods and former slaves into Mexico. Letty's ultimate goal throughout the book is immediate abolition. Her father and mother worked for it and now she has made it her life goal, and no one, not even a handsome Scottish earl with golden retriever energy, is going to get in her way.
As in the book description provided by the author the main plot revolves around racism, slavery, and unlearning bias. These are topics that are not typically written in books of this genre. Letty is an Indigenous woman who had a white father and her friends/family are Indigenous and POC. Cameron, the mmc, is a privileged, white, Scottish earl (landlord) who begins the book with limited knowledge and exposure to POC as well as his own internalized racism.
When Cameron and Letty first interacted with one another, Letty somewhat had the upper hand- she knows the land, people, language, etc. When they are on more equal footing they fall in love with one another. When the pair end up in England however, roles are reversed and Cameron, the white man, takes charge, creating a very tense power dynamic. So tense I was unsure if there could even be an HEA. Cameron, while he was in love with Letty, didn't understand her drive for immediate abolition and I felt like he didn't understand /her/ until the very end. Cameron goes through unlearning his own racial bias, realizing his father wasn't the best man, and coming to terms with the fact that he is a glorified landlord. He is the party that oppresses people which is difficult for him to realize. Letty doesn't let go of her ultimate goal, even after breaking their romantic relationship, she chooses her fight for abolition above all else- which I thought was valid, she shouldn't have to change herself just because an ignorant white man couldn't get over himself.
Like I mentioned before, I was highly unsure if there was going to be an HEA, especially with the power dynamics set up in this book. Mayberry stressed the importance of white people not viewing black/Indigenous/POC as people who needed to be helped out of pity. She wrote about the importance of full independence, and for white people to not play a "parental role" and expect to be thanked for "allowing" POC to be treated with basic human dignity. There was a lot being said about the rhetoric surrounding abolition in London at that time, which I believe is relevant to this day.
I would also like to bring up the trope that is sadly, commonly found in romance of that of the noble/rich white person and the brown servant. I was very worried that this storyline was going to veer down that path, especially when the setting left the Yucatan. There was opportunity for it to arise, where Letty would just go into the marriage to Cameron, relying off of the work of others to sustain them and ultimately loses herself in his need to "protect" her. Thus fulfilling the role of her performing a service for him in the Yucatan, him being like I can offer you so much more than this, and then her going off to live her life in Scotland, ultimately leaving her goals/family behind. Thankfully, it didn't happen. Mayberry wrote Letty as a woman who doesn't give up from her goal, her passions, just for a man. She told Cameron off THANK GOD.
Just a disclaimer but I feel that as a white woman I will never understand and/or be able to discuss the impact and accuracy of this story. My opinions are restricted due to my privilege so I cannot say if Mayberry wrote poc characters and feeling of said characters towards racism well, but I know intent to do so was there.