Laurel Millard is eighteen and dreaming of love and starting a
family. She’s the youngest of seven children, and she learns that
her siblings have other plans for her. She is expected to stay at
home and care for her widowed mother. Her feisty mother, however, has
different ideas and encourages Laurel to pursue her dreams.
With the cotton
exposition, Laurel sees a chance to meet an eligible man and takes a
job as a silk weaver. Here she does meet Langdon Rochester, a wealthy
man whose parents insist that he marry or lose his inheritance.
Laurel fills the bill as a perfect wife, and he woos her. However,
Langdon plans to trade on Laurel’s naivety to pursue his wild life
style with his friends.
Willie Sharp is
poor. He takes a job as a security guard at the cotton exposition to
help his family. He meets Laurel when providing extra security for
the Women’s Building. He enjoys her friendship and as he gets to
know her, his feelings deepen.
This is a well done
historical novel. Atlanta in 1895 is accurately described including
the feelings for blacks in the South. People could applaud someone
like Booker T. Washington, but feel repugnance for a worker like
Quincy, a black friend of Willie’s.
The characters are a
bit of a disappointment. They seemed stereotypical. Laurel is naive
and captivated by the dashing Langdon, who turns out to be a rogue.
Willie exemplifies the poor, hardworking, honest man. Quincy is a
foil for the black problems of the era.
The plot is
interesting and moves at a reasonable pace for a historical novel. If
you enjoy historical romances with a Christian background
, you may enjoy this book.
I received this book
from Waterbrook Multnomah for his review.
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