Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Follow the River by James Alexander Thom

From the Timely and Timeless book discussion group on February 11, 2014.

Braving another extremely cold day, five members met for our delayed meeting. In this historical novel, Mr. Thom follows the true story of Mary Draper Ingles on an incredible journey. Set in Virginia in 1755 when a tribe of Shawnee Indians attacks their small settlement, we join Mary on the trail as she and her two small sons and two others are kidnapped leaving behind brutally murdered members of their families and their neighbors. Mary is pregnant and nearly ready to deliver. The story deals with this woman’s strength of character and incredible will to find her way home. The writing is heart wrenching for the immediacy of the dangers she faces and for the harrowing decisions she must make – not only for herself, but for her family. The extreme circumstances written by Mr. Thom seemed a bit hard to believe in places, especially toward the end of Mary’s journey. But I have no doubt that this real woman suffered enormously – physically and emotionally.

We rated this book a 4.75/5 from the six members who responded. It is a book that adds information to the historical perspective of that time in history. It was a good book to curl up with under warm covers on a cold night and to contemplate the wonders of our modern life while appreciating the sacrifices of those who came before us.

COMING UP:

February 25, 2014 – THE 9TH GIRL by Tami Hoag – at Richard’s AT NOON

From the book:
“Kovac had seen more dead bodies than he could count: Men, women, children; victims of shootings, stabbings, strangulations, beatings; fresh corpses and bodies that had been left for days in the trunks of cars in the dead of summer. But he had never seen anything quite like this…”
From Ms. Hoag’s web site, this is her description of the story:
“On a frigid New Year’s Eve in Minneapolis a young woman’s brutalized body falls from the trunk of a car into the path of oncoming traffic. Questions as to whether she was alive or dead when she hit the icy pavement result in her macabre nickname, Zombie Doe. Unidentified and unidentifiable, she is the ninth nameless female victim of the year, and homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska are charged with the task of not only finding out who Zombie Doe is, but who in her life hated her enough to destroy her. Was it personal, or could it just have been a crime of opportunity? Their greatest fear is that not only is she their ninth Jane Doe of the year, but that she may be the ninth victim of a vicious transient serial killer they have come to call Doc Holiday.”


March 25, 2014 – TARA ROAD by Maeve Binchy – at Maria’s AT NOON

From Goodreads:
“New York Times best selling author Maeve Binchy has captured the hearts of millions with her unforgettable novels. Binchy's graceful storytelling and wise compassion have earned her the devotion of fans worldwide--and made her one of the most beloved authors of our time. Now she dazzles us once again with a new novel filled with her signature warmth, humor, and tender insight. A provocative tale of family heartbreak, friendship, and revelation,Tara Road explores every woman's fantasy: escape, into another place, another life. "What if..." Binchy asks, and answers in her most astonishing novel to date.”
--Susan

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