Author: Tracy Chevalier
Narrator: Kate Reading
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 2013
Format: 8 compact discs, 9 hours and 51 minutes
Genre: historical fiction
Obtained: library
Summary: It is 1850. Honor Bright, an English Quaker travels to America to escape her past. On the journey to Ohio, a tragedy strikes, resulting in a whole different situation for Honor than was planned. What will become of Honor as she finds herself alone in a strange place? What happens when she becomes involved with the underground railroad?
Thoughts: I love historical fiction set in the United States. This book caught my attention because it not only had to do with the underground railroad, which has always intrigued me, but it is told from the perspective of a woman who is a Quaker. This is a religion that I have always wanted to know more about.
I was not disappointed with this book. The main character and most of the minor characters really came alive. Not only did I feel like I knew them, but I felt like I was right there with them. The author obviously did much research because she was able to add little details that really made me feel like I was in Ohio in 1850. Not only that, but I felt like I was in each house and shop, and on each street, and that I was seeing a railroad for the first time. I learned many differences about English culture versus American culture during this time period. I learned about bonnets and hats and more about quilts than I already knew.
It is hard to describe the author's writing style, but if I tried to tell this story it would come out far-fetched and ridiculous. Tracy Chevelier makes this story absolutely believable, transporting the reader right to this time and place. It is told in a calm, quiet way which is exactly how Honor Bright would have told it. In places there are many details, but it does not seem weighed down because it is so interesting. I did not expect the ending at all, which is another plus to me.
The narrator was able to give each character a distinct voice which I always appreciate. She read at a good pace and spoke clearly.
This is a great book for anyone interested in this time period. Be aware that although the underground railroad plays a part in the story, the focus of the book is Honor Bright's personal story of finding where she belongs and learning that it is much easier to know what you believe than to act on your beliefs.
Tea: Herbal Garden Harvest
Obtained: gift
Today I tried Herbal Garden Harvest Tea from Pickity Place, an herbal gift shop, greenhouse, and restaurant, located in Mason, New Hampshire. Pickity Place's tea is not available online, but you can purchase it in their gift shop. Their tea comes in resealable bags. There are no ingredients nor steeping instructions listed on the packages of tea. When I opened the bag, there was a faint scent of sweet apples and spices. The tea consisted of whole black cloves and light brown and white chunks. I put two teaspoons of tea in my tea maker and poured about sixteen ounces of water over the tea. I let this steep for five minutes. The orange brown liquid had a faint scent of apples and spice. The taste was light and of tart apples and spice. Although the taste was pleasant, clean and fresh, it almost seemed like it was missing something as it had a watered down flavor. If you like weak tea and apples this is perfect for you. Otherwise, you may want to skip this one. I did try brewing longer, but this did not increase the flavor.
Yes, the more books I read about Quakers, the more I like them. Patrick Gale has Quakers in his novels as well, because he is one himself!
ReplyDeleteI have not read any of his books. I will check them out. It will be interesting to see if he portrays the beliefs differently than Tracy Chevalier. Thanks so much for mentioning this!
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