lornarei's review against another edition
4.0
What a great read! I loved the time period and the history involved -- geekily typing "Niagara Falls History" into wikipedia...
I especially enjoyed Bess' faith journey. Even though she was Methodist, she found peace in the rosary she had been exposed to at the Catholic academy. Until events caused her to lose her faith, that is. Anchorless for most of the book, you see the glimmers of faith returning at the end.
I really enjoyed this book.
I especially enjoyed Bess' faith journey. Even though she was Methodist, she found peace in the rosary she had been exposed to at the Catholic academy. Until events caused her to lose her faith, that is. Anchorless for most of the book, you see the glimmers of faith returning at the end.
I really enjoyed this book.
wayfaring_witch's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up this book because it is set near Niagara Falls, but the meticulously researched history and setting seemed to overwhelm the story.
12grace4's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
princessamy73's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the characters in this book! The author writes wonderfully, just as I can imagine Bess was thinking it. The story was interesting, characters ware believable. Highly recommend!
klherring's review against another edition
4.0
While I don't think I loved this one *quite* as much as The Painted Girls, it was still elegantly done and quite remarkable. I love the presentation, the research, the character development, tone, diction...everything about Buchanan's writing style. Her descriptions of the falls and back-stories were beautiful. While the story has sorrow, like Painted Girls, it is not a sorrowful tale. It is real and honest, but also has an element of faith and magic that I think we could all find in our lives, especially in times of loss or struggle. Buchanan is like a modern Thomas Hardy, with more precise descriptions (detailed, yes; endless, no) and less doom and gloom. I look forward to many many more by this author!
ducky1918's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
morepagesplease's review against another edition
3.0
I would rate this as 3.5 stars. The characters were pleasant and there were plenty of interesting facts regarding the history of Niagara Falls. I just felt as though parts of this novel were a bit slow.
fran_mcbookface's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad. Was a little let down by the ending though
robinsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Very well done story of a young woman living on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls during WWI and her relationships with family and the man she eventually marries. The characters were very well developed and the history of falls and the struggle between companies to harness the power were fascinating. If you read this, check out the author's website for photographs, maps, and other interesting tidbits that will greatly add to the experience of reading this book.
k_lee_reads_it's review against another edition
3.0
A historical fiction novel set on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls between 1915 and 1923 telling the story of fictional Bess and her love Tom.
Besides the love story and the history of the Niagara Falls area, so many themes are covered in this novel: the society's class system, the marriage relationship, the horrors of war, post tramatic stress syndrome, the struggles during economic downturns, the conflict between industrial progression and environmentalism. I identified with and enjoyed the themes. I found the love story mildly interesting. I was pleased by the history of the time and area, since that was the reason I read the book.
Besides the love story and the history of the Niagara Falls area, so many themes are covered in this novel: the society's class system, the marriage relationship, the horrors of war, post tramatic stress syndrome, the struggles during economic downturns, the conflict between industrial progression and environmentalism. I identified with and enjoyed the themes. I found the love story mildly interesting. I was pleased by the history of the time and area, since that was the reason I read the book.