Heedless. Stubborn. Disgraced. Small town Illinois, 1870: “My stepfather was not particularly fond of me to begin with, and now that he’d found out about the baby, he was foaming at the mouth”Desperate to avoid marriage, Nell Lillington refuses to divulge the name of her child’s father and accepts her stepfather’s decision that the baby be born at a Poor Farm and discreetly adopted.Until an … and discreetly adopted.
Until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.
Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and rethinks her decision to abandon her own child to fate. But even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby she may have no safe place to run to.
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Deals with issues relevant today, such as out of wedlock pregnancy, women’s status and rights in society, societal norms and hidden aberrancies and the light and dark side of humanity.
I fully expected this to be one of those “girl is ruined, has baby, man loves her and baby despite scandal” sorts of story lines. I was pleasantly shocked to find that was not the case at all! For anyone who isn’t sure about reading this, I’d point out that it’s really more of a murder mystery with a compelling heroine.
Iwhat can I say about this novel? It was good..very good. The important thing to remember is that this book is apart of a trilogy, so although there is an ending it may not be as satisfying as one would hope after the page turning sequence of events. This story reads as a little bit of romance, a little bit of mystery, and a lot of suspense. Throughout the novel we are introduced to various delightful characters, who each seem very unique but whose developement is some what rushed. If your looking for a story that meanders through back stories and detailed descriptions of scenes, this isn’t it. All in all I found myself reluctant to put it down. Although there are some adult themes they are not overly detailed or vulgar. Clean, fun read!
I enjoyed this book so much that I started trying to read slower as I was coming to the end to make it last longer. It was interesting how the author wove the history of county poor houses and the great Chicago fire into this story.
Is a fast-paced historical mystery an anomaly? I’ve never read one set in this time period–when five years after the Civil War, in a small Midwestern town, life was probably slower. At first, it seems as if the mystery will be who is the father of Nell’s unborn baby? Gossip in Victory certainly travels fast. So fast her stepfather demands she either reveal the father’s identity or go to the Poor Farm. An aside, the Poor Farm is nothing like the Charles Dickens’ asylums for the indigent and insane. (This particular mystery is explained in the author’s notes). The discovery of a murdered woman and her baby at the farm becomes the mystery Nell sets out to solve. No spoilers, but the killer is no surprise if for no other reason than the short list of characters. The Chicago Fire in 1871 provides a bit of well-known history. The author manages to tie it to a happy ending–if somewhat incredible–for one of the characters. That happy ending, in turn, opens the way for Nell to leave Victory, where questions regarding her baby’s father, would never stop. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger pause, but Nell is interesting enough to follow her to a new place in the next book.
This book was good while I was reading it, but it had no closure. I have read others that are part of a series but none that left me so dissatisfied at the end.
It was well-written. Characters were well-drawn and the plot was good. I liked the book, right up to the end. But the ending was very unsatisfactory for me and rather ruined the book. The ending said “Nell’s story continues in” the next book. If i had known that this was not a finished story, I would not have read it.
Wanted more character development. I would still like to read the sequels to this book
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book. Very interesting and engaging.
I’ve read all 4 installments of this series and have enjoyed reading about Nell Livingston Rutherford’s adventures. I look forward to the next installment.
There’s an evil step-father, a naive teenager, a sickly mother, and an insane asylum. It’s easy reading.
I loved it so much I am reading all of the series
I enjoyed this book and highly recommend
This was a gripping and fascinating read from start to finish.The main characters were clearly drawn,and the action believable and swift.I recommend it highly.
Good twist in finally
great story; it brings to light things we know to be true but don’t like to acknowledge
Strong female characters and lifelong friendships are highlights in this story of a woman who will not let a single mistake change her life. It’s a good mystery and a look at the life of women, the poor and disabled in the times.
Wonderful lesson in problem solving! What would I do if. . . .???
I’ve read the entire series and highly recommend it. Wonderful writing, accurately historical, and engaging characters is a story that draws you in and keeps you reading until the end, then wanting more!
Truthfulness of the situation