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Werken van Gerard LaSalle

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I received an advance review e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is very well written historical fiction with real and fictional characters and events that portrays the difficulties and hardships encountered in the settlement of the Pacific Northwest. Emmy Evers is portrayed as a very strong, independent, and self-sustaining woman living during a time in our country when women made few family decisions and were very dependent upon a man. The characters are fully developed and the author writes in a very descriptive and colorful manner. I found this book fascinating and entertaining and had difficulty putting it down. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.… (meer)
 
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iadam | 5 andere besprekingen | Aug 30, 2015 |
I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. Widow Walk tells the tale of a family of settlers in the Northwest during the time when Northern Indian tribes routinely sent raiding parties south. Being Australian, I am not familiar with this historical period but I am aware that the author was meticulous in his seamless blending of fictional and factual characters and events to create this story. The story and characters are so well written it prompted some research of my own.

The heroin, Emmy is strong, intelligent and a bit of a rebel in a time where women were suppressed and oppressed. When her husband is killed and her son taken prisoner by Indians she sets of to broker a deal to buy him back. Needless to say that things don’t always go as planned, but Emmy is a resourceful woman in a period of history that was often violent and harsh. Great read.
… (meer)
 
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KerryMarsh | 5 andere besprekingen | Aug 3, 2015 |
I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. I settled down on a long haul flight to read and was unable to put Isthmus down.

Isthmus is the second novel in the Widow Walk series. This story tells of the widowed Emmy Evers and her children after they the Pacific Northwest. They plan to travel to Boston via train from Panama (Isthmus) but as all good saga’s go, Emmy and her children face a number of difficulties during their journey – Dengue Fever and other illnesses, unscrupulous merchants, sociopathic men who preyed on the travellers to name a few. The plot is rich and complex and will at times leave you wondering how she will survive, but of course she does.

LaSalle weaves historical fact beautifully through this story. A country on the brink of change from the days of slavery; yet many still fought to keep the old way of life. The brutality of the times will shock and appall at times. Each chapter is written about a specific character, and narrated through their eyes. His characters are well thought out and totally believable. Some likeable others not, but either way they will enthrall you.
… (meer)
 
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KerryMarsh | Aug 3, 2015 |
"Widow Walk is a historical fiction depicting real and fictional characters and events.
Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey (Isaac Evers in the story) did take a company to the Palouse to fight.
Captain George E. Pickett, who later achieved enduring fame during the War Between the States, almost provoked an international war with his standoff of the Brits at San Juan Island."


The two statements above were taken from the book, I edited them to remove any potential spoilers. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is well written fictionalized account of a historical event. I enjoyed reading it. There were some questions that remained at the end of the book, but there is a follow-up book Isthmus which I haven’t read. I would think some of these unanswered questions will be answered in the follow-up book.

Having lived in the Northwest, the setting of this novel, I have been on Whidbey Island, I have stood on the bridge over Deception Pass so it was fun reading about places I’ve been even though the events took place several generations before my family lived there. I am a little embarrassed to admit I know very little about the history of the area, but it is obvious that Mr. LaSalle has done his research.

The first few chapters introduce us to the main characters, each chapter from the point of view of one person. This allows for excellent character development, it doesn’t take long for us to get to know the characters in the book. At the same time we are ‘meeting’ the characters, we are also learning about the area, and the relationship between the settlers and the indigenous people. There is a good mix of people in this book, good, bad, mentally ill, courageous, greedy and unscrupulous. Mr. LaSalle has done a good job with the people in this book, he does not resort to making them stereotypical characters. You feel for the characters, bad and good, and even though I thoroughly disliked some of them, I understood why they did the things they did.

The history of the actions of the settlers vs the natives is also explored, showing the good and bad on both sides. It is a fact that the whites or “the men from Boston” as they are referred to in this book, tried to wipe out the native population. It is touched on briefly in this book.

I believe this book will appeal to readers of historical fiction, those who are interested in the history of this country.
… (meer)
½
 
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BellaFoxx | 5 andere besprekingen | Jun 20, 2015 |

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Werken
2
Leden
17
Populariteit
#654,391
Waardering
4.1
Besprekingen
7
ISBNs
4