Book Synopsis Meg Pero has been assisting her photographer father since she was big
enough to carry his equipment, so when he dies she is determined to take
over his profession--starting with fulfilling the contract he signed to
serve on an Army survey of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 1871.
What she doesn't realize is that the leader of the expedition is none
other than the man she once refused to marry.
Captain Ben
Coleridge would like nothing more than to leave without the woman who
broke his heart. He can't afford to be distracted during this survey,
which is a screen for another, more personal mission, one he cannot
share with any member of his team.
As dangers arise from all
sides--and even from within--Meg and Ben must work together to stay
alive, fulfill their duties, and, just maybe, rekindle a love that
neither had completely left behind.
My Review A Distance Too Grand is a historical novel set in 1871. It tells the story of Meg Pero, a photographer who has signed on to take photographs for an Army survey of the Grand Canyon. The officer leading the survey, Captain Ben Coleridge, is her old beau. As they reconnect, they also face danger and a mystery on the trip. I wanted to read this novel from first description because of the unique character - a woman photographer in the 1870's - and setting - the Grand Canyon. Meg is such a wonderful, strong female character. She wants a career as a photographer during a time period when women just did not have careers. She is also very brave when dangers occur as part of the survey. I loved Ben and Meg together; it was great seeing him appreciate her intelligence and creativity and support her dreams. The novel is well written, and the descriptions really captured the time and place. I found the details about 1870's photography especially interesting. Meg does photos for stereoscopes, and the photographic process for these pictures was fascinating. The book includes passages like this:
"The view was quaint. It might make a popular stereograph, particularly if she titled it something romantic, 'Glen in Far-Off Arizona Territory,' perhaps, or 'Forgotten Wilderness.' People slid her pictures into their stereoscopes and peered through the dual lenses to view exotic places and foreign cultures they'd never visit in person, after all. The best pictures told a story" (p. 62).
There is a lot of western adventure on the trip, as well as an ongoing mystery. Although I figured the mystery out early on, I enjoyed reading the resolution in the novel. This is the first in a series, and I look forward to reading the next novel, which is about Yellowstone. I recommend A Distance Too Grand for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone interested in the old west or early photography. Author Bio Regina Scott is the author of more than 40 works of warm, witty historical romance. Her writing has won praise from Booklist and Library Journal, and she was twice awarded the prestigious RT Book Reviews
best book of the year in her category. A devotee of history, she has
learned to fence, driven four-in-hand, and sailed on a tall ship, all in
the name of research. She and her husband of 30 years live south of
Tacoma, Washington, on the way to Mt. Rainier.
Dear Friends, There is a new special day coming up next week. It is October 22, National Make A Dog's Day. This is a day that focuses on rescuing "underdogs" from shelters. These are special dogs - very big dogs, old dogs, blind dogs, deaf dogs, dogs who were born were three legs, dogs with underbites - dogs who may not find homes as easily. I read information about this day and was very sad to read that although more dogs are adopted from shelters than in the past, approximately 35% of all shelter dogs are euthanized. Subaru is sponsoring Make a Dog's Day. I am in no way affiliated with Subaru, but go them! This is a wonderful program that is happening in conjunction with the ASPCA. There is more information at this site: Make a Dog's Day. Here is a very short video about underdogs: There are a number of things you can do to help shelter dogs: You can adopt them! You can volunteer at a local shelter. You can contribute money or goods to a local shelter. Many local shelters seek donations of food, blankets, towels, sheets, etc. You can find your local animal shelter online and look for dogs who may have a harder time finding a home. You can then share these dogs on social media - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. (I have helped my Momma do this before.) I think this is a great cause to get behind and hope you will share the word as well. In the meantime, don't forget to also make your own dog's day special next week - a long walk, a toy, a special treat, some extra play time. Thank you for visiting me today! Love, Abby xoxoxo
Book Synopsis A bold, heartfelt tale of life at Green Gables . . . before Anne: A
marvelously entertaining and moving historical novel, set in rural
Prince Edward Island in the nineteenth century, that imagines the young
life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her
life to the possibility of heartbreak—and unimaginable greatness. Plucky and ambitious, Marilla Cuthbert is thirteen years old when her
world is turned upside down. Her beloved mother dies in childbirth, and
Marilla suddenly must bear the responsibilities of a farm wife:
cooking, sewing, keeping house, and overseeing the day-to-day life of
Green Gables with her brother, Matthew and father, Hugh. In Avonlea—a small, tight-knit farming town on a remote island—life
holds few options for farm girls. Her one connection to the wider world
is Aunt Elizabeth “Izzy” Johnson, her mother’s sister, who managed to
escape from Avonlea to the bustling city of St. Catharines. An
opinionated spinster, Aunt Izzy’s talent as a seamstress has allowed her
to build a thriving business and make her own way in the world. Emboldened by her aunt, Marilla dares to venture beyond the safety of
Green Gables and discovers new friends and new opportunities. Joining
the Ladies Aid Society, she raises funds for an orphanage run by the
Sisters of Charity in nearby Nova Scotia that secretly serves as a way
station for runaway slaves from America. Her budding romance with John
Blythe, the charming son of a neighbor, offers her a possibility of
future happiness—Marilla is in no rush to trade one farm life for
another. She soon finds herself caught up in the dangerous work of
politics, and abolition—jeopardizing all she cherishes, including her
bond with her dearest John Blythe. Now Marilla must face a reckoning
between her dreams of making a difference in the wider world and the
small-town reality of life at Green Gables.
Marilla of Green Gables tells the story of Marilla Cuthbert's early life, long before Anne of Green Gables. When the novel begins, Marilla is 13 years old, living with her parents and brother Matthew on a farm in Canada. Her mother is experiencing a difficult pregnancy, so her sister Izzy has come to stay with them. After tragedy befalls the family, Marilla ends up taking care of her family, and this changes her whole future. Later we see Marilla tentatively beginning a romance with a neighbor boy named John Blythe Their love story is at the heart of this book - and Marilla's story.
I love children's literature but did not grow up with Anne of Green Gables. I first read the novel as an adult. Reading with adult eyes, and as a single woman, I was curious about Marilla and Matthew, two independent adult siblings who never married but lived independently at Green Gables. I wondered what their backstory was. It is a delight to me that Sarah McCoy wrote Marilla's story.
I love the way this novel travels in time -- beginning with a Prologue in 1876 that hints at an orphan coming to Green Gables (Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables). The book then has a section focusing on Marilla's 13th year, the year that changed her life. This is followed by a section about Marilla's settling in to her new life and being courted by a young John Blythe. Later the book flashes forward to 1860, when Marilla, through a trip to Nova Scotia and her closeness with her Aunt Izzy, has become interested in helping in some way with runaway slaves seeking safety in Canada.
I loved the old fashioned storytelling of this novel. The chapter titles alone were a delight -- Marilla Entertains a Caller, Two to Study, John Blythe Suggests a Walk, etc.
The descriptions in this book were breathtaking and really helped set the time and place. The novel begins:
"The sun and moon shine during snowstorms. They cast similar shadows, soft-edged, like dandelion clocks in the breeze. Marilla noticed that when she saw the silhouette of her father's sleigh coming down their snowy lane. The Farmer's Almanac had forecast a mild winter. But it was late February, and the snowbanks continued to grow, leaving thirteen-year-old Marilla to wonder if spring would ever return. It was hard to imagine the apple orchard alive and green under this blanket of white and shadows" (p. 7).
Marilla, as written in this novel, is such a wonderful character. She loves her home, family, and community so much. There is a scene where she sits with her father Hugh and brother Matthew and they name their farm Green Gables. "The three of them stayed sitting there as the purple haze of night fell over all and the crickets began their bittersweet song. Marilla was exactly where she wanted to be - where she was meant to be. Home at Green Gables" (p. 124).
This love of Green Gables is both Marilla's strength and a stumbling block to moving on to another separate life. I really felt for her as she worked through this as a young adult, and later as a middle aged woman in the novel.
I finished reading Marilla of Green Gables last night and have been thinking about it today. It is a novel that stays with you, one that will make a special impression on fans of Anne of Green Gables. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Author Bio
Sarah McCoy is the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of the novels The Mapmaker’s Children; The Baker’s Daughter, a 2012 Goodreads Choice Award nominee; and The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico.
She has taught English and writing at Old Dominion University and at
the University of Texas at El Paso. She lives with her husband, an
orthopedic sports surgeon, and their dog, Gilbert, in North Carolina. Sarah enjoys connecting with her readers on Twitter at @SarahMMcCoy, on her Facebook Fan Page, on Instagram at @sarahmmccoy, or via her website, www.sarahmccoy.com.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.
Dear Friends, I have a short little video to share with you today. It features a 17 week old dachshund puppy named Genji. He lives in Australia and was determined to climb a playground slide. I am impressed at how quickly he learned and how fast he scrabbled up that slide! I have never been to a playground so I am not sure what I would think about it. I certainly would not like the swings, and I don't think I would care to slide either. The sandbox might be fun though - that could involve digging! With no further ado, here is Genji on the slide! Now that is some real determination! He wanted to climb the slide and he did.
I'll be back next week -- maybe with a video or some pictures or something else fun. Hope you have a good weekend! Love, Abby xoxoxo
Book Synopsis From the celebrated author Susan Higginbotham comes the incredible story of Lincoln’s First Lady
A Union’s First Lady As the Civil War cracks the country in two, Mary Lincoln stands beside
her husband praying for a swift Northern victory. But as the body count
rises, Mary can’t help but fear each bloody gain. Because her beloved
sister Emily is across party lines, fighting for the South, and Mary is
at risk of losing both her country and her family in the tides of a
brutal war.
A Confederate Rebel’s Wife Emily Todd Helm has married the love of her life. But when her husband’s
southern ties pull them into a war neither want to join, she must make a
choice. Abandon the family she has built in the South or fight against
the sister she has always loved best.
With a country’s legacy at stake, how will two sisters shape history?
My Review The First Lady and the Rebel tells the story of two sisters during the years of the Civil War. Mary Todd Lincoln was the wife of Abraham Lincoln. Her sister Emily Todd Helm and her husband strongly backed the Confederacy. The book begins as Mary Todd meets Abraham Lincoln and moves through time until the end of Lincoln's life, with a glimpse of Mary's life afterwards.
I wanted to read this book from first glimpse of the cover - it is beautiful! Although I am from Georgia, I have not read a lot of Civil War fiction, so I was curious about this story because of the time period.
The story is told in alternating chapters by Mary and her sister Emily. The author did a fine job delineating these characters and the differences in their lives and beliefs.
I particularly liked the early part of the book when Mary Todd first met Lincoln and they had a quirky, off and on courtship. Their courtship told a lot about their personalities. There were details like:
"... Mr. Lincoln appeared at the Edwards house every few days, taking the same place beside Mary. Sometimes they would talk politics; other times they would take a book from Ninian Edwards's well-stocked (if not exactly well-thumbed) library and have one read it to the other" (p. 12).
I found this book very interesting, and liked the insights of the two sisters on the Civil War -- they were good observers of their time.
The novel moves at a leisurely, rather slow, pace. I think it would move a bit quicker if the book had been broken up into shorter chapters. I enjoyed The First Lady and the Rebel and the unique glimpse it gave of America during the Civil War years. I recommend it to anyone interested in that time period, and to fans of historical fiction.
Author Bio Susan Higginbotham is the author of seven historical novels, including
Hanging Mary, The Stolen Crown, and The Queen of Last Hopes. The
Traitor’s Wife, her first novel, was the winner of ForeWord Magazine’s
2005 Silver Award for historical fiction and was a Gold Medalist,
Historical/Military Fiction, 2008 Independent Publisher Book wards. She
writes her own historical fiction blog, History Refreshed. Higginbotham
has worked as an editor and an attorney, and lives in Maryland with her
family. Giveaway During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of The First Lady and the Rebel! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Paperback giveaway is open to the US only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen. The First Lady and the Rebel
