My Review: Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Sixteen Bridesby Stephanie Grace Whitson
Copyright 2010
Bethany House Publishers
350 pages
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0513-2
Historical Fiction
From the publisher:
In 1872, sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land speculator who lures them west by promising "prime homesteads" in a "booming community." Unbeknownst to them, the speculator's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women to the fledgling community of Plum Grove, Nebraska, in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival!
Sparks fly when these unsuspecting widows meet the men who are waiting for them. These women are going to need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances--especially when they begin to discover that none of them is exactly who she appears to be.
My Review:
Mail order bride stories are definitely some of my favorite, I got this book thinking it was going to be about just that, mail-order brides however it really wasn't. That does not take away from the story in any way and it turned out to be a terrific read.
Throughout the first half of the book I was introduced to so many characters it was hard to keep them all straight but once I got to "meet" them all and they started to make a life for themselves in Plum Grove, Nebraska, it was an interesting read. While I didn't get to know each character as much as I would have if there had only been one or two main characters in the book, I still had a connection with each of them, which to me is important for enjoying a story. Each character had something pretty much anyone can relate to, be it feeling unconfident in one's appearance, dealing with loss, trust issues etc.
If you are a lover of romance like me you will like this book, especially since each of the "brides" has some kind of romantic entanglement or relationship. I appreciated that this book featured ladies with independent spirits as well. I think it really took a lot for ladies to leave their homes and their pasts behind to start afresh in an environment that was unpredictable and harsh yet with a real beauty.
This was my first experience reading a novel by Stephanie Whitson but it will not be my last!
Available now at your favorite bookseller from Bethany House Publishers!
To learn more about Stephanie and her books visit:
Her WEBSITE
*I received my free review copy from Jim @ Bethany House Book Reviewers in exchange for my honest review.*
Hahaha I was just sitting down to write my review of Sixteen Brides. LOL! Great reviews and you definitely bring up some good point.
ReplyDeleteLove Ya,
Ashley
Great review! That was exactly how I felt about it. I got confused in the beginning and almost gave up on it - but I'm glad I hung in there because I really grew to like those ladies. It was a good story - and a unique one in a lot of ways.
ReplyDeleteHahaha Lee! I was like come on all ready! Let's get to the story but once it really started to pick up about hal way through I really loved it!
ReplyDeleteAsh- Can't wait for your review! :-)
XOXO~ Renee
I was thinking about reading this book. I have one question and this will date me somewhat. Is it anything like Here Come the Brides? (television show with Bobby Sherman). I told you it would date me!
ReplyDeleteLaura, I've NEVER heard of that show so couldn't tell you. LOL I'd have to ask my dad when he gets home :-P
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by today and I'm sorry I couldn't help you more! :-)
XOXO~ Renee