Pride’s Castle by Frank Yerby

And none of them could know how many were the tears of shame, and how few the tears of grief.

New York, 1870. Pride Dawson and longtime friend and companion Tim McCarthy land in the big city with their grubstake read to hit the big money like everyone else – but then Pride manages to lose it all. Down on their luck, they meet seamstress Sharon O’Neal who gives them what little support she can provide (and it’s not much). Pride loves Sharon about as much as his shallow soul is capable of love, and Sharon loves him back forever but love is not enough for Pride. He connives gets himself a job as bodyguard of wealthy tycoon Thomas Stillworth, who just happens to have a young daughter named Esther who is tired of her wealthy suitors and decides to hitch up with up and coming Pride, and that leaves faithful Sharon in the dust. Now you would think Pride would let Sharon go and move on with her life, but no, he’ll have his cake and eat it too.

Esther can’t understand that-how a man can love two women at the same time. I know that if I had Sharon all the time, I wouldn’t want Esther. But if there weren’t any Sharon I’d love Esther with all my heart…God, it was a mess!

What follows is quite a ride of ups and downs, fortunes won and fortunes lost, dirty dealings and plenty of heartache as Esther patiently bides her time waiting for the right moment to get her revenge for all the times Pride done her wrong. All in all I liked this a lot, despite a slower moment here and there. Definitely recommended for those interested in New York in the days of those filthy rich railroad barons. 4/5 stars.

This old gem has had plenty of fun covers over the years. Click on any thumbnail to enlarge.

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Maura’s Dream by Joel Gross

“She had come to the New World, but freedom hadn’t been granted her; freedom was somewhere else, off in the future, in a place and time where she would be strong., when the stuff of her dreams would not be stifled by the world of men.”

Maura O’Connell flees her family, marries and sets sail with her new husband for a better life in America. Conditions in steerage are horrific and her husband becomes one of its many victims. After going through the hell that is immigration at Ellis Island Maura trusts one of the ship’s mates who promises her a job – bad move – she’s sold into prostitution to a notorious gangster. Since she doesn’t take this lying down (pun not intended) she’s forced to *service* the gutter dwellers until she learns to behave and obey orders and then she can move on up to a brothel that serves the a better class of client.

Will Maura succumb to temptation and let handsome and ever-so-wealthy Kevin take care of her? Is she willing to prostitute herself again for a comfortable life? What would you do, take the easy way out or face life in the sweat shops for the meagre sum of $4 a week? Not such an easy decision, is it?

“And worse, far worse, was the secret, tiny longing within her eighteen-year old soul to just give up, drop everything, and let this handsome young man sweep her away, let him take her anywhere he wanted, just so she would no longer have to think.”

I liked this a lot, and a refreshing change from the usual rags-to-riches story one normally finds in this period. Despite the hell Maura goes through, she’s not one to give up. She’s smart enough to know she has to wait for her chance at freedom and play the game to survive in the meantime. This story does have some disturbing moments, and there is some sex, although it is appropriate to the story and is not gratuitous. And despite the cover, this isn’t a bodice ripping romance with a pair of star-crossed lovers, but one about a strong-willed woman with the determination to build a new life on her own, without prostituting herself to any man. Four stars.

Lily Cigar by Tom Murphy

Tags

San Francisco

Orphaned at ten, Lily Malone and her older brother Fergus are shuffled off to St. Patrick’s Orphanage. Being the good Irish Catholic that she is, Lily dutifully obeys the nuns and learns the skills they teach her, but brother Fergus runs off to seek his fortune in California and is presumed dead at sea. At fifteen, Lily takes a position as between-stairs maid to the very rich Wallingford family, who being both newly rich and Catholic are not yet invited into the best homes – but they’ll do anything to get in, including selling their daughter off to a perverted English lord.

Lily works hard and resists all temptations to evil thrown in her path, that is until she’s seduced by the Wallingford’s younger son Jack, although it’s his best friend Brooks Chaffee who sets her heart afire. No surprise, but Lily eventually turns up pregnant and the Wallingfords give her a big check and passage to San Francisco with the promise of employment in their emporium there. Not everything is smooth sailing, and let’s just say a few unexpected things happen upon arrival,

“The streets of San Francisco were paved with mud and broken dreams, and the gutters were just waiting, hungrily, yawning and gaping for the likes of Lily Malone!”

With a baby to feed and the cheap Chinese labor taking up all the menial jobs, Lily has little choice but to join the world’s oldest profession – although her friend Sophie Delage has the smarts to turn Lily into the most sought after, highest priced whore in the city – Lily Cigar. Successful she may be, but Lily is not one to accept her lot in life, and she dreams of making enough money to start a better life in the country where she can live quietly with her daughter. Now you know there’s a whole lot more to it than that, but I’m not going to spill the beans – read it for yourself. Lily faces a lot of ups and downs and challenges in her long life, and the greatest of all during the 1906 earthquake (sniff). Through it all she keeps true to her pure and honest nature, and always the good Irish Catholic girl at heart.

“She had knowingly sinned and been paid for it. God hadn’t struck her dead, and if the angels were weeping for her, Lily could not hear them.”

Don’t let that scare you off though, Lily is not the irritating Pollyanna that you might think. The author’s writing is excellent and very lyrical at times, somewhat surprising for a male author,

“…the fires that burned in him were bright pure fires that did not burn but only made a new alchemy of love in whose dear crucible dark dreams and secrets were magically transformed into a new and golden thing, a strong and happy cage of love that promised to hold them both, together, always.”

Sigh. And don’t you just want to know who the man is who finally captures Lily’s heart? Or rather, she captures his wounded heart. I loved loved loved this book, and it’s an absolute must read for fans of big fat sagas. Lily’s story hooked me from the get-go and I couldn’t stop turning the pages until it was over. Don’t let the lurid cover or the prostitute angle scare you off either, any sex in this book is very very tame, especially by today’s standards. Out of print, but well worth hunting down and don’t forget to check your library – mine had a copy.

Captivity by Deborah Noyes

Tags

Fox sisters, Spiritualism

Nothing here is as it seems.

 Captivity begins in Rochester New York in 1848 and tells the story of sisters Leah, Maggie and Kate Fox, who helped give rise to the Spiritualist movement. Younger sisters Maggie and Kate seem to have a gift of communicating with the spirit world via “rapping” (don’t ask me to explain it), and managed by older sister Leah they capitalize on their *skills* by giving séances and summoning the dead for grieving loved ones. Their story is intertwined with the fictional one of Clara Gill, who befriends Maggie, and we gradually learn about her back-story with her father and aunts in London and how she came to be such a recluse.

And that’s all I’m really going to tell you. Despite a rocky start that could have been helped by having a bit of knowledge on the sisters and their history (or better yet taking the time to read the publisher’s handout prior to starting :D), once I did get a handle on it I enjoyed it a lot. The writing is lovely and very sparse – no words wasted here – and you’ll be hard pressed not to mark the book up with your favorite quotes.

Real death is not a parlor game but a flat heaviness that weights the limbs, that makes every step a struggle, every breath reproach and violation. It is mold on the morning firewood and a chill that won’t go even when the hearth is banked to roaring, even when the familiar quilt is wound full round weighted legs and feet on a stool like a winding sheet. It is the bitterness of herbs in an undertaker’s parlor and damp shoes by a hole in the ground and the absence of sunlight and emptiness beyond reckoning.

As for whether it was real or all a hoax? Well you’ll just have to read it for yourself and decide, won’t you? This isn’t an action packed page turner and might not appeal to all readers, but I would definitely recommend it for those interested in the topic as well as savoring the beautiful prose.

FTC – why yes I did get it from the publisher. I put in a purchase request to the library first and they declined to buy it (not professionally reviewed they said), and then I got a tip from a fellow blogger (thank you) that there were still review copies available and I asked for one. Shoot me.

All For Love by Patricia Gallagher

Wealthy New York banker Earl Britton is named guardian of Jacintha Howard upon the death of her beloved grandparents. Virtually penniless, she is left without much more than the family’s dilapidated estate, Riverview. Earl would rather she sell the run-down estate, take the money and find herself a husband but a defiant Jacintha digs her heels in and refuses. Married to a wealthy heiress he has come to loathe, Earl finds himself falling in love with Jacintha and makes her the only offer a married man can make, which she refuses. Eventually Jacintha’s desperation to save Riverview leads her to accept a marriage offer from the much older Cole Danvers, who built his fortune on saloons and sweat-shop labor.

Of course you know Cole is going to be despicable and brutal, let alone hot to make an heir, but there’s really no way for Jacintha to get herself out of this pickle so she tries to make the best of it – and at least Riverview can be returned to its former glory.  At the outbreak of Civil War, Earl joins the Union Cavalry and Cole rubs his hands with glee at the thought of the increased profits.  And since this is a romance, you do know that our hero will be wounded and our heroine will have to whisk him off someplace safe to nurse him back to health and well…you can figure it out from there can’t you?

No, I’m not spoiling you will see that one coming a mile away. All in all a fairly typical Civil War romance, with the usual plot twists, but still an enjoyable read. Since the story is set mainly in New York, there isn’t a lot of first hand battle experiences, just brief historical recounts. Tammany Hall is little more than a brief mention, but Gallagher does give some insight into the horrible conditions of the sweat-shops and treatment of the laborers. Kudos for that – this is not a wall-paper historical.  There aren’t a lot books set in this period (we’ll not discuss those awful Luxe books), either Civil War or old New York, so it’s always a treat to find one. While not the most absorbing book ever (her Castles in the Air trilogy is much better) and despite its predictability and pat ending, I’d recommend it for fans hungry for one more Civil War romance. There is some sex in this book but not what you’d expect from the cover and very, very tame by today’s standards. 3/5 stars.

FTC, I know you really really care about where I got this long-forgotten OOP book so I’ll tell you – PaperbackSwap.

On Wings Of Dreams ~ Patricia Gallagher

Tags

historical romance, new york, North America

 (3.5 stars) Not as good as the first two in the series, but still a satisfying read

If you have read the first two books in this series Castles in the Air and No Greater Love and want to avoid spoilers you probably don’t want to read further. On Wings of Dreams continues the story of Devon Marshall and Wall Street banker and millionaire Keith Curtis. Now married and with twin daughters in addition to Scotty they spend their time between Halcyon on Hudson and New York City. Devon continues to work as a freelance journalist and also becomes involved in the suffrage movements and campaigns against child labor, which causes some tension in her marriage. On a trip to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia Devon is reunited with her former fiancé Daniel Haverston who much to Keith’s chagrin is still deeply in love with Devon. Worse yet, their son Scotty strikes an immediate attraction with Haverston’s daughter Fawn that develops into a lifelong love that causes tensions between Keith and Devon.

While I enjoyed this book very much and wanted to follow Devon’s story to the end, I did find this to be quite a bit slower paced with not as much action as the previous two in the series. The author does provide a glorious look at life in the upper crust society of New York, Washington, the reborn south including a tilting contest on a Virginia plantation (loved that!) to the opulent castles of Newport, Rhode Island and more. I also very much enjoyed the effortless way the author brought in so many wonderful details of life in the late 19C, the clothes and furnishings and social mores along with the main players of the day from presidents to railroad barons. As in the first two books, Devon and Keith’s story does have a soap opera/TV mini feel to it but still very entertaining. My only real complaint is that while not quite qualifying as a true “bodice ripper” there’s quite a bit more in the scenes between Devon and Keith than in the first two books and I would not recommend this for a younger reader. All in all an entertaining read and an interesting peek into 19C life, but only for fans of the first two books who have to read the rest of the story (and I did).

No Greater Love by Patricia Gallagher

Tags

historical fiction, historical romance, new york

A very worthy follow up to Castles in the Air

No Greater Love begins in 1873 shortly after Castles in the Air left off. Desperate for a real home and family Devon Marshall agrees to marry Reed Carter and start life afresh with him in Texas, which turns out to be quite a bit rougher than she expected. Devon tries to forget her love for Keith Curtis and their child Scotty and build a new life with Reed, but he’s not the perfect man he appeared in the first book and she struggles to return his love. Their marriage is further hampered by spoiled young miss Melissa Hampton’s designs on her husband. Reed is appointed as a junior Senator to Washington DC and the Carters try for a fresh start in the Nation’s capital. Devon eventually accepts an assignment to report on a sensational trial in New York that brings her back in contact with the now widowed Keith and sparks fly once again….

Despite the impression the book’s cover would give as being just another historical romance, Gallagher’s knack of blending her characters into that of our nation’s history and the perfect touch of those wonderful little historical details of the clothes, furnishings and customs of the Victorian era made for a near perfect mix of romance and history — from the desolate landscapes of Texas, to the corrupt politics and politicians of US Grant’s presidency and more as Devon continues her career as a social reporter following the Grants on their world tour at the end of his presidency. As in the first book, Devon and Keith’s story does have a soap opera/TV mini feel to it, but I found it to be highly entertaining and frankly had a hard time putting it down. Four stars and I’m now off to start the final book in the series, On Wings Of Dreams.

Castles in the Air ~ Patricia Gallagher

Tags

historical fiction, historical romance, new york

Despite the cover, this is so much more than an historical romance

Castles in the Air begins at the end of the Civil War as Devon Marshall’s father commits suicide after the building containing his newspaper business burns to ashes. Devon realizes that the only way to continue a career as a journalist is to strike out for New York, so she breaks off her engagement to an injured war veteran and finagles her way onto the private rail car of banking tycoon Keith Curtis who makes her an offer she can’t refuse. Once in New York and not wanting to depend on Curtis for support, Devon strikes out on her own, but she soon finds that obtaining employment as a female journalist is virtually impossible without connections and takes other jobs instead — jobs that end up with unforeseen complications.

Married Curtis can’t forget Devon and rescues her from her latest job as one of the “birds” in a cage at a notorious saloon and unwilling to fight him any longer Devon agrees to become Curtis’ mistress (his wife is an invalid, or is she just pretending to be paralyzed?) and as much as he’d like to he cannot marry Devon. The book continues with the ups and downs of their relationship and Devon’s involvement in different circles of New York society, dirty politics, emancipation for women, and more. Eventually Devon does obtain a job as a journalist reporting for the women’s section of a local paper and she is able to take further that job as she is assigned as one of the many female reporters following the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant from the viewpoint of Mrs. Grant and the social whirl of Washington DC.

Although the basic premise of the storyline sounds like your basic historical romance, and at times it did seem to take on a soap opera/TV mini series type of quality, I have to give the author credit for including a great deal of historical facts and characters. In addition to being entertained with a good story, I obtained a wonderful inside peek at the people and history of late 19C politics with it’s dirty politicians, social scandals, railroad barons, the social mores of the day and more as Devon must ultimately decide between her love for Keith and their son or her independence to strike out on a new life that she can live without secrecy or fear of discovery and scandal.  Devon’s story  is continued in No Greater Love and On Wings Of Dreams.

So Many Partings ~ Cathy Cash Spellman

Tags

ireland, new york, North America

(3.5) A “wee” bit of a rags to riches family saga

So Many Partings is the story of Tom Dalton, illegitimate child of the younger son of the manor Drumgillan and Irish peasant Mary Dalton. When Tom comes to New York as a young man fresh out of college and fresh off the boat, he finds friends and obtains work among the other Irishmen at the docks. Eventually Tom is mentored by ruthless businessman Diamond Jim Mulvaney and as he proves his mettle he quickly moves up in the ranks and hopes to one day earn enough to be able to court Diamond Jim’s daughter Dierdra (much to DJ’s consternation).

The rest of the book details early 1900’s New York as Tom’s work in Diamond Jim’s empire involves him with the Tammany gang, dirty politics, and a labor strike at the docks between the Irish and the Italians that leads to tragic consequences for Tom and his new family, and finally culminates in the story of Tom’s beloved granddaughter Megan and the treacherous betrayals by Tom’s two sons.

While I enjoyed this book, at the same time I found something missing. It’s not quite BIG enough in scope to be an “epic novel”, nor is there enough romance to keep me on the edge of the seat waiting for two lovers to finally get together. Additionally, most of the characters were a bit clichéd and unoriginal – the madam with the heart of gold, the big Irish dockworker with the soft side no one knows, the ruthless business man who lets no one in his way (well almost), a few Mafioso types – that as much as I enjoyed the book I felt like I just left the table after a full meal and I’m still needing something more. It’s a good book, not a great one, although it did quite well for this housebound reader on a snowy winter afternoon. Not too light and not too heavy, and definitely no where near as good as the author’s fabulous Paint the Wind. 3.5/5 stars.

 

Wanderers Eastward, Wanderers West by Kathleen Winsor

Tags

copper mining, historical fiction, montana, new york

And so, rather than make apologies for the devastation they had accomplished so far they deprecated it. 

And you’re not going to know what that quote means until the very end of this door-stopper sized book! This one starts in 1861 and tells the parallel tales of Matt Devlin as he begins to carve a new life in Montana, along with that of his brother-in-law Joshua Ching in New York as he winds his way to great fortune through the manipulation and financial downfall of others. Matt, his brother Pete and their partners and eventually his sons are involved in the early days of mining the Montana Rockies, first gold then silver and finally digging to the depths of the inner mountains for the remaining treasure – copper. The early boom towns grow and die, although one town long thought dead begins to grow and change as does the landscape surrounding it – Butte.

On the other side of the country, Jason’s wealth grows and he becomes one of New York’s elite rich and marries his daughter Susan (Suky) into one of the “old” families short of cash. The story carries them through the financial disasters and depressions of the time, as well as intertwining with Matt’s children with his. That’s about as far as I care to go, beyond that I’d be writing a full length book report and you know I don’t do that. Suffice it to say, this book is packed with plenty of extramarital affairs (but no bodice ripping, I promise), sneaky stock dealings, railroad barons, roaring mining towns, scandalous actresses and mistresses, the cigar smoking cussing Lily in her men’s clothes all intertwined with Morgan Devlin as he reaches for the huge wealth buried in the mountain he must destroy to reach the copper inside it.

Although I wouldn’t call this one an action packed, can’t put it down until you know what happens next type of book, it was still entertaining for those like a big fat (and I do mean fat) book packed with plenty of history and intrigue and colorful characters. Just be warned, there are a lot of characters and the story switches back and forth quite a bit between Montana and New York so if you don’t like a switching POV or if you’re looking for a book with star-crossed lovers, a pure and saintly hero and heroine who get their HEA in the end, this isn’t the book for you. For those of you who read and loved her more famous book, Forever Amber you might want to give this one a whirl. 4/5 stars.